Keith Lusher 12.05.25
A 26 year old hunter was killed Tuesday morning in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, after another member of his hunting group accidentally shot him while aiming at a buck, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Officials said the man was part of a group of 24 hunters conducting a deer drive on a mountain near Vincent Tram Road as snow and ice settled across the region. The tactic involves one set of hunters, known as drivers, pushing deer toward another group of waiting shooters.
The group was roughly 100 to 200 yards into the drive when a buck jumped from thick cover and broke back through the line of drivers. Two hunters fired at the deer. One of the bullets struck the victim in the hip. He later died from his injuries.
Rescue teams faced extreme challenges reaching the wounded man. Eric Coldren, deputy president of the Mifflintown Fire Company and a paramedic, said the accident occurred about a mile up the mountain with no roads leading in. Snow, ice, and steep terrain slowed crews as they attempted to reach the victim.
Coldren said the rescue took more than an hour as responders slipped, stumbled, and used chainsaws to clear a path through the forest.
“The victim was way on top. There were no roads to him,” Coldren said. “He had everything against him right there. If the winter weather had not been on, it would have increased his chances.”
Coldren said that when he reached the hunter, the man was still conscious but bleeding heavily through his hunting gear. Nearly 50 responders assisted in what Coldren described as one of the most dangerous operations of his 30-year career.
Lieutenant Amy Nabozny of the Pennsylvania Game Commission said that investigators have narrowed the fatal shot to one individual. Also, it appears the hunters became target-focused during the drive and lost awareness of their surroundings.
Officials have not released the victim’s name. It is not known whether he was wearing a safety vest at the time of the shooting. The Game Commission said charges have not been determined, and the investigation is ongoing.
Pennsylvania’s statewide firearms deer season opened Nov. 29 and runs through Dec. 13. More than 500,000 hunters are expected to take part this year, marking the first season that includes two Sunday hunting days after a statewide ban was repealed over the summer.
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