A Tillamook man was arrested Monday on accusation of negligently shooting and killing his hunting partner with an arrow near La Pine, deputies said.

Michael Shawn Pekarek is facing a criminally negligent homicide charge in the death of Jeffrey Lynn Cummings of Wood Village, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office. He was booked Monday into the county jail on $50,000 bail, deputies said.

The duo was bow hunting on a U.S. Forest Service road several miles east of U.S. 97 when Pekarek saw a mule deer on the side of the road, deputies said.

They said the pair had been in a car when Pekarek noticed the deer, deputies said. Pekarek got out of the car with his bow in an attempt to shoot the deer. Cummings, 45, also got out of the car and stayed on the road with his bow.

Pekarek, 53, briefly saw the deer and was ready to shoot, but the deer skirted his view. He "turned with his bow pointed toward Cummings" to let him know the deer was headed his way, deputies said, when he shot an arrow and hit Cummings in the stomach.

Pekarek tried to aid him and called 911. Responders arrived, and they pronounced Cummings dead shortly thereafter.

The shooting happened near U.S. Forest Service Road 9736, which is about a half-mile south of Paulina Lake Road.

Pekarek called 911 around 7:40 a.m. to say he had shot Cummings with an arrow, deputies said.

Deputies didn't release any additional information Monday. Cummings' death is still under investigation.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015