Outdoors with Larry DiDonato - 8 March 2024

DEC Issues Annual Hunter Safety Report 

2023 is Second Safest Season on Record, Tying 2019

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released hunting safety statistics for the 2023 hunting season. The total of 12 Hunting Related Shooting Incidents (HRSIs) for 2023 tied with 2019 for the second-fewest HRSIs on record. DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos credits the safe seasons to the highly trained, certified, volunteer instructors who have been teaching safe, responsible, and ethical hunting and trapping practices for more than 70 years. He went on to congratulate instructors for “...creating extremely safety-conscious generations of hunters and trappers through DECs Hunter Education Program.” 

To keep 2023’s second best hunter safety record in prospective, one just needs to compare the 12 HRSIs in 2023 to the 166 HRSIs experienced back in 1966. Even one HRSI is one too many. Fatal HRSIs, and those resulting in serious physical injury can be devastating to those involved. That being said, hunting remains among the safest of outdoor activities. 

“All first-time hunters, bowhunters, and trappers must successfully complete a hunter or trapper safety course and pass the final exam before being eligible to purchase a hunting or trapping license.”  Since 2020, hunter safety classes have been offered with an “online-only” option. While hands-on classes where safe gun handling can be physically demonstrated and experienced remain the best option in my opinion, online-only classes have not been shown to be a factor in HRSIs. None of the HRSIs in 2023 involved online-only certified hunters. Most HRSIs in 2023, as well as in previous years, involve hunters with many years of experience who took the course long before the online-only option. Ten of the twelve shooters in 2023’s HRSIs had more than 15 years of hunting experience.

The 12 HRSIs recorded in 2023 include six two-party firearm incidents and six self-inflicted incidents; two of the 12 HRSIs were fatal. The two fatalities include one self-inflicted incident resulting from a subject hauling a loaded firearm into a tree stand. The other was a two-party incident caused by the discharge of a firearm being carried while dragging a harvested deer out of the woods. Another HRSI in 2023 involved hunters dragging a deer. It did not result in a fatality but emphasizes the need to unload all firearms when doing strenuous activities like dragging a deer or bear out of the woods. 

The fatality involving the hunter in the tree stand hauling up a loaded rifle with a haul line through the trigger guard is made even more tragic as it could have been so easily avoided. Following the basic hunter safety guideline to keep all firearms unloaded when hauling up or down tree stands would certainly have prevented this tragedy. 

HRSI Hunting Safety Statistics which include important details and more specific accounts of each incident are available on DEC’s website. 

Tree Stand Incidents

Injuries related to hunting in tree stands are not Hunter Related Shooting Incidents (HRSIs) unless they stem from a discharge of a firearm. Eight incidents involving ascending or descending tree stands were reported and investigated in 2023. None were fatal. “Seven of the hunters involved suffered extensive injuries after falling while not using a fall-arrest harness system. One hunter was wearing a harness, but it was attached to the stand, not the tree, and when the stand broke, the hunter fell with the stand. Additional information about tree stand incidents is available on DEC’s website.” 

Tree stand safety has become a regular part of the hunter education curriculum in New York. The proper use of tree stands and tree stand safety equipment will help to prevent these injuries and fatalities. Used correctly, a harness and fall-arrest system keep the hunter connected from the time they leave the ground to the moment they get back down. Many, if not all, tree stand incidents could be prevented if hunters follow the "ABCs" of tree stand safety: 

• Always remove and inspect the tree stand before use. 

• Buckle on the full body harness securely every time. 

• Connect to the tree before your feet leave the ground. 

Additional safety tips for tree stand hunters: 

• Inspect your tree stand before using it. Replace any worn or broken parts. 

• Buckle your full-body harness securely and use a tether and a lifeline.  

• Connect to the tree before your feet leave the ground and stay connected from the time you leave the ground to the time you get back down. 

• Let someone know where your stand is located and when you plan to be home.  

• Use a haul line to raise your unloaded gun or bow or cocked (but unloaded) crossbow with quiver up into the stand.  

• Always carry emergency equipment, such as a knife, cell phone, flashlight, and whistle in your pockets (not in your pack hanging in the tree). 

A video showing the proper way to climb into and out of a tree stand can be viewed on DEC's YouTube channel. 

Remember, all HRSIs can be avoided if everyone follows the basic principles of hunter safety:

• Treat every firearm as if it were loaded. 

• Control the muzzle, keep it pointed in a safe direction. 

• Identify your target and what lies beyond. 

• Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire; and 

• Wear hunter orange or pink. 

More information, including the 2023 Hunting Safety Statistics and 2023 Tree Stand Safety Statistics, is available on DEC's website. 

Happy hunting, fishing, and trapping until next time.

Report poachers and polluters by contacting a NYS ECO. 

Dial 1-844-DEC-ECOS, (1-844-332-3267) 24/7/365 to contact the 24-hour ECO Dispatch