Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources investigated three hunting incidents over the past week. Iowa DNR Conservation Officers are investigating a shooting involving a New Market man who was searching for an injured deer when he was shot by another hunter who had mistaken him for a deer. The shooting happened at around 9:15-a.m. Sunday, north of New Market on private property. 28-year old Justin Scroggie, of New Market, was hunting with 42-year old Brooks Lambert, of Clarinda, while both were attempting to locate an injured deer in a tall, dense CRP field. Lambert mistakenly identified Scroggie as a deer in the dense vegetation and shot him from approximately 40 to 45 yards away, striking him in the left forearm. Scroggie was airlifted to University of Nebraska Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. He was wearing a camouflaged hat. This incident remains under investigation by the DNR. The DNR reminds hunters to not shoot at any movement without always properly identifying the target.

Officials said also, that on December 5th, 65-year old John Fish, of Villisca, was hunting five miles southeast of Nodaway when he was struck in the foot by a slug from another hunter in his hunting party. Fish and a 15-year-old boy were approximately 95 yards on opposite sides of the road (110th Street, east of Denver Ave.) when a doe ran between them. The 15 year old fired a shot, missing the doe and striking Fish in the left foot. Fish was sitting in a fence row of dense vegetation and brush. Fish was transported to Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines and has undergone surgery. His injuries were non-life-threatening. The incident remains under investigation by the DNR.

An 11-year-old boy was injured in a hunting incident Sunday. It happened on private property near the intersection of 320th Street Northeast and Prairie Du Chen Road Northeast in Johnson County. Both minors (11 and 13) were brothers from Iowa City and were deer hunting with their grandfather. The brothers were standing along a fencerow between a stretch of timber and a field approximately 160 yards apart. Meanwhile, their grandfather was walking through the timber, pushing any deer out in the field towards the brothers. A doe came in from the opposite direction of the timber and both brothers took a shot at the deer standing in the field.  The deer then ran between the boys when the older brother continued to shoot striking his younger brother in the hip.  The victim was transported to University of Iowa Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The incident remains under investigation by the DNR. The DNR reminds hunters to always be cognizant of the whereabouts of other hunters, at all times.  Avoid target fixation and always ensure there is a safe backstop before taking a shot.