RUSSELL – A Russell man was shot dead Sunday afternoon during a hunting accident off the Fordham Hill Road, according to St. Lawrence County sheriff’s deputies.

Deputies arrived on the scene and found Paul D. Hatch, 49, of 69 Hatch Rd., Russell, shot once in the chest about 200 yards from the road. Deputies responded after receiving a 911 call at about 4:56 p.m. reporting an accidental shooting.

Deputies said Hatch had been tracking a wounded deer with Tyler M. Soper, 20, of 883 Trout Lake Rd., Edwards. Soper shot at what he believed to be the deer and hit Hatch by mistake, deputies said.

Hatch was transported to Canton-Potsdam Hospital by the Canton Rescue and pronounced dead on arrival, deputies said.

The sheriff’s office was assisted at the scene by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, state police, Russell fire department and rescue squad, and Canton Rescue.

The accident is still under investigation by the sheriff’s office and DEC investigators.