Turkey hunter shot and killed

The BayTrust Rescue Helicopter was called to the scene but turned back when the man was confirmed dead. Photo / Daily Post

A man is dead after he was shot during a turkey hunt with two relatives on private farmland.

The incident occurred in remote farmland off Ridge Road, about 9km south of Paengaroa in the Bay of Plenty, at about 6pm yesterday.

The 59-year-old Tauranga man was found down a gully and the Herald understands he was shot in the head.

Police faced difficulty in getting to the man, as the area is accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicle.

They eventually borrowed a tractor from dairy farmer Scott Paterson, before a police four-wheel drive arrived from Te Puke.

At least three hunters have been shot this year, and other cases in recent years have lead to convictions and reparations being paid to families of dead hunters.

The dead man and his two companions lived locally and were understood to be related, police northern communications centre spokesman Ian Brooker said.

Police would take statements from the victim's companions, and they would be offered victim support.

"There will be an investigation on whether or not he shot himself or whether or not it was someone else's weapon, that sort of thing," Mr Brooker said.

"It could be any of those things but that's what's got to come out."

A hearse was expected to arrive from Tauranga last night to remove the body.

St John Ambulance northern communications centre spokesman Glen Taylor said police called them for assistance.

An ambulance from Mt Maunganui went to the scene, and paramedics pronounced the man dead when they arrived.

The BayTrust Rescue Helicopter, from Rotorua, was also called, but it turned around and went back to its base after its crew was told the victim was dead, pilot Neil Dodds said.

Ridge Rd resident John Clark said the land had belonged to his father's estate for 30 years and was leased for dairy grazing.

Police trying to find the shooting victim came knocking on his door and he directed them to where he thought the incident may have happened.

Mr Clark and his wife drove to Mr Paterson's house and he drove his tractor to the scene "to cart things in" for emergency services.

"There has been a lot of rain and the tracks can get quite greasy so it's four-wheel drive access only," he said.

"Nobody would get in there with a car at all."

Mr Clark said he did not know who the hunters were and what they had been hunting.

"Everything's shut down ... we've been away for the weekend; we only got home about 5 o'clock, so we don't know really what's happened."

A resident on the opposite side of Ridge Rd from where the accident is believed to have taken place, Angela Streeter, said she heard what she thought were three or four gun shots out at about 6.30pm.

"But that's not unusual around here," she said.

She saw police and firefighters down the road from her house, and a tractor being driven on to a steep farm property.

A helicopter with a spotlight was also circling a neighbouring property on her side of the road.