The 2015 Hunting Accident Report has been released, and it details an all-time low number of hunting accidents during the year.
There were 20 hunting accidents in 2015, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) report. Two of the accidents were fatal, 18 of the accidents were non-fatal.
The number one cause of accidents was swinging on game outside of a safe zone-of-fire. Eleven accidents, 55 percent of the total, were caused by swinging on game.
TPWD said hunters can avoid this accident by designating a safe zone-of-fire for everyone in their hunting group. Hunters should imagine a clock and stand facing 12 o’clock. The basic safe zone-of-fire would be 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock.
Hunters should stop the swing of your gun within their safe zone-of-fire, be aware of the movements of everyone, including dogs, and wear blaze orange or blaze pink.
Other significant findings from the 2015 report:
- Dove hunting with 12 accidents (60 percent) led the list of animals hunted
- Eleven incidents (55 percent) occurred in September-October
- More shooters causing incidents in 2015 were older with 13 (65 percent) over 40 years of age, four (20 percent) over 70 years of age
- Two incidents (10 percent) involved multiple shooters firing toward victim, causing injury from possibly more than one firearm
- Higher number of Hunter Education graduates (10) were involved in 2015 incidents, two out-of-state (La., Mo.)
- Two shooters (10 percent) completed online-only Hunter Education
- Two incidents (10 percent) involved alcohol use, and three incidents (15 percent) involved law violations, a decrease in number in 2015
In 2015, there were 1,180,638 hunting licenses sold. The 20 hunting accidents represents a ratio of 1.7 hunting accidents/100,000 licenses. More than 66,200 students were certified in Hunter Education in 2015.
Anyone born after Sept. 2, 1971 is required to carry proof of Hunter Education.