CANTON – A Dixfield deer hunter died in the Canton woods Tuesday morning after possibly suffering a heart attack.

Richard Nelson, 61, collapsed and died between 8:30 and 9 a.m. while helping hunting partner Carl Savina, 63, of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.., set up a tree stand on Canton Mountain, said Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland.

McCausland said Tuesday evening that the two men had just hiked up the mountain, “which, I was told, has a considerable incline in places.”

Then, they began installing the hunting platform up a tree.

McCausland said that Nelson was on the ground steadying the ladder against a tree. Savina was on the ladder installing their hunting platform when the incident occurred.

“Nelson collapsed and fell over. Our suspicion is that he died of natural causes. It may have been a heart attack,” McCausland said.

Savina immediately called 911 on his cell phone and rescuers were dispatched.

Maine Warden Service spokesman Mark Latti said Canton Mountain is off Ludden Lane and Canton Point Road.

Wardens were initially called to the scene based on suspicions that it involved a hunting death.

Instead, they turned over the investigation to state police Detective Jennifer King after determining that Nelson’s death was not a hunting accident, but rather hunting-related, McCausland said.

Maine’s firearms season for deer opened Oct. 30 for residents, and Monday for all others.