Potential changes coming after hiker shot by hunter in St. Charles County
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ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO (KMOV) — Hikers and hunters could see potential changes coming to a busy wildlife area in St. Charles County.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is investigating after a hiker was mistaken for a turkey and shot by a hunter Saturday afternoon at the Lewis and Clark Trail near Weldon Spring.
Todd Howard, an avid hunter, knows firsthand how important safety is while looking for wildlife. Years ago, he said an irresponsible hunter mistook him for a live animal at a hunting ground in Illinois.
“We heard the shot, we heard the bullet whiz by we made a big stink and noise and then we ducked behind the levy of the pond and he realized it wasn’t a deer and he left,” Howard said.
After hearing a hiker was mistaken for a turkey and shot in the chest, Howard said he was disturbed but not surprised. He believes the conservation area should serve as a place for both hikers and hunters and said both should take mutual responsibility.
“If you’re going to be hiking and using the conservation areas, you should also be aware of what else, what the other activities are going on in that area,” Howard said.
Dan Zarlenga with the Missouri Department of Conservation said the 47-year-old victim from O’Fallon, Missouri was airlifted to Mercy Hospital. As of now, the 58-year-old hunter from Arnold isn’t facing charges.
“We are conducting an investigation to get all the facts in the incident and talk to all of the parties involved,” Zarlenga said. “So that’s kind of the first step is to get all of the facts and find out exactly what happened.”
Following the investigation, the department will initiate an after-action report to determine how the incident could’ve been prevented and next steps for the future. Zarlenga said several considerations are on the table and could potentially include shutting down the trail during hunting season, posting additional signage, and requiring both hunters and hikers to wear bright clothing. However, no further action will be completed until the investigation is done. Zarlenga told News 4 the priority is to ensure both hikers and hunters have a safe and enjoyable space to use.
“It was an extremely rare incident and extremely unfortunate of course,” Zarlenga said. “Our heart goes out to the victim of the shooting, we wish him the best as far as recovery is concerned.”
News 4 reached out to multiple agencies to get an update on the victim’s condition and is still waiting to hear back.
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