A woman who was accidentally shot in the hand by a shotgun pellet last Thursday while walking on a South Langley trail popular with equestrians says her experience has left her frightened of the bylaws allowing the discharge of firearms on farmlands.
The woman, who is in her late 70s, was walking her two dogs on the south Langley regional trail along 8 Avenue between 240 and 248 Streets. She does so every morning with a group of neighbours, and says she was shocked that anyone would consider discharging firearms so close to a public trail.
“This could have been a fatal accident if a horse had been hit. And I was lucky I was hit on the thumb, and not in the eye. It’s frightening to realize that hunters can shoot in a populated area as long as they have permission from the landowner to shoot at nuisance animals like geese,” said the Langley woman. She did not want her name published to avoid a backlash from those who support the laws.
The woman pointed out that Township bylaws allowing the discharge of firearms on farmland to protect crops and livestock from predators and pests like cougar, bears and geese are reasonable in an agricultural community, as long as hunters are licensed.
“I question whether this was the case. The hunters were in a blind, and had decoys set out to lure the geese to the property so they could shoot them. The owner of the property, whch is used to film Smallville, had given them permission to hunt on his land,” she said.
This is not the first time the exercise of the rights of farmers to shoot geese has triggered controversy in Langley. A few years ago, a land owner on 240 Street near 8 Avenue was accused by his south Langley neighbours of using laws intended to protect agriculture to kill the birds for sport.
Irate geese-lovers complained to the Township, which in turn tried to change the laws to narrow the range of circumstances under which the laws apply. The provincial government blocked the Township’s proposed amendments.
The elderly victim, who said her injuries were very minor, said she had no idea there were hunters nearby.
“We didn’t hear a bang, but we noticed the leaves in the trees above our heads shaking. Then I felt a pain in my thumb. It took us a moment to figure out what had happened. Then we called the RCMP,” she said.
A constable arrived and talked to the hunters.
“She said she would call us later, and she did. It was not a very friendly conversation. She told us the hunters were licensed, and had a right to shoot at the geese. We do not have a right to curtail hunters as long as they have permission from the landowner. Of course, the hunters were being incredibly careless,” she said.
She was left with the impression that the onus is on walkers or riders to stay off the trails during hunting season.
“That does not seem fair to me.”
The woman did get some satisfaction, however, from the owner of the land where the shooting occurred.
“He approached me when I was on the trail walking past his land after the accident and asked me my name. He said he wanted to extend his most sincere apologies, had no idea such a thing would happen, and promised it will never, ever happen again.”
Anne Patterson is a Langley writer and horse owner. Contact her at accidentalrider@yahoo.com.
