The world turned upside down for an Iowa bird shooter when he accidentally became the shooting target of hunting dogs.

James Harris, 37, shot a bird at the start of the pheasant season in Iowa on Saturday, but dogs stepped on the gun he left on the ground while trying to retrieve the dead bird and shot pellets into his leg.

The 100 to 120 pellets that hit the bird hunter's left calf from three feet away caused substantial injury, though not life-threatening.

Harris was treated at a local hospital before being transferred by helicopter to the state's city hospital.

A spokesman for the Iowa Department of Natural Resource said the accident was not unusual. Alan Foster said dogs stepping on gun triggers that are not on safety happens twice a year in the country.