A hunter trying to retrieve duck decoys got a surprise when he was accidentally shot by his own dog.

The accident occurred Saturday when the female Labrador retriever stepped on her owner's loaded shotgun, causing the safety to disengage and the weapon to fire, according to the Merced County Sheriff's Department.

The 53-year-old victim was hit in the upper left back with No. 2 shot.

He was hunting with a partner near Los Banos in the area of Highway 152 when they decided to call it a day. The man got out of his hunting blind, set down his shotgun and went to retrieve some decoy ducks about 15 yards away. That's when his dog stepped on the shotgun.

The name and age of the dog were not available. The name of the dog's owner was not made public. The injured man was treated at Los Banos Memorial Hospital and released.

Read the full story at the Fresno Bee.