A hunting expedition narrowly avoided tragedy at the weekend when a young member of the party struck his grandfather with a bullet intended for a turkey.

According to reports from the Crook County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched on May 4 at around 11:38 p.m. along with Sundance EMS to Douglas Road to respond to reports of a gunshot wound to the head while turkey hunting.

A 69-year-old male was transported in a personal vehicle to meet up with Sundance EMS, who took him to the emergency room. He was subsequently flown by life flight to Rapid City Regional Hospital and is reported to be recovering from his injuries.

The Sheriff’s Office reports that the case is still under investigation. At this time, it has been determined that a small group of individuals was hunting turkeys and the male victim was attempting to call in a turkey for the party while changing his locations.

A 14-year-old male fired a .20 gauge shotgun round at a turkey. However, the round partially struck the victim in the head.