Hunter 'shot dead' by his own dog

A man was seemingly shot dead by his dog after heading on a hunting trip.

The trip had been a success, and the group were getting ready to go home when a tragic incident occurred.

Gevrekoglu was allegedly putting his dog in his car at the time when a shot was fired and had become a father just 10 days before his hunting trip.

According to reports, the 32-year-old had left a loaded gun in his car, and his pup touched the trigger with his paw, causing the weapon to go off.

The bullet hit Gevrekoglu at close range, killing him instantly — he was then taken to Alacam State Hospital, before being transferred to another facility in Samsun for an autopsy, the results of which are still underway.

An investigation into the circumstances of the man's death is still ongoing.

Keeping a shotgun stored in the correct way is absolutely vital to safety, according to the British Association for Shooting and Conservation.

As the authority explains: "Above all, safety is the most important consideration. Always be aware of the direction in which the muzzle of your shotgun is pointing and never point it in an unsafe direction. Whenever you shoot, you should know where the shot will fall before you pull the trigger.

"To prevent a shotgun falling out, if your slip fastening should fail, keep it with the barrels down and stock up when slung over your shoulder.

"A shotgun should be opened before removing it from the slip to check that it is unloaded. Do not touch the trigger even at this stage. Your next action should always be to check that the barrels are clear while pointing the gun in a safe direction. Don’t point the muzzle end of the slip at anyone."

It goes on to add that it's important to check a shotgun is unloaded before placing it in a slip: "On replacing the shotgun into a slip, you should check that the gun is unloaded, insert the barrels first before closing the gun and then fastening the slip."

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677