Man shot after hunter mistakes him for deer, officials say

ZACHARY, La. (WAFB/Gray News) - A man was shot after a hunter mistook him for a deer in Louisiana.

The incident happened on private property on Monday evening.

According to the Lousiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, two people who had permission to be on the property were unknowingly deer hunting at the same time and one of them accidentally shot the other with a buckshot from a 20-gauge shotgun, thinking he was shooting a deer.

Officials said the shooter immediately called authorities for help, and the person who was shot was airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge to be treated for injuries that are not considered to be life-threatening.

According to the authorities, neither hunter wore hunter’s orange and did not possess deer tags while hunting.

Officials said the shooter was cited for hunting deer without possessing deer tags and not wearing hunter’s orange.

Authorities are continuing to investigate this incident and further charges could be possible.