A South Carolina hunter mistook one of his hunting partners for a deer and shot him on Thursday.

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The group was hunting early Thursday morning in Westminster, Oconee County, when the incident occurred. According to Capt. Robert McCullough of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, one of the men in the party got out of his stand and was mistaken for a deer by another member of the group just before 8 a.m. He was shot through the upper body with buckshot, WYFF reports.

The hunter mistook his friend for a deer after he left his stand during the early-morning hunt. (iStock)

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It appears he was not wearing an orange vest at the time of the shooting.

The hunter was taken to a hospital in the area.

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The DNR is investigating the incident. It has been reported that the two men know each other and the group is likely from Liberty, S.C.