The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released details from five separate hunting accidents that were reported over the weekend. The first incident occurred on Saturday, Dec. 8 around 9:05 a.m. near Reasnor in Jasper County. According to DNR conservation officers, a 13-year-old Jesup boy fired multiple rounds at a moving deer with a 20-gauge shotgun, and one of the rounds struck a residence, causing minimal damage to the house’s siding. At approximately 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9, 39-year-old Ronny Butler, of Macksburg, was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital after dropping his loaded muzzleloader, causing it to discharge and strike him in the left wrist and chest. Then, around 4:30 p.m., officers responded to a fatal hunting incident at Robert’s Creek Park near Lake Red Rock in Marion County. Authorities believe 23-year-old Blake Schroder of Leighton was struck by a round fired by a member of his large hunting party. An autopsy is pending at the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny. Just 30 minutes later, conservation officers responded to a property damage report in Butler County. Homeowners in New Hartford reported hearing a loud noise from their window and discovered broken glass and shotgun slug at the scene. The final incident occurred on Sunday evening in Decatur County. A Tama man fired a shot at a deer and missed. No injuries were reported, but the round did strike a home about five miles northwest of Leon. Considering the high number of incidents over the weekend, DNR officials urge hunters to follow safe hunting practices, including: treating every firearm as if it is loaded; keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction; knowing your intended target and its surroundings; do not touch the trigger of the gun until you’re ready to shoot; and wearing as much blaze orange as possible.
