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Police have charged a man in relation to a fatal hunting incident in Te Urewera last year.

Michael William Bennett was fatally shot while hunting on December 1.

Bennett, 63, was found dead by a hunting companion. Police responded to a personal locator beacon activation about 2am.

A 50-year-old man has been charged with careless use of a firearm causing death and recklessly discharging a firearm.

He is scheduled to appear in Rotorua District Court on Thursday.

Bennett was a Paeroa construction business owner and was remembered by his family as a “giving” person who would regularly give away meat to friends and family following his hunting expeditions.

A statement from his family provided to the Bay of Plenty Times in December said Bennett, known as Mike or Rambo, was “cherished within both the Paeroa community and his family”.

They described him as “hard-working, driven and passionate” about his farm, his hunting and diving endeavours, and “most importantly his family.

He had a building company, Bennett Developments Ltd, and also ran for the Hauraki District Council in 2022 to provide “a voice for the elderly”.

“Mike was a very giving person, always first to put his hand up to build something for someone, to gift meat from his many hunting trips, and generally help everyone with something one may need.

“He was a loved son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, friend and so much more. Mike was so proud of all his children and grandchildren and loved talking about them to his friends and family.”

Mostly raised in Paeroa, the statement said Bennett was “proud of his small town” and well-known locally.