How Safe is Hunting Article

[fasteddie]

by J.R. Absher

It always amazes me when I read about city councils or county commissions that attempt to ban backyard archery practice or deer hunts in or near urban areas based on their lofty concerns about public safety. That’s because most of us who are deeply involved in hunting and the shooting sports know our pastime is far safer than most organized sports that regularly take place in city parks and public schools.

New safety data released last week definitively backs up that premise, revealing that hunting is safer than 28 other recreational pursuits, ranging from soccer to skateboarding and from cheerleading to bike riding.

Based upon injuries by number of participants, compared to hunting a person is 11 times more likely to be injured playing volleyball, 25 times more likely to be injured cheerleading or bicycle riding, and 105 more times likely to be injured playing tackle football, according to new data compiled by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

The NSSF report reveals hunting with firearms has an injury rate of .05 percent, which equates to about 1 injury per 2,000 participants, a safety level bettered only by camping (.01 percent) and billiards (.02 percent). For comparison, golf has an injury rate of .16 percent (1 injury per 622 participants), while tackle football topped the list of activities with an injury rate of 5.27 percent (1 injury per 19 participants).

“Many people have the misconception that hunting is unsafe, but the data tells a different story,” said Jim Curcuruto, NSSF’s director of industry research and analysis. “Comprehensive hunter education classes that emphasize the basic rules of firearm safety and a culture of hunters helping fellow hunters practice safe firearms handling in the field are responsible for this good record.”

The number of hunters who went afield last year is estimated at 16.3 million. Of that total, approximately 8,122 sustained injuries, or 50 per 100,000 participants. And the vast majority of hunting accidents—more than 6,600—were treestand related.

The injury data NSSF used to compile this hunter-safety report comes from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the Consumer Products Safety Commission 2010 and the International Hunter Education Association’s Hunter Incident Clearinghouse. Activity participation figures are from the National Sporting Goods Association Sports Participation in 2010 report.

[bkln]

Holy Smokes, Orange Army was 16 mil last year, darn it! The biggest Army in the world - An American Hunter :-)

[bubba]

Good info. I think if I wear orange at least when I am mor elikely to fall out of my stand, I can be found easier

[Doc]

Isn't it amazing that we have the numbers on our side but getting people to look at those numbers is the trick. Of course, we start in the hole on that issue because people start out with a bias based on the sensationalizing of hunting incidents by the media. People get mangled, maimed and killed by all kinds of mishaps, but it is the hunting accidents that catch the big headlines. Plus it's amazing how many people that don't hunt or shoot guns have a deathly, irrational fear of firearms. They just simply expect that any activity that involves those nasty weapons has to be dangerous.

[SteveB]

by J.R. Absher

It always amazes me when I read about city councils or county commissions that attempt to ban backyard archery practice or deer hunts in or near urban areas based on their lofty concerns about public safety. That’s because most of us who are deeply involved in hunting and the shooting sports know our pastime is far safer than most organized sports that regularly take place in city parks and public schools.

The NSSF report reveals hunting with firearms has an injury rate of .05 percent, which equates to about 1 injury per 2,000 participants, a safety level bettered only by camping (.01 percent) and billiards (.02 percent). For comparison, golf has an injury rate of .16 percent (1 injury per 622 participants), while tackle football topped the list of activities with an injury rate of 5.27 percent (1 injury per 19 participants).

If someone is injured by backyard archery practice, it is almost always someone other then the participants. Comparing a non participant accident rate to that of participant is misleading and useless. The only way for backyard archery practice to be considered in a neighborhood environment is to only allow the backstops to be placed against the shooters own home.

And of course they need to be wearing full BO.

Edited December 25, 2011 by SteveB

[fasteddie]

Well , after reading the article I decided not to become a Cheerleader !

[Nomad]

I agree its safer then people think. My thoughts were always like Steves however, its the non participant injury that does us in,like the guy who "unloaded" his ML by firing it into the air and hitting a woman a mile away, or the odd house that takes a round.

Then I look at getting shot by a 12ga or 30.06 and falling 15 feet out of a stand vs. a pulled muscle, bruse or twisted ankle thats a commen injury in those other sports .

Another thing that muddys the waters is any organized sport is going to treat and report all injuries. I was a medic for football and cheerleading,any little thing gets recorded and many are sent to be checked out ,if you twist an ankle a field during deer season it does not get reported ,only those trips to ER.

If I remember right we had 3 folks die from tree stand falls around here this year,I'm not sure if all others combined add to that .

I think I also read that the DEC only counts firearm injuries in its "accident" rate not falls or heart attacks like Doc's neighbor of years back, so who knows what and how things are reported .

Ya I feel its pretty safe over all just think its kinda like comparing injuries of office workers VS loggers or crab fishermen. One gets a paper cut one dies .

[Doc]

Probably one of the more dangerous aspects of patting ourselves on the back too much is that it may tend to dull the feeling of need for constant safe attitudes and practices. So while I absolutely see no benefit in having hunting unfairly portrayed as a dangerous activity, we still need to use common sense and apply the safety precautions that are available to us or we could find ourselves on the wrong end of those wonderful stats.

[landtracdeerhunter]

It would be interesting to know how each state uses its number rating. Depending on the circumstance, some hunting related accidents are not officially recorded under that heading.

Edited December 26, 2011 by landtracdeerhunter

[WNYBuckHunter]

Well , after reading the article I decided not to become a Cheerleader !

Youd be surprised at the injury rate of Cheerleading. My fiance is a Varsity Cheer coach and some of the injuries I see and hear about are pretty serious. She had a girl fall off the top of a mount last year or the year before, head first onto the gym floor. That was a bad one, but they start getting worse with the girls that actually get thrown into the air. People make fun of cheerleaders all the time, but its a whole different sport today than it was when I was in high school.