Quote Originally Posted by MSUDawg4Life View Post
Well, there are safety rules that apply to that type of hunting too. Break the rules and somebody gets hurt.

The question is whether breaking those safety rules amounts to an accident or negligence.
It almost certainly amounts to negligence. You owe extreme care in something like a bird hunt where you are walking with a gun next to other hunters and shooting quickly. The only exception would be if something like a dog jumps into you or you step into a hole that was completely covered with grass; maybe then it wouldn't be negligence.

But the average accident in something like a pheasant hunt probably doesn't rise to a criminal matter, whereas the deer hunting accident where a hunter intentionally shoots at something he can't identify, that seems like it would likely be so reckless, it would rise to a criminal matter.