Man shoots hunting partner in arm in reported accident near Harrison, Idaho

A 31-year-old man shot his hunting partner Monday in a reported accident, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department.

The two men were elk hunting in the woods in the area of East Lamb and East Bell Canyon roads near Harrison, Idaho. At about 7:20 a.m., Nicholas Christensen, 20, of Potlatch, Idaho, was shot after the two separated to search for an elk that Christensen had shot earlier.

The two were wearing camouflage, and Christensen’s partner, who is not being named, spotted an elk while the two men were separated. He shot at the elk but hit Christensen in his arm with a high-powered hunting rifle.

The unnamed man called Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputies for help, and Christensen was transported via Life Flight helicopter to Kootenai Health, and then to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he is in stable condition, according to the news release.

The incident is being investigated.