Hunter shoots friend, 'mistaking him for wild boar'

Alexander Ilyin, 50, was checking for illegal poachers when he was gunned down. A hunter Valery Buterus, 57, owner of weapon shop 'Sniper' in Omsk, confessed to pulling the trigger, claiming that mistook Ilyin - a man he knew well - for a wild boar. 

The shot was from a distance of around 300 metres. Buterus told police that he and his son, along with a driver, were hunting in forests near Tara. 'He thought that the boar appeared in the bushes and shot. He assured the police that he clearly saw a boar, not a man,' according to one account.

On approaching to examine his prey, he saw Ilyin lying on the ground but initially 'thought he had suffered a heart attack'. The hunters and their driver rushed the wildlife expert to get medical attention but on reaching an ambulance, Ilyin died. 

The cause was later confirmed as a bullet shot close to his shoulder. A criminal case was opened on 'causing death by negligence', but the investigation continues.

Ilyin had been seeking to identify poachers when he was shot but it was established that Buterus had a hunting license for  shooting both boars and bears. They also had gun licenses. 

It was confirmed that Buterus knew Ilyin 'rather well and they had a good relationship'. Accounts said that initially the hunter's son had taken responsibility for the fatal shot but later Buterus senior 'confessed' that he had pulled the trigger.