Dog shoots its master

James Harris, 37, was hit in the leg Saturday, the opening day of pheasant season, said Alan Foster, a spokesman with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Photo: Dog shoots its master

"He had surgery and is doing pretty well," he said. "He took between 100-120 pellets in about a 4-inch (10-centimeter) circle to his calf."

Harris was listed in good condition Tuesday, officials at University Hospitals in Iowa City said.

Harris was hunting with a group when he went to get a bird the group had shot. Harris put his gun on the ground and as he was crossing a fence, his hunting dog stepped on the gun, Foster said.

The gun was about 3 feet (0.91 meter) away from his leg.

"The muzzle velocity is so great that the pellets don't have a chance to spread out," he said.

No one else was hurt, and the dog was not injured.

Foster said no citations have been issued.