Former hunting association head admits shooting

Cam McDonald. Photo / supplied

A former Wellington branch president of the New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association has pleaded guilty to shooting dead a hunter in the Wairarapa.

Self-employed Auckland builder, 29-year-old Alexander Cameron McDonald, known as Cam, 29, was fatally shot on April 7 while hunting in the Aorangi Forest Park, near Pirinoa.

Christopher Dummer, 54, of Wellington, this morning admitted to careless use of a firearm causing death.

Police charged Dummer more than three months after Mr McDonald died after being shot in the head while hunting in the south Wairarapa bush.

He faces a maximum penalty of three years in jail and a fine up to $4000.

Mr McDonald's mother, Cyndy McDonald has said she will lobby for tougher gun laws to act as a deterrence to other hunters.

"For the crime, we want the right punishment to deter other hunters. It's got to change. Too many people are dying. You might say only eight (hunters have been killed) in the last 10 years, but it should never happen."

She said the family were still struggling to come to terms with her son's death.

"We miss him dearly, our Cameron."

Police had told them that Cameron, who was wearing an orange hunting beanie when he was shot, did nothing wrong.

The family also want firearms' licences to be harder to get and for hunters to be better educated on the need to clearly identify their targets before shooting.

Greytown man Doug Williams, who was hunting with Mr McDonald when he was shot, said he took no comfort from Dummer being charged. There were "no winners in this, everyone loses".

Dummer was granted bail and will be sentenced in the Wellington District Court on August 24.