The Deerstalkers' Association is urging a safety first approach as hunters head into the bush for the roar.
A hunter in the Kaimai Ranges was killed on Monday after being shot in the chest.
National president Bill O'Leary says hunters need to think everything they see and hear is a human.
"We keep saying to people you must positively identify your target," he says.
"The fact of the matter is that virtually every person who's ever fired a shot at another individual has still been convinced they were shooting at a deer."
Mr O'Leary says any incident is a tragedy, as a gun has no forgiveness.
"Every incident that we have we take a look at, we try to work out what went wrong," he says.
"We try and structure our safety messages to take something positive out is what is a really a very nasty and tragic accident."
Mr O'Leary says with thousands of hunters in the bush, everyone needs to wear high-vis gear to protect themselves.
Newshub.
