UOW student shot while deer hunting

Nick Welch loved everything about being outdoors.An experienced hunter and fisherman, it is easy to see what attracted the 19-year-old Thurgoona man to the Illawarra.Tragically the University of Wollongong student died in a shooting accident when a friend mistook him for a deer in rugged bushland near Albury on Sunday afternoon.The teenager's classmates have been left reeling and the university is offering counselling to students and staff affected by his tragic death. Post your tribute below.Jake Welch, 19, was with his twin brother Nick on the fateful hunting trip and yesterday he and older brother Matt wrote of their enduring love for him in an emotional death notice."Though you're no longer with us, that bond will remain as strong as ever. We were all bound from the beginning and will remain so until we're together again."The family gave a statement describing Nick as "the light of our lives"."He will be remembered as a fantastic son and brother, the bonds created by shared family hunting, camping and fishing experiences can never be broken.""He was a safe deer hunter who was mature beyond his years, in a sport where many people take a lifetime to achieve what Nick did in his short 19 years on this earth."In his second year studying engineering at UOW while living at Campus East, Nick had been looking forward to learning about the Rusa deer in the surrounding hills."You can take the country boy to the city but you cannot take the country out of the boy," the family said.They also extended their sympathy to Nick and Jake's friend involved in the shooting."Our sympathy goes out to the other young man involved in the accident."Like all outdoor pursuits hunting has risks associated with it. We would like to emphasise that these risks can be minimised by following safe hunting practices."The tragic accident is likely to tap into concerns held for the safety of Illawarra residents living in deer culling areas.In a sad twist of fate, UOW was caught up in fears students could be in danger after it was revealed up to 40 deer had been shot on campus land.As part of a free NSW Game Council program, volunteer hunters have routinely patrolled the university campus to the west of Robsons Rd, next to the escarpment.Students argued they had been left in the dark about the cull and were worried about gunfire near the campus."Our biggest concern is a possible stray bullet - I know a bullet can travel a long way," student association president Chris Monnox said in March.Signing up to the scheme last April, UOW is one of 20 Illawarra properties involved in routine culling.