2003 WAS SAFEST YEAR EVER FOR NEW YORK STATE HUNTERS
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Commissioner Erin M. Crotty today announced that 2003 was the safest
year ever recorded for the nearly 700,000 sportsmen and women who hunt
in New York State. The number of hunting-related injuries reported to
DEC last year was 32, compared with the previous low of 43 in 2000.
"New York has a long history of promoting safety in the field,
with our State being the first in the nation to implement requirements
for hunter safety courses for minors in 1949 and all hunters since
1960," Commissioner Crotty said. "DEC will continue to support the
ongoing efforts of New York's Sportsman Education Program to promote
responsible and safe hunting in our communities, because even one injury
is too many."
New York State's Sportsman Education Program has led to a 65-percent
decline in the hunting injury rate over the past four decades, due in
large part to the dedication of more than 3,300 volunteer instructors.
The average number of hunting injuries has fallen from 137 per year in
the 1960s to 48 per year so far this decade. This safety record
emphasizes the fact that hunting has one of the lowest injury rates of
any recreational activity.
Averages by Decade for New York Hunting Injuries*
Average Annual
Decade Hunting Injuries
1960s 137
1970s 102
1980s 85
1990s 66
2000 48
* All figures are 10-year averages, except for 2000-2003
Hunting-related shooting incidents are thoroughly investigated
by the State's Environmental Conservation Officers and Investigators,
usually in conjunction with State Police, county sheriffs, or local
authorities. The lessons learned from these incidents are used to
continually update and improve hunter safety courses in an effort to
reduce the number of hunting injuries each year.
"Last year's season also gives us reason to be proud of our
20,000 junior license holders ages 12 to 15 who hunt small game under
adult supervision," Commissioner Crotty said. "These young people are
the future of our American hunting tradition and not a single one of
them caused an injury during 2003."
Tragically, two of the injuries reported in 2003 resulted in
fatalities. Twenty of the 32 incidents, including both fatalities,
involved deer hunting. Seven of these incidents, including one of the
fatal injuries, were self-inflicted.
Nine of the 2003 injury incidents occurred during spring wild turkey
hunting. All of these were visibility-related, when hunters failed to
notice another hunter in the line of fire or mistook them for game
through the vegetation. Four out of five hunters now wear some hunter
orange safety clothing and this practice has reduced the number of
injuries related to visibility.
DEC is always looking for experienced hunters to pass on the
tradition of hunting safety and responsibility to the next generation.
If you are interested in joining DEC in this rewarding volunteer
activity, call 888-HUNT-ED2 for information on becoming an instructor,
or visit the DEC website at
http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/sportsed/index.html
