NYLON – This past year’s hunting season was one of the safest on record, putting New York State on target for hunter safety.

According to a press release from the New York Department of Environment Conservation (DEC), the 2015 Hunting Safety Statistics report a total of only 23 hunting incidents, the third lowest number on record, with 10 incidents self-inflicted, 13 two-party incidents, and zero fatalities.

“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,” DEC Acting Commissioner Basil 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.”

2015 marks the first year without a hunting-related shooting fatality in the state since record-keeping began in the mid-1950s. Other incidents are also on the wane; the state’s hunting-related shooting incident rate (incidents per 100,000 hunters) has declined almost 80 percent since the 1960s.

While 2015 stood as one of the safest hunting years on record, accidents can and will happen. It is important to remember that every hunting-related incident is preventable. For instance, 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 abide by the regulations listed on the DEC website. The primary rules of hunter safety stand as follows: 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, lastly, 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.”

Decline of hunting-related incident shows that New Yorkers are learning and continuing to employ safety precautions when hunting. The Empire State’s hunting grounds are also seeing a generation of conscientious hunters grow 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 after a simple class registration.

As for 2016, DEC is updating the course curriculum to enhance the program and implement recommendations identified in a 2015 peer-reviewed analysis of New York’s education program.

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