"He couldn't sleep": Shot hunter says friend made honest mistake
Whakatane hunter Max Verschuuren
A man shot in the back by a member of his own hunting party harbours the shooter no ill-will, saying it was simply "wrong place, wrong time".
Police say Max Verschuuren, 21, was accidentally shot in the back about 9.30pm on Saturday as he went to retrieve a shot deer while hunting at Nukuhou near Whakatane.
He today said he was wearing a small head lamp at the time, which may have been mistaken for light reflecting in a deer's eye, before he was shot in the shoulder blade.
Mr Verschuuren said the person who had shot him had made an honest mistake and it was simply a case of "wrong place, wrong time."
"He's really sorry and upset about it. He's told me he couldn't sleep.
"He's a good guy and yeah, nothing bad should happen, I just hope he's learned a lesson to identify your target."
The bullet wound in Max Verschuuren's back
Mr Verschuuren was today shown photos of the wound which nearly killed him by doctors as he recovered in hospital, and was encouraged to buy a Lotto ticket.
The bullet wound suffered by Whakatane local hunter
"I am * lucky to be alive," he wrote in a Facebook post.
Mr Verschuuren has also given thanks on Facebook to those who had wished him well in his recovery, and said he was set to leave hospital today.
"The good news is ima b sweet," he wrote.
Hunter Max Verschuuren
Police echoed Mr Verschuuren's safety warning, saying the incident was a reminder to all hunters to remember no hunting trophy is worth having to live with the consequences of killing a mate.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident.