As the table below indicates, the hunting casualty rate is lower than most outdoor activities. Obviously, there is a risk of injury in every outdoor activity. When compared to hunting however, some activities are much more hazardous than most people realize. For example, look at the following list of outdoor activities and compare the number of casualtys for these activities with those for hunting.| (These statistics were provided by the National Safety Council, Statistics Unit in Chicago for 1995 for the U.S. If you are interested in additional numbers, they can be contacted at 1-800-621-7615 extension 2365. The numbers for hunting are from 1998 and do not include numbers from Canada.) | |
| Outdoor Activity | Deaths |
| Boating | 836 |
| Hang Gliding | 28 |
| Sky Diving | 28 |
| Football | 4 |
| Personal Watercraft | 79 |
| Hunting | 92 |
| Scuba Diving | 97 |
| Swimming | 1,700 |
Vision related casualties are caused by the following factors:
The victim moved into the shooter's line of fire.
The victim was covered by the shooter who was swinging on game.
The victim was out of sight of the shooter.
The victim was mistaken for game (failure to identify target).
| The use of blaze or hunter orange has been shown to reduce vision related casualties in states that require its use. The use of blaze orange clothing could decrease the number of vision related casualties even further. Its continued use is recommend for all hunting activity except possibly for migratory bird hunting. In most cases, the number of casualties could be reduced by over 50 percent if vision related casualties could be eliminated. |
Self-inflicted injuries are the second most common cause of hunting casualties. These casualties are caused by improperly handling a loaded firearm in some manner. Almost 33% of all hunting casualties were self-inflicted.
One of the goals of our Hunter Education Programs is to reduce hunting casualties. Although, the number of people killed as a result of hunting casualties is low compared to most forms of outdoor recreation, we must not lose sight of the fact that people do become injured as a result of hunting casualties. To reduce the number of casualties, we must focus on two factors. The first is to reduce the number of vision related casualties by stressing the importance of wearing blaze orange clothing and to support legislation and regulatory changes to require its use. The second is to reduce the number of self inflicted casualties. We must work to eliminate carelessness while handling hunting firearms and archery equipment alike through hands on training, with an emphasis on safe handling handguns in all situations and long guns in and around vehicles. Responsible hunters realize that caution must be used when they are in the field. A hunter cannot afford even one second of carelessness. The bullet or shot pellets cannot be called back after the trigger has been pulled. By being extra cautious a hunter may be able to reduce the chance of becoming a statistic and continue to be a part of the thousands of hunters who took to the field last year without being involved in a hunting accident.
Jack A. Edwards Dr. David Knotts
Chair, Hunting Accident Committee Executive Vice President
International Hunter Education Association International Hunter Education Association
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1998 Hunting Casualties |
|
| Fatal Casualties | 93 |
| Non-fatal Casualties | 894 |
| All Casualties | 987 |
| States Reporting | 48 |
| Provinces Reporting | 5 |
This 1998 IHEA hunting accident report is based on information received from 48 states and 5Canadian provinces. Reports were not received from Alaska, Alberta, Mexico, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Quebec, Ontario, Prince Edward Island or the Yukon.
There was a major decrease in the number of casualties; from 1038 in 1997 to 987 in 1998 although a minimal change in the number of fatalities in two-party casualties, 66 in 1997 compared to 65 for 1998. There was a decrease in fatal two-party rifle casualties, 40 in 1997 versus 35 in 1998. Archery casualties continue to decrease in number with the continuing expansion of the archery training program. There are an increasing number of training classes becoming available for muzzle loader hunters and for the first time, the number of casualties decreased dramatically. This year's numbers were down, from 30 to 23. We hope to see this trend for muzzle loader hunters downward as more hunters take muzzle loader training.
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Comparisons of the number of casualties: |
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|
1997 |
1998 |
|
| Non-fatal Casualties | 942 | 894 |
| Fatal Casualties | 96 | 93 |
| Total Casualties | 1038 | 987 |
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Comparisons by species being hunted: |
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1997 |
1998 |
|
| Deer | 364 | 356 |
| Turkey | 111 | 92 |
| Pheasant | 93 | 92 |
| Squirrel | 78 | 79 |
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Comparisons of the hunting equipment used at the time of the accident: |
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|
Self-Inflicted |
Two-Party |
All Casualties |
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|
1997 |
1998 |
1997 |
1998 |
1997 |
1998 |
|
| Shotgun | 126 | 122 | 511 | 483 | 637 | 605 |
| Rifle | 111 | 119 | 173 | 159 | 284 | 278 |
| Handgun | 45 | 40 | 15 | 7 | 55 | 47 |
| Muzzle Loader | 21 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 30 | 23 |
| Bow | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 6 |
Most of the two-party casualties involve hunters swinging on upland game with shotguns, covering their hunting partners or not seeing their partners. These are vision related casualties that may be preventable if the hunters wear blaze orange clothing while hunting upland game. Additionally, most handgun casualties are self-inflicted.
Ten Commandments of Firearm safety:
Treat every gun with the respect due a loaded gun.
Watch that muzzle! Be able to control the direction of the muzzle at all times.
Be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions.
Be sure of your target before you pull the trigger.
Unload guns when not in use.
Never point a gun at anything you do not want to shoot.
Never climb a fence or tree or jump a ditch with a loaded gun: never pull a gun toward you by the muzzle.
Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface or water.
Store guns and ammunition separately beyond the reach of children and careless adults.
Avoid alcoholic beverages before or during shooting.
