There is no hunting in that area. This is not a high altitude place. He was sleeping in a hammock and shot at close range. Not mistaken for an attacking animal under such conditions.
This isn't hunting country. And no hunting is allowed anywhere nearby. I entertained the possibility of a hunting accident until I read about the area.
It sounds like you're misunderstanding a few things I'm trying to point out.
1. People carry guns. For whatever reason, not just for hunting.
2. People are extremely afraid of wild animals, even in daylight.
3. People get very jumpy thinking there's an animal near them.
4. The sleeper in the hammock would have been invisible in darkness; that's kinda the point of stealth camping and/or "leave no trace".
5. In the dark, it's easy to mistake a crunch in the bushes with a major threat. True, even in daylight.
6. Many people think it's "smart" to take a gun when they go hiking (or whatever) to protect themselves from "wild animals". Even where shooting is banned.
7. The animal wouldn't have had to appear to a shooter as being in "attack mode". People go nuts in the dark when they hear a squirrel, for goodness sake, even a caterpillar landing on their tent roof.
8. Off the beaten track, your ears are hyped up and sounds seem very loud and dramatic because there's no competition from other noises, as in inhabited areas.
9. All that wildlife biologist would have had to do is to turn over or sigh and he could have been shot by a jittery gun-toter who happened by.
10. This wouldn't have had to be an area with bears in it for someone to think they were at risk of a bear attack. Same with coyotes, deer, mountain lions....
10. Go down a trail in the woods in the pitch dark and notice how jumpy you get at every little sound. Then imagine you had a gun and could act on your alarm.
11. Go down a trail in the woods in broad daylight in an area where bear sightings are normal (e.g. Shenandoah National Park); notice how jumpy people are about even the possibility of coming across a bear. Then imagine how jumpy they'd be at night, and if they had a weapon.
Moral of this story?
a) some people should not be in the woods or on the trail at night
b) some people should not be in the woods or on the trail even in daylight....
c) if you happen to be in the woods and hear a sound, there are low odds that it's an animal interested in messing with you
d) someone can easily get hurt if you're trigger happy and don't know what you're shooting at
