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Hunters had a safe 2019!

Jack Danchak - Columnist
Posted 3/13/20

DEC officials announced that New York hunters had their safest year ever hunting in 2019 with 12 hunting-related shooting accidents including one fatality.

In addition to the dozen …

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Hunters had a safe 2019!

Posted

DEC officials announced that New York hunters had their safest year ever hunting in 2019 with 12 hunting-related shooting accidents including one fatality.

In addition to the dozen hunting-related shooting accidents, DEC received seven reports of treestand falls that resulted in injury and none were fatal.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “Nearly 550,000 New Yorkers and visitors enjoy the sport of hunting each year and the declining number of hunting incidents confirms that today's generation of hunters are the most safety conscious yet. Thanks to the efforts of DEC staff and volunteer hunter education program instructors that teach 40,000 students each year, hunting has continued to be a safe and enjoyable activity in New York State.”

Of the 12 hunting-related shooting incidents last year, seven were two-party firearm incidents and five were self-inflicted. The one fatality occurred last year during the state's firearms big-game season when the victim was shot by a member of his hunting party during a deer drive.

DEC officials stated, “All of these incidents could have been prevented if hunting safety rules had been followed. The one fatal incident was caused by a failure to positively identify the target. The importance of identifying the target and beyond, and wearing hunter orange or pink when afield are two of the major principles of DEC hunter safety courses.”

New York is still one of the states where blaze orange is recommended but is not mandated in New York's hunting rules and regulations.

Seven of the 12 incidents occurred during the deer hunting seasons, two took place while waterfowl hunting and one each while hunting spring turkeys, upland birds and fox and coyote hunting. Shotguns were involved in eight of the 12 incidents, three occurred with rifles and one with a hand gun.

DEC stated, “DEC-trained and certified volunteer instructors teach safe, responsible and ethical hunting and trapping practices and the important role of hunters and trappers in wildlife conservation. Through more than 60 years of dedicated efforts from volunteer hunter education program instructors, an extremely safety-conscious generation of hunters and trappers has been developed.”

NYS Trapper

Education Course!

A NYS Trapper Education Course will be given on Sunday March 22, 2020 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Sullivan County Conservation Club¸140 Kortright Road, Ferndale, NY 12734. You can register online.

jack danchak is the President of the Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs of Sullivan County.

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