Qld boy shot in eye during target practice

A Queensland man has been charged after his young stepson was accidentally shot in the eye with an air rifle.

The man and the nine-year-old boy were target shooting in the yard of their home at Mount Surprise, southwest of Cairns, on Sunday when a pellet ricocheted and hit the child in the eye.

He's been flown to Cairns in a stable condition but it's not known if his eye can be saved.

The man is facing weapon licensing offences and will front court next month, but police say the incident was an accident.