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Police believe a teenager shot dead on a hunting trip in the Tarawera region, northwest of Napier, was mistaken for a deer after becoming separated from his group.
Senior Sergeant Andy Sloan, of Napier, said the 18-year-old Napier man was on a weekend hunting trip with family when the incident, being treated by police as an accident, occurred.
The man was shot in the chest, and police were alerted about 7.30am.
"It appears the group of three had separated and the 18-year-old was shot after he walked off a road and into a bush area," Mr Sloan said.
"It appears he was mistaken for a deer," Mr Sloan said.
The group were in a hunting block on Tataraakina Road near Tarawera on the Napier-Taupo Road.
Mr Sloan said police would continue a scene examination today, and the other members of the group would be interviewed.
A decision on charges would not be made for some time.
The man's name would not be released until family had been notified.
- NZPA
