A Coroner has ruled that a woman's death while hunting in Otago two years ago, was a 'terrible accident.'

Kate Aynsley was hunting deer with her partner in the Blue Mountains Conservation Area, when her body was found on a damp, slippery slope.

A shell casing was in the gun's chamber and the safety was off.

Police say Aynsley likely tripped on the uneven ground, discharging the weapon as she fell.

Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale described it as a tragic accident in dangerous terrain, and reminds hunters to follow basic firearm safety, including keeping the chamber empty when crossing obstacles.