Suspect Arrested After Hunter Shot on Turkey Hunt in Orange County

Law enforcement of various types and forms swarmed to the area of the Stewart State Forest earlier this week after shooting incident took place during the late morning hours. The incident left one individual injured and the investigation is firmly underway, with investigators trying to determine whether this was merely an accident or something worse.

Hunter Shot in Stewart State Forest

It was during the late morning at approximately 11am earlier this week on Tuesday May13, 2025 when law enforcement received a call from individual regarding a shooting incident at the Stewart State Forest located in New Windsor, New York.

According to the press release issued by the New York State Police, the call to law enforcement came from a hunter who stated he'd been "shot in the face with birdshot". The unidentified male hunter at the time was in the middle of a turkey hunt and the individual that pulled the trigger was unknown to him.

After the call, law enforcement  and emergency services from all over Orange County converged on the area of the State Forest. That would include the New York State Police, New York State Forest Rangers, Town of New Windsor Police Department, Town of Blooming Grove Police Department, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (ENCON), Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Village of Maybrook Police Department, Town of Montgomery Police Department, Town of Woodbury Police Department, Town of Newburgh Police Department, New Windsor EMS, and Orange County 911.

The shooting victim was found and then airlifted to Westchester Medical Center, where according to the press release, he was listed in stable condition. Law enforcement then combed through the area in search of the shooter. That suspect was found, identified and taken into police custody.

The New York State Police are leading the investigation into this incident and questions about whether or not this was a hunting accident or something else has yet to be determined. We will continue to monitor this situation for if or when any new information becomes available.

Shotgun Ammunition Basics

For those that don't know, shotgun's are an incredibly versatile firearm that are commonly used in hunting or even home defense and use a variety of different ammunition. There are three main types of ammunition that can be used with a shotgun, those being either 'birdshot', 'buckshot' or 'slugs'.

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Shotgun ammo comes in the form of a 'shell' and inside the shell are different sized pellets and those pellets are what inflict damage. When fired, the pellets inside the shell scatter and cover a wider range of the direction they're fired in.

Birdshot shells contain more pellets than Buckshot shells, but are also smaller in size and less powerful. The increase in the size of the pellets or shells being used also increases the power and amount damage the shotgun can cause. Buckshot shells also have a much further trajectory than Birdshot.

Slugs are the last form of ammunition and they are as the name implies, a single projectile round, no pellets inside a shell casing like Birdshot or Buckshot. Slugs are also the most powerful, have the furthest trajectory and are the preferred ammunition used by hunters for both medium and large game hunting like deer, bear or even wild boar.

Previous Stories: Weekend Shooting Leaves One Injured in Ulster County, Suspect in Custody

There are more specific details related to shotguns, specifically the different types of ammunition and if you're interested you may continue to read about those details here.