A missing Mount Maunganui hunter has been found injured after he failed to return to his hunting party on Saturday night.

The 50-year-old man was airlifted out of the bush earlier today after being found last night in a farm shed on a property bordering the Motu hunting block, inland from Gisborne.

A rescue helicopter was used to rescue the Mount Maunganui man.

He is currently in Rotorua Hospital in a comfortable condition recovering from a head injury.

The man fell on Saturday morning and was unconscious for some time, says sergeant Greg Lexmond of Gisborne police.

He woke up later in the afternoon disorientated and began walking around the area, and at one stage fell into the Motu River.

'He managed to find shelter in a shed on the farm and lit a fire to try to keep warm,” says Greg. 'Smoke from the shed alerted the farmer and he found the man at around 11.30pm last night.”

The farmer was aware a search was underway in the area for the man, and search teams were tracking the man when the farmer found him.

'There were some difficulties with finding a close landing zone near to where the injured man was, which meant he couldn't be airlifted out until a few hours later,” says sergeant Lexmond.

The man and two friends went into the bush on Saturday morning, says Greg. They split up agreeing to meet back at a hut that evening.

Police were called when the man failed to return to the hut overnight and police were called on Sunday morning. Police and Search and Rescue teams from Gisborne began a search of the area, including using the East Coast rescue helicopter.

As the day progressed, Search and Rescue teams from Hawke's Bay, Wairoa and Whakatane were put on standby to relieve the Gisborne search teams.

Fears were held for the man's safety as he was a diabetic.