Florida man hunting turkeys mistakenly shot decoy and another man, police say
BUNNELL, Fla. - A man was shot by a hunter in Flagler County who mistook him for a turkey while hunting, according to police.
The incident happened Sunday morning just after 7:45 in the 700 block of Old Haw Creek Road in Bunnell, according to the Bunnell Police Department.
The person who called 911 was the hunter, who said he was turkey hunting and saw three female turkeys in the road. He followed them, and then found a male turkey. When he fired his shotgun at the male turkey, he realized it was a decoy.
Someone then shouted that they'd been shot.
The man was shot in the head and torso and was transported to a hospital in Daytona Beach.
An initial investigation revealed that the shooting happened in the woods east of where the hunter called 911.
"Approximately 150 yards along a dirt trail east of the call location, officers located a shotgun shell, a stake to secure the decoy, a turkey call striker, and several small puddles of blood," police said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is leading the investigation. It remains unclear at this time if the hunter will be charged in the incident.