NH: Hunter hurt in shooting mishap

October 4, 2010

Hunter hurt in shooting mishap Franklin:

FRANKLIN — A man was taken to the hospital after a hunting related shooting occurred on Saturday morning in Franklin said Conservation Officer Jim Kneeland of the N.H. Fish and Game.

Sometime during the morning, two groups of two men were hunting near the Franklin Flood Control dam when a pheasant had flown up between the two groups resulting in one man being injured. Mark Vachon of Hill was struck by two pellets from a shotgun blast, one in the arm and one in the knee.

Kneeland said that Vachon was able to walk to the ambulance under his own power where he was then sent to Franklin Regional Hospital. The pellets were removed and Vachon was released later that evening.

According to the preliminary investigation, the two groups were not in the same hunting party, but had been wearing hunter orange clothing. The distance between the groups was approximately 99 feet apart at the time of the shooting. Kneeland said the pellets wounding Vachon came from a .12 gauge shotgun.

The hunting related shooting is still under investigation by the N.H. Fish and Game.

The N.H. Fish and Game Department urges hunters to wear hunter orange clothing on the head, back and chest while hunting. Kneeland said hunters should also be aware of who is around when firing a rifle and control the firearm muzzle at all times. Other important safety guides suggested by Kneeland include wearing safety glasses, know where other hunters are at all times, shoot only within a zone of fire and be sure of the target and what is beyond it.

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