What comes to mind when you think of squirrel hunting?

An introduction to hunting, varmint control, memories with a sporting mentor, target practice, squirrel gumbo if you’re Mark Olis—when playing squirrel hunting word association these are all likely candidates.

On the other hand, it’s doubtful becoming a case study in a medical journal is likely to be on the tip of our tongues.

Well, in the world of the “strange and hope that never happens to me,” a young man ends up in the emergency room after shooting himself with shot pellets while squirrel hunting.

Unfortunately, this kind of things happens but it takes a turn for the crazy when medical personnel discover it’s not only metal that is impacted in the right buttock. Squirrel flesh is also in the wound.

How does this happen? Good question. Thank goodness for Hindawi's Case Reports in Emergency Medicine.

“According to the patient he was using the butt of his 12 G shotgun to dislodge a dead squirrel from a branch over his head during a hunting trip and shot himself with a load of birdshot in the right buttock.”

Sounds plausible enough, but we’re still missing how squirrel parts made it into his right buttock.

“Questioning of the patient revealed that the birdshot likely traveled through the rear pouch of his hunting vest which contained several squirrels killed earlier in the day.”

Ah, yes, the pouch full of previously killed squirrels can be hazardous.

All kidding aside, this strange case landed the patient in the hospital for 11 days.

As always, Grand View Outdoors encourages safe hunting and urges sportsmen to be mindful of their surroundings and situation.