Noojee grandfather Albert Miller shot dead in hunting accident

The tight-knit community of Noojee is mourning the death of 64-year-old Albert Miller who was with a group of hunters when he was fatally shot.

Albert Miller has been remembered as a ‘genuine bloke’.

A loving grandfather and “genuine bloke” was shot dead during a tragic hunting accident in Gippsland.

Albert Miller, 64, was hunting with a group when he was fatally shot in the upper body in Noojee about 11.30am on Saturday.

The shooting remains under investigation but there is no suggestion it was deliberate.

It’s understood members of the hunting group were spoken to by police.

The shooting death of Mr Miller remains under investigation but there is no suggestion it was deliberate

Friends of the Noojee grandfather paid tribute to him on Sunday.

“Rest in peace mate, have never met a more genuine bloke,” local Joshua Canobie said.

Noojee is a small town with a population of fewer than 200 people.

It is hugely popular with hunters due to its large deer population and rugged terrain.

Noojee local Atomir Kamber said it was “terrible” that someone died while hunting.

“It’s disturbing – I hope police will find out a little bit more,” Mr Kamber told the Herald Sun.

“It’s not a good feeling – somebody has died.”

Mr Kamber said the sound of gunshots was common in the area.

“You can hear guns – hunters are very often here,” he said

“When I hear them (the gunshots), my dog runs into the backyard, into the forest and tries to escape.”

Baw Baw Shire councillor Michael Leaney said the tight-knit community was in mourning.

“These events in small communities are very closely felt, especially with a local involved in the accident while going about a hobby he enjoyed,” Mr Leaney said.

“We will await the police investigation but give our best wishes to his family, friends and colleagues.”

Latrobe City councillor Kellie O’Callaghan added: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has died”.

The deadly shooting is one of several hunting tragedies to occur Victoria in recent years.

Dustin Buckley, 17, was shot dead during a hunting trip with his teenage mate deep in the bush of Neerim East Forest, near Noojee, in August 2017.

The pair had been shooting at an old television and near each other’s feet before a “lighthearted” fight over a gun they didn’t know was loaded.

His killer was spared jail and sentenced to a three-year community corrections order.

Brent Trickey, 37, was also killed by a fellow shooter during a deer-hunting expedition in Dandongadale in Victoria’s alpine region in April 2021.

His friend Mark Rietmueller believed he had a deer in his sights when he pulled the trigger on his firearm, fatally striking Mr Trickey in the abdomen.

The shooting was investigated by the homicide squad which found no suspicious circumstances.

The Office of Public Prosecutions reviewed the case and declined to prosecute.