Glad to see that he was unharmed and found..... boy the state sure is greedy!!!!!!!!!! dont you all think that he has enough to deal with knowing that he is the one that caused this.... just put yourself in his shoes and imagine what he was going through...... ticket was a little over the edge is you ask me.

A CITATION?! you have got to be kidding me, don't you think he feels bad enough already. The nephew was 15 not 8. They have both learned a lesson from this I can assume. Hunting is not to be taken lightly today, it can be dangerous out there. I worry about intoxicated hunters for we ran into several years back...and will never go again. I get my meat one place only...SHAWS.

I'm glad the kid was found safe but you folks have to realize that when you break the law you can be cited for doing so as he was. He also cost the state of Maine a lot of money because he made a dumb decision and tied up a lot of valuable resources.

I think him having to pay a small fine is justifiable.

Kevin of Bangor that makes no sence. How is it breakin the law?? He got separated it can happen. I am glad the kid is ok, but i dont think his uncle should get a citation. That is bogus. I can definatley tell you dont hunt.

I do not get why he was fined?? Haven't they ever gotten seperated from someone in the woods? I have and I don't even hunt! So does this mean the next time you lose you wife/husband or friend in a store and you need help looking for them you will be fined?? If so I will be shopping alone...

glad the boys safe, but bangor daily could of told us, how the boy made it through the night, no matches? no fire? no flare. doesnt sound like the uncles a very safe hunter, glad he got a ticket.

Happy ending but there are Youth Hunting rules for a reason it seems. Took me all of 30 seconds to find the online PDF file for youth hunting rules.

"Laws Pertaining to Junior Hunters

1.Hunting Prohibited. Children under 10 years of age are not allowed to hunt.

2.Junior hunting license. Children at least 10 years of age and under 16 years of age must have a junior hunting license to hunt.

3.Hunters to be accompanied. Junior hunters (10 years of age or older and under 16) may hunt with firearms ONLY in the presence of their parent or guardian or an adult who is at least 18 years of age. The person who accompanies a youth hunter is responsible for any violations committed by that hunter. Any person who accompanies a junior hunter, other than the parent or guardian, must either possess a valid Maine hunting license or have successfully completed a hunter education course. That presence must be unaided by visual or audio enhancement devices, including binoculars and citizen band radios. ........"

(more:http://www.maine.gov/ifw/laws_rules/hunting_trapping/hunt_traplaws.htm#junior )

From that article: Savage received a citation for allowing a teen to hunt unaccompanied by an adult.

He left the teen unaccompanied while they where hunting, therefore he broke the law. I understand his intention was not to lose track of the teen but he did. Maybe they should force him to retake a basic hunting course so he understands the laws.

Maineah47 you are correct, I do not hunt. Not my thing but my brother in law who does hunt. I will call him tomorrow and ask him if he has ever left any of his two boys alone for any period of time while they where in the woods hunting. I will also ask him if he felt this man should have been cited.

The kid was lucky. Late november hunt and it might of been a different story7.

His uncle broke the law. so it doesn't matter if you think he shouldn't have got a ticket. The law says he should of.

Cranky2- Thanks for clearing things up for me , I do not hunt so it seemed extreme to me until I read your post! I now understand why he was fined so I don't feel so sorry for him now! Thanks again.

Does intent have anything to do with this? Sounds like the uncle was going to circle the field and return to the place where the boy was....part of a hunting strategy. He didn't abandon him for cryin' out loud!

Glad this young man was safe and sound.... Uncle learned his lesson by leaving him alone... would he also let him dirve alone with a permit while he went to check something ?? Rules are made for safety reasons not just because...that is why one has to take a hunters safety course..no where does it say one can leave someone under 16 and circle.... HINT that is leaving him alone... he to could of gotten a fine... Glad things turned out for the young man and hope they both learned a lesson... Hunters be safe during the season..

I think hunting is a valuable and worthwhile endeavor but I have been worried for my personal safety ever since a, "hunter" said directly to me, "I HEARD a sound and I shot at it."

The man broke the law when he allowed a person under the age of 16 to hunt unsupervised. Its the law and as soon as I saw the title I hoped someone got ticketed.

As long as you are in audio contact without the aid of radio it is leagal to circle a field and leave the boy somewhat alone. As long as you can still communicate (ie yell). Now the boy shot at a deer and got excited and took off. I agree that the ticket could be givin out but dont make this sound like pure ignorance. Im sure the boy learnt his lesson and I would not have given the ticket.... but thats why I didnt go to school to be a warden....

um..duh............ do you think the boy would have become lost if he hadnt been left alone while the uncle circled the field? Was it a one acre field? Two acre? 5? 7? Doesnt matter! He was wrong to have left the 15 yr old alone. Luckily the boy is ok. wishybone, it isnt ok to do what you suggest. You need to have visual contact without the aid of binoculars, as well as being within earshot, which doesnt mean yelling.

Why all the concern about a citation ?

If the law had been followed, the junior hunter would not have gotten lost, thereby saving the state and us taxpayers from having to foot the cost of the search.

This incident is a perfect example of why the(adult accompanyment) law is needed.

I used to hunt with my boys before they were old enough to go alone. Yea, people get lost or seperated in the woods. But- the law is very clear. Under age 16-it says- in the presence of! Meaning within eyesight.

This is truly an amazing story: So there IS at least one 15 year old left in this country who doesn't carry a cellphone 24-7-365!

All fun aside, personal GPS devices are so cheap these days, everyone venturing into unfamiliar territory should bring one along (along with an extra set of batteries) and waypoint the location of the car, campsite, and/or prearranged meeting place.

A Maine resident and a Citation, now you know out of stater's wouldn't get a Citation and would have the Army National Guard out looking for them as well... Its A D*&% Shame...

JustBill You are right on the binocs part but the earshot part is open to Interpretation it just says without the use of radio such as a CB or FRS. Anyways the people that are basing the ticket on the fact that the boy wouldn't have got lost are correct but c'mon.... are you going to tell me that a 15 year old WITHOUT a gun has to hold hands with an adult to go in the woods because they might get lost..... and the people that fight and say well we paid for the search... Yep your right... but if we keep making laws to "save money" we wont have any freedoms left.... laws are not the answer... common sense is..... and common sense is telling me that any hunter could have got lost.... and dont get me wrong - - not once do I say that I don't agree with the law. I just think that socitey needs to take responsibility for themsleves and laws can't be based on money because after we get gov't run healthcare (???) we will have to enact a law to stop driving because accidents cost the tax payers too much. Education (common not school) is the answer....

just thinkin here but to me a 15 year old should know enough to sit tight if he is told to do so... yes, his uncle should be able to circle around the field while the teenager sits, if the youngster shot at a deer he should have stayed put until his uncle returned... the deer is either down or its not, waiting for the adult would have caused no harm. My daughter is 14 and hunts actively with my husband and she knows to stay put if she is told to do so... part of growing up is being given and taking responsibilty... maybe this youngster should help pay the fine, next time he might not be quite so hasty to leave his post. Glad everybody is safe and sound and I know a lesson has been learned by all. Be safe all hunters and I hope its a bountiful season for all.

....what if it were Not hunting season. Would there have been a citation written?? Makes no sense.

Hunters to be accompanied. Junior hunters (10 years of age or older and under 16) may hunt with firearms ONLY in the presence of their parent or guardian or an adult who is at least 18 years of age. The person who accompanies a youth hunter is responsible for any violations committed by that hunter. Any person who accompanies a junior hunter, other than the parent or guardian, must either possess a valid Maine hunting license or have successfully completed a hunter education course. That presence must be unaided by visual or audio enhancement devices, including binoculars and citizen band radios. ........"

The Law is pretty clear!

Must have been a big circle, you got someone out there shooting a gun, if the teenager played this right and ensured he saw nobody when he pulled the trigger including his uncle...and saw it was a deer, meaning he was far enough away to not be "accidently shot" and to not hear the gun...in a field.

I agree a cfitation should have been issued, yeah this could go a couple of different ways too, but the law is pretty clear.

What's this story about here, anyhow.......this boys safety or a fine?

The boy was lucky it wasnt cold, that fact he is fine and has all his fingers is dumb luck.

They can put that CITATION up the persons 3 point of contact, they got unintentionally sperated, man, these people are fricken clueless, I'm glad the boy was found.

Hmmm, wardens fired shots into the air? Sounds a little irresponsible if that is in fact what happened, since those bullets had to come down somewhere. I'd like to think our fine outdoor law enforcement folks are a little more on the ball than that and it's an error in reporting. Can't believe nobody else picked up on that.

This wasn't a small child, the kid was 15! in a year he'll be driving like the rest of us on the roads, and in three short years he'll be considered an adult. If the kid was 8 then i could see justifiying the citation, but not at 15. I agree that the poor uncle must have felt bad enough without getting a ticket to just make it worse for him.

I think a little education in navigating the woods and the use of a compass would have helped this kid a lot. Glad he made it out ok, next time maybe he'll bring a back pack with some food, water, space blanket, and a couple lighters. Anyone could last a night with those basic items. Happy Hunting and good luck this season.