AUBURN – A man struck in the head with a shotgun pellet while hunting turkey near Fletcher Road Wednesday was able to drive himself to the hospital for treatment.

Doctors removed the pellet from the 24-year-old’s forehead and he was released. Wardens from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife were still searching at day’s end for the person who fired the shot.

The incident happened about 7:30 a.m. as the victim was walking a trail between two fields near the Little Androscoggin River, investigators said.

The victim was dressed in camouflage and the shot came from a short distance away. He was struck by a single pellet in the blast of birdshot.

“If he had gotten hit with the full pellet load, he could have been killed,” said game warden Rick Stone. “A shotgun pellet within turkey range is a very dangerous situation.”

A typical birdshot blast carries 200 pellets, Stone said.

While the victim was getting treatment, police and game wardens were searching for the person who fired the blast. It was believed the shooter was also a turkey hunter.

Investigators think the shooter may have mistaken the 24-year-old as a turkey. Stone said it was also possible the shooter was firing at a bird and the victim was in the line of fire.

By late Wednesday night, a suspect in the shooting had not been located for questioning. Wardens were not releasing specific details about the incident as they continued to investigate it.

Meanwhile, Stone said turkey hunting remains a danger because of the camouflage worn by hunters and the proximity in which shots are fired. Camouflaged hunters typically try to attract the wild birds by use of a call.

“As far as hunting sports go, it’s the most dangerous in the nation,” Stone said.

Recently, a turkey hunter was struck in the chest by birdshot pellets in Canton. The pellets nearly struck the victim’s lung.

Stone said turkey hunting mishaps in Maine are becoming more frequent as the sport grows in popularity here. According to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Web site, the state’s flock of the birds has increased dramatically in recent years.

“Turkey hunting is just getting bigger and bigger,” Stone said.

This year, 15,600 people applied for permits to hunt turkey. The season ends June 5.

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