Preston cane grower’s cockatoo-scaring shot lands at residence several kilometres down the road

Police say a ‘slow moving bullet’ struck a woman in the back of the neck in what should serve as a timely reminder to farmers.

Police have urged farmers to exercise caution when using firearms to protect their crops. Picture: File

A Preston woman hit in the back of the neck by a bullet fired several kilometres away escaped without serious injury at the weekend.

Police said the 36-year-old woman was at home at her Conway Rd property when a slow moving bullet hit her about 5.30pm Sunday, resulting in minor burns.

Investigations traced the bullet to a property several kilometres away, where a farmer allegedly told police he had fired two shots into the air to scare cockatoos away from his sugarcane crop.

Police believe one of the bullets ricocheted off a surface before hitting the woman.

No one has been charged over the incident, with investigations ongoing.

Proserpine police Senior Constable Alan Davis said it was “a timely reminder, during the crush and planting season, for farmers to be aware when using firearms in a rural setting”.