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Pennsylvania hunters set new safety record in 2005

The Morning Call
By Christian Berg
May 30, 2006

Pennsylvania's nearly 1 million hunters set an all-time safety record in 2005, the third year in a row they have done so, the state Game Commission announced.
There were 47 hunting-related shooting incidents last year, including three fatalities, the commission reported. That's a 16 percent decrease from 56 shooting incidents, including four fatalities, in 2004.

Last year's incident rate of 4.92 per 100,000 hunters is the lowest in more than 90 years of official record-keeping by the commission. In 2004, the incident rate was 5.56 per 100,000 hunters. There were more than 964,000 hunters in Pennsylvania last year, according to commission license sales data.

''While even one incident is one too many, we are pleased that hunters continue to improve on their safety record,'' said Carl G. Roe, the commission's executive director. ''However, we must continue to strive to do better.''

Roe said one of the most disturbing trends from last year's accident data is that 12 incidents, or 25 percent of the total, were self-inflicted including one fatality.

''This tells us that hunters must remember to practice the basic rules of firearms safety while afield,'' he said.

In the remaining 35 accidents, all were cases in which one hunter was shot by another hunter including two fatalities. The remaining 12 incidents were self-inflicted, including one fatality.

A hunting-related shooting incident is defined as any occurrence in which a person is injured by a firearm or bow and arrow discharged by an individual hunting or trapping. The commission said such incidents often result from failure to follow basic safety rules.

In 2005, the incident statistics by species hunted were: deer, 18 (including two fatalities, of which one was self-inflicted); small game, 12; wild turkey, 11; waterfowl, 2 (including one fatality); other, 2; bear, 1; and furbearer, 1.

People shot in the line of fire comprised 14 of the hunting-related shooting incidents, including two fatalities. The second most common cause for shooting incidents was when a hunter was mistaken for game (failure to properly identify target), which accounted for 11 incidents. Sporting arm in a dangerous position accounted for six incidents, followed by unintentional discharge, five (including one self-inflicted fatality); ricochet, four; slipped and/or fell, three; defective gun, one; stray shot, one; and other, one.

The only local hunting accident last year occurred Nov. 29, the opening day of the firearms deer season, in the Delaware State Forest in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County. In that incident, a father accidentally shot his 13-year-old son in the leg when a deer passed between them. The boy was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, where he underwent surgery to repair his injuries.

Roe said there has been a significant decline in hunting accidents, mainly as the result of the state's hunter education training, which began as a voluntary course in 1959 and became mandatory in 1969. In 1968, the last year before hunter education, there were 530 hunting accidents and 25 fatalities statewide.

Roe also credited the mandatory use of fluorescent orange clothing, which began in 1987, for helping to reduce the accident rate. The bright clothing makes it much easier for hunters to see one another and reduced the chance that a hunter will be mistaken for a deer or other animal.

Statistics about hunting-related shooting incidents dating back to 1991 are available on the commission's Web site at http://www.pgc.state.pa.us . Select ''Education,'' then scroll down and click on ''Hunting-Related Shooting Incident Statistics.''

.....når bare man har nok penge og krudt.....så går det ikke aldrig helt galt :-)

Favourite Quote: Vi løser ikke vore problemer ved at tænke på samme måde, som da vi skabte dem.....(Albert Einstein)