The story is from 20 years ago in Mankato, Minn. We’ve cited it before as a tragic example. Time has made it no less relevant, particularly as South Carolina’s deer hunting season that began Aug. 15 ramps up. Sadly, what happened could have been another in the string of tragedies that has surrounded hunting seasons in The T&D Region over the years. Here’s the Associated Press account: “John Leif recalls regaining consciousness in the woods after his 16-year-old son accidentally shot him in the head while they were hunting squirrels. “‘Chris was lying beside me, he was so limp,’ said Leif, 50. ‘I grabbed him and hugged him and sobbed and cried. I laid my head down on his chest. I wanted to die.’ “Investigators said Chris shot himself in the head in grief, believing he had killed his father. “‘I’m sure he thought I was dead,’ his father said. ‘It tears my heart apart, the mental anguish he must have … gone through.’ “The father and son had gone to the family’s property about 100 miles southeast of Minneapolis to put the finishing touches on a new deer stand in preparation for the opening of the deer season. They decided to hunt squirrels. “‘The last thing I remember is seeing a big gray squirrel up ahead,’ Leif said. ‘I ran across and said, “Chris, there’s one! Come on!” And the more I think about it now, he was probably aiming at it, getting ready to shoot, and I ran right in front of him. … We were side by side. It was just so quick.’ “After Leif regained consciousness, he tied a jacket around a tree as a landmark and began walking for help. He was disoriented but managed to get into his truck and drive to a neighbor’s home.” Sportsmen and sportswomen will be out in force between now and the end of the deer season on Jan. 1, 2021. South Carolina continues to have the nation’s longest deer season and plenty of deer to make it special. Tragedy can happen. As heart-wrenching as the Minnesota story is, any hunting accident can leave someone hurting and grieving. And they happen in South Carolina. The worst year was 1994, when 57 people were injured and eight died.  [full article]