Boy, 9, shot in the leg during pig hunting trip north of Bourke

A young boy has allegedly been shot during a pig hunting trip in the state’s west with multiple shotguns and rifles seized from the group as questions hang over who fired the bullet.

The boy was allegedly shot during a pig hunting trip.

A young boy has allegedly been shot during a pig hunting trip in the state’s west with multiple shotguns and rifles seized from the group as questions hang over who fired the bullet.

The nine-year-old boy was hunting with nine other children and adults on a property 40km north of Bourke when he was allegedly shot in his right thigh on Friday night.

He was taken to Bourke Hospital at about 7pm and remains in a stable condition as of Saturday afternoon.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident and spoken with the group, which included four other boys aged between nine and 15, and five men aged between 37 and 63, who were all visiting from Victoria.

The Saturday Telegraph understands the party were hunting feral pigs when a member of the group accidentally shot the boy.

Pig hunting is a popular activity in the Central West, with multiple properties available for private trips.

But it is not yet known which group member allegedly fired the bullet.

As the investigation continues, police officers have seized 17 firearms from the group including air rifles, rifles and shotguns.

Inquiries into the group’s firearms licencess are also underway, but The Saturday Telegraph understands their guns were all registered.

Pig hunting is legal in NSW on private properties and certain public lands with a licence.

Pig hunting is a popular activity in the Central West with online sites advertising “hunting properties” near Bourke for groups to book out complete with camping, accommodation and vehicle access for hundreds of dollars per person.

According to the Department of Primary Industries, pig hunting is legal in NSW on private properties with the permission of the landowner, or on certain public lands with a government-issued licence.

Children under the age of 12 cannot hold a hunting licence and people under 18 must be closely supervised by an adult.

More to come.

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Originally published as Boy, 9, shot in the leg during pig hunting trip north of Bourke