Hunter’s death appears to be an accident

staff report

HARTFORD — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is heading up an investigation into a fatality involving a 56-year-old man who died of a gunshot wound to the head beneath a tree stand on his property Saturday. The deer-gun season ended Monday.

The man is identified as William Eckard of 3739 Custer-Orangeville Road. His body was found at about 3 p.m. on his own property, said Jerrod Allison, state wildlife officer for Trumbull County.

He and another family member were hunting for deer in separate locations not far from each other and had eaten lunch together at around noon, Allison said. The other family member discovered the body, Allison said.

The ODNR sent evidence to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation regarding the death and expects to have an answer from BCI within a couple weeks as to what caused Eckard’s death.

At this point, the fatality appears to be a hunting-related accident, Allison said, adding that it’s not clear whether Eckard shot himself by accident while falling out of the tree stand or whether there is another explanation.