Hunter in stable condition after shot accidentally by friend who fired a shotgun when he saw movement in woods behind Borgnemouth Park in Meraux

A 27-year-old Meraux man was accidentally shot by his friend when they were hunting at dusk Monday in woods behind the old Borgnemouth Park in Meraux and he is in stable condition after surgery, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Troy Long was taken to University Hospital for surgery after being hit by buck shot in both legs by friend Josh Starr, also 27 and a resident of Meraux, the sheriff said. Long was hit by a shot from a .12-gauge shotgun.

The injuries were non-life threatening.

The incident happened on private property behind the 4400 hundred block of East Judge Perer Drive, Sheriff Pohlmann said, in an area popular with deer hunters despite it being illegal for them to trespass and fire weapons there.

After sheriff’s deputies responded to calls and spoke with the men, they said they were deer hunting and it was getting dark, the sheriff said. Starr said he heard movement and saw something move toward him, which he shot at it, thinking it was a deer.

Neither man was wearing orange vests or clothing as a safety precaution to identify themselves as hunters, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The sheriff said, “This should be a warning to others that they shouldn’t trespass, try to hunt when it’s getting dark and fail to wear orange safety outfits. This could have been so much worse.’’

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department is conducting an investigation of the incident that could lead to citations.