No hunting fatalities in 2015 season, DEC announces

[Galliform]

Thought this would be of interest here.

 

http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/105649.html

 

 

DEC Announces Zero Hunting Fatalities in 2015 Season 2015 is the first year in decades without a reported fatality, marks growing trend of improved hunter safety

The 2015 New York hunting season proved to be one of the safest on record and yielded the first year without a hunting-related shooting fatality since the 1950s, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today. DEC's 2015 Hunting Safety Statistics report (PDF, 141 KB) highlighted a total of only 23 hunting incidents, the third lowest number on record, with 10 incidents self-inflicted and 13 two-party incidents.

"Hunting is a strong and economically important tradition that continues to be safely enjoyed by many in New York State, and I commend hunters of all ages for maintaining high standards in hunting safety," Acting Commissioner Seggos said. "The trend of declining hunting accidents is proof that our hunter safety education programs are working thanks, in large part, to the efforts of the 3,000 volunteer Sportsman Education Instructors that teach our hunter safety courses every year."

This is the first year without a hunting-related shooting fatality in New York since record-keeping on hunting statistics began in the mid 1950s. 2015 also continued the trend of declining incidents with New York's hunting-related shooting incident rate (incidents per 100,000 hunters) declining almost 80 percent since the 1960s. The past five-year average is down to four incidents per 100,000 hunters, compared to 19 per 100,000 hunters in the 1960s.

While hunting is safer than ever, accidents can still happen. It is important to remember that every hunting-related shooting incident is preventable. As this year's report indicated that eight of the victims in the multi-party incidents were not wearing hunter orange. Accidents can be prevented if hunters follow the primary rules of hunter safety:

• assume every firearm is loaded;
• control the firearm muzzle in a safe direction;
• keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire;
• identify your target and what is beyond; and
• wear hunter orange.

"Sportsman education is an essential and required training course for hunters and teaches future sportsmen and women how to be safe, responsible, and ethical hunters and trappers," Acting Commissioner Seggos said. "Through our NY Open for Fishing and Hunting Initiative, Sportsman Education Programs are being enhanced and our hunting license privileges have been updated to ensure increased opportunities for recreational hunting in the state."

The declining in hunting-related accidents is evidence that New York has a safety-conscious generation of hunters thanks to the committed efforts of DEC's volunteer instructors. These trained, DEC-certified instructors teach safe, responsible and ethical outdoor practices and the important roles hunters and trappers serve in natural resource conservation. All courses are offered free of charge and class registration is easy. In 2016, DEC is updating the course curriculum to further enhance the program and implement recommendations identified in a 2015 peer-reviewed analysis if New York's education program.

For more information on Sportsman Education course registration, access to the course manuals and worksheets, please visit the Sportsman Education Program webpage on DEC's web site.

 

[ApexerER]

That's impossible.......all those people walking around with loaded firearms....you would think at least one of those firearms would have went rouge and shot someone.....something is very fishy here...I am going to have to find a liberal and ask them what happened....

[Rebel Darling]

Thanks to everyone out there for keeping it safe and smart...  I know I appreciate it.

[mike rossi]

That's impossible.......all those people walking around with loaded firearms....you would think at least one of those firearms would have went rouge and shot someone.....something is very fishy here...I am going to have to find a liberal and ask them what happened....

 

That liberal might tell you that although there were no fatalities there were something  like 27 non fatal shootings, including someone shot while pushing a deer cart......

[Nomad]

No hunting fatalities last season? We killed a boat load of deer !

[EspressoBuzz]

Yeah, but I heard hunting selfie deaths are up!

 

 

J/K!

[Pygmy]

I can remember just a few short years ago when rifles were permitted in many southern zone counties..

 

The WAILING !!...The rending of HAIR !!... The gnashing of TEETH !!...

 

Those terrible rifles were much more dangerous than shotguns, because they shoot so much FARTHER !!

 

For some reason,  that terrible phenomenon has not yet developed...I guess we have just been lucky so far.

[Skillet]

That liberal might tell you that although there were no fatalities there were something  like 27 non fatal shootings, including someone shot while pushing a deer cart......

 

So the entire NYS 2015 season was about equal in shootings to a few rough nights in the hood. I'm definitely seeing your point Mike. Great argument. I just shredded my NRA card.

[Steve D]

Read an article on that a couple of weeks ago.....A high percentage  (don't remember the number) were all self inflicted. Glad there were no fatalities 

[Nomad]

So the entire NYS 2015 season was about equal in shootings to a few rough nights in the hood. I'm definitely seeing your point Mike. Great argument. I just shredded my NRA card.

Confirmed person shot on Lux st, just now , unknown if he was wearing Hunter orange or not .

[Doc]

Compared to past years, this is a phenomenal stat. Maybe we should take a minute to pat ourselves on the back a bit.

 

It would be interesting to know just what accounts for this. Is it some huge improvement in hunter safety training, or maybe safety being publicized better, or is it the shrinking hunters, or more blaze orange or any of a number of other things that might influence that number?

[jjb4900]

Compared to past years, this is a phenomenal stat. Maybe we should take a minute to pat ourselves on the back a bit.

 

It would be interesting to know just what accounts for this. Is it some huge improvement in hunter safety training, or maybe safety being publicized better, or is it the shrinking hunters, or more blaze orange or any of a number of other things that might influence that number?

less hunters and the style of hunting today.....most spend all day in a stand as opposed to walking around, that's my guess anyway.

[Doc]

less hunters and the style of hunting today.....most spend all day in a stand as opposed to walking around, that's my guess anyway.

I think that is a pretty good guess.

[The_Real_TCIII]

Now if we could just stop falling out of trees

[Pygmy]

Now if we could just stop falling out of trees

I have tried to avoid that for the last 66 years..

So far, so good...

[Water Rat]

I feel once while building a tree stand. Feel right on my ass and put another crack in it.

[RoadKill44]

Just looked at some statistics.

Last November alone (during our hunting season) there were 39 shooting deaths in Chicago.

 

Could it be the Safe Act is working in New York State?

 

 

Just kidding guys. While the facts are true (Yes, 39 in Chicago alone) I was joking about the safe act.

I'm sure a NYC government official somewhere is going to spin that to support the Safe Act somehow.

[The_Real_TCIII]

Just looked at some statistics.

Last November alone (during our hunting season) there were 39 shooting deaths in Chicago.

Could it be the Safe Act is working in New York State?

Just kidding guys. While the facts are true (Yes, 39 in Chicago alone) I was joking about the safe act.

I'm sure a NYC government official somewhere is going to spin that to support the Safe Act somehow.

you could only claim the safe act worked if someone didn't get shot an eighth time

[Renegade Hunter]

I did have some near misses that were close to me. My uncle fell out of a tree while climbing into the stand and broke his back. Had to crawl to the road. Luckily my grandma was driving by and saw him. He's up and moving around pretty well now. Also heard about a guy from my town getting shot with a 30-06 through his hip. Thankfully they both made it out with their lives.

[GreeneHunter]

I feel once while building a tree stand. Feel right on my ass and put another crack in it.

No Pics ..... Please !   LOL

 

[Five Seasons]

That's impossible.......all those people walking around with loaded firearms....you would think at least one of those firearms would have went rouge and shot someone.....something is very fishy here...I am going to have to find a liberal and ask them what happened....

Most deaths I believe are falls.

[Five Seasons]

I can remember just a few short years ago when rifles were permitted in many southern zone counties..

The WAILING !!...The rending of HAIR !!... The gnashing of TEETH !!...

Those terrible rifles were much more dangerous than shotguns, because they shoot so much FARTHER !!

For some reason, that terrible phenomenon has not yet developed...I guess we have just been lucky so far.

Coincidently a few more northern counties introduced them. Could be there's a shred of hope our legislators look to facts in the future?

[Five Seasons]

Just looked at some statistics.

Last November alone (during our hunting season) there were 39 shooting deaths in Chicago.

Could it be the Safe Act is working in New York State?

Just kidding guys. While the facts are true (Yes, 39 in Chicago alone) I was joking about the safe act.

I'm sure a NYC government official somewhere is going to spin that to support the Safe Act somehow.

No guns allowed in Chicago. It's doing then wonders huh?

[Elmo]

I feel once while building a tree stand. Feel right on my ass and put another crack in it.

Do you now have to wipe twice when you take a dump?

[Pygmy]

Do you now have to wipe twice when you take a dump?

Double your pleasure....