Oakfield man accidentally shot by father while hunting turkeys
A 46-year-old Oakfield hunter was accidentally shot by his father while turkey hunting off Albion Road in Oakfield at 6:25 a.m.
Scott Hartman, of Lockport Road, is listed in critical condition at Strong Memorial Hospital, according to the Sheriff's Office, after he was taken there by Mercy Flight.
Hartman was reportedly in some heavy brush when his father, 71-year-old Howard Hartment, of Clinton Street Road, Batavia, saw movement he mistook for a turkey.
According to a Sheriff's Office report, the Hartmans entered the woods about 6 a.m. The two began calling and a turkey answered. Scott and Howard separated and continued calling. Scott went off to Howard's right. After about 10 minutes, Howard saw what he believed to be a turkey he was calling off to his left, at about 50 yards under a pine tree. When it cleared, Howard fired.
What Howard thought was a turkey turned out to be Scott. Scott had apparently circled around without Howard being aware of his new location.
After being hit by the shotgun pellets, Scott called 9-1-1 and walked out of the wooded/swamp area on his own.
Deputy Ron Meides handled the initial investigation, but it has now been turned over to the Department of Environmental Conservation for follow up.
UPDATE 2:37 p.m.: Strong Memorial now lists Scott Hartman in guarded condition.
UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: I requested from Strong's PR department a definition of "guarded." Here's what Jill D'Agostino wrote back: "Guarded" is the condition that’s typically assigned to anyone in one of our intensive care units. Patients who are on regular patient units (non-ICU) are listed as "satisfactory."