A 19-year-old Boone man was hurt Wednesday afternoon while hunting at the Skillet Creek Public Hunting Area east of Dayton in Webster County. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported Daniel Hartley was hunting squirrels when the 12-gauge shotgun he was using fired as he was trying to dislodge mud that had gotten into the end of the barrel hitting him in his hand.
Hartley was transported to Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge by ambulance for treatment of his injury. Iowa DNR Conservation Officer Matt Bruner said hunters need to exercise caution when handling firearms. He said hunters need to exercise muzzle control at all times to ensure the barrel does not touch the ground and become plugged. Bruner said hunters need to make sure a gun has been unloaded before trying to remove an obstruction from the barrel.
Contributed by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City