Tragedy struck in the Colorado mountains last week when a bowhunter was shot and killed by another hunter in the San Juan National Forest on September 17, 2021.
Gregory Gabrisch, age 31, was killed from what is being called an accidental shot by another hunter. The body of Gabrisch was found after a 10-hour search by rescue teams.
According to authorities, Ronald J. Morosko was muzzleloader hunting with his friend, Slade Pepke, at the time of the incident. An arrest affidavit states that Morosko and Pepke had been calling and moving in on what they believed to be multiple bulls. Morosko moved into a treed area to prepare for a shot.
“When he saw white in the pines, he took a shot at what he thought was an elk,” Dolores County Sheriff Don Wilson wrote in an affidavit.
Morosko was charged with criminally negligent homicide but was released from Montezuma County Detention Center on Saturday, Sept. 20 after posting $10,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in Dolores Combined Court this week for an arraignment.
“The incident is currently under investigation with our partners at Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office, and San Juan National Forest law enforcement,” Dolores County Sheriff Don Wilson said in a news release.
During Archery-Only elk seasons, bowhunters are not required to wear any fluorescent orange or pink. However, during any muzzleloader or rifle season (except the Sept. rifle bear season), all hunters are required to wear fluorescent orange or pink.
In the affidavit, Morosko stated that the archery hunter was wearing dark brown camoflauge, not hunter orange. (Which was completely legal during that time.)
This story serves as a reminder of how important target identification is for the hunter. Shooting at, “white in the pines,” is never acceptable. And in this case, it cost one hunter his life. Be certain of your target before you pull the trigger. It’s a shot you can never take back.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all family members involved in this incident.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated. The original article falsely stated that “During any muzzleloader or rifle season, all hunters are required to wear fluorescent orange or pink.” According to page 3 of the 2021 Colorado Big Game Brochure, “Hunters using archery equipment during the limited Sept. rifle bear season (9/2 – 9/30) are NOT required to wear hunter orange or pink.”
