Iowa DNR conservation officers responded to a fatal hunting incident on Sunday, December 9, 2018 around 4:30pm near Lake Red Rock.

The incident happened at Robert’s Creek Park on the north side of Lake Red Rock. Blake E. Schroder, 23, or Leighton, Iowa, was fatally struck by a round believed to be fired from a member of his large hunting party.

The investigation into the shooting is on-going at this time.

An autopsy is pending on Schroder at the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny.

DNR officials remind hunters of the following safety tips:

Treat every firearm as if it is loaded

Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction

Know your intended target and its surroundings

Do not touch the trigger of the gun until you're ready to shoot

Also a man was injured:

A man from Madison County was hospitalized Sunday after he was accidentally shot while hunting. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting that a hunter had been shot near Macksburg. Deputies identified the hunter as Ronald Butler, of Macksburg. Investigators said Butler was with two other adults when the shooting happened. They say he apparently dropped his shotgun as he got out of a vehicle, causing it to discharge.

Gotta love the deer drives sponsored by PBR....

I've always cringed at the party method. The handgun or lone hunter method seems much more desirable to me.

I think the party hunting, when done properly (key word there) is a safe an effective way to hunt.  I party hunt with a small group 8 to 10 guys and we have 4 walkers and 6 blockers give or take.  We always hunt the same property the same way and the walkers always walk the same path and coordinated start times,  so we all know where everyone is and or coming from.  I have been with this group for 17 years now since I was let in but they have been doing it for roughly 35yrs and no issues to date.  But our groups isnt fueled by PBR either, just monster and coffee

But as with anything it only takes one moron to ruin it for the group.