A New York man almost lost his leg after being shot by his hunting buddy while hunting.
According to WIVB, Nikolas Stalker is a 23 year-old man from Silver Creek, and he had already harvested two deer throughout the season. Stalker said that prior to being shot by his friend, the hunt had been fairly uneventful.
Stalker, his father-in-law, and Stalker's friend named Bobby, were the three men deer hunting together on December 28th. After a slow day in the deer timber, the three men began to make their way back to the truck.
As they made their way back, the three men had to walk down a slippery hill along Buffalo Creek Road in Elma. Stalker said that there was a little ravine, with roughly a 30-foot drop. Notably, the hill was icy and rocky, and Stalker's father-in-law went down first.
Notably, Stalker's father-in-law made his way down the ravine without much trouble, and stood awaiting Stalker and Bobby. Bobby went down the ravine next, and it was then that tragedy struck.
New York Deer Hunter Is Recovering From A Gun Shot Wound, While Also Preparing To Be A Father
Bobby fell backward while making his way down the hillside. His muzzle loader fired as he fell, and Stalker was hit in the leg. Immediately, blood ran out of Stalker's leg and he began to consider the worst.
Stalker mentioned that his wife is pregnant. He worried that he would never have a chance to meet his child.
Luckily, help arrived quickly. Stalker was rushed to ECMC for surgery. He has been there in the weeks that have since passed, recovering, and learning to walk again. With months of physical therapy ahead of him, Stalker still considers himself lucky.
Stalker and his wife are expecting their first child together next month. Moreover, Stalker is on the path to recovery, and knows how close he was to dying.
Gun safety is exceptionally importantly when hunting in groups. Barrel discipline and thorough communication are non-negotiable when any group makes their way through the deer woods. Thankfully, Stalker survived his gun shot wound, but too often are deer hunters not so lucky.
