Hunting has been getting safer over the past 30 years. Even though the number of hunters has increased, the number of accidents have decreased. The following data was taken from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website:
|
Outdoor Activity
|
Number of Participants
|
Annual Injuries
|
Injuries per 100,000 Participants
|
| Football |
15,500,000
|
424,665
|
2,740
|
| Basketball |
28,200,000
|
716,182
|
2,540
|
| Baseball |
33,200,000
|
404,468
|
1,218
|
| Bicycling |
64,500,000
|
604,566
|
937
|
| Water Skiing |
7,400,000
|
16,182
|
219
|
| Swimming |
60,300,000
|
130,286
|
216
|
| Fishing |
45,700,000
|
78,393
|
172
|
| Hunting |
15,000,000
|
1,094
|
7
|
Hunting is so safe because of hunting regulatons and hunter education. In the state of Texas, you need to take a hunter education class if you were born on or after September 2, 1971, and are at least 9 years old. Once you take the hunter education course, it is accepted in all other states. In Texas and in most other states, hunters are required to wear a certain amount of bright orange clothing. This color is called "hunter orange." According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, "hunters on public land must visibly wear 400 square inches of hunter orange material with orange headwear and at least 144 square inches appearing on both chest and back during daylight hours when hunting with firearms is permitted." This prevents hunters from accidentally being mistaken for game.
This hunter is with the correct amount of hunter orange.
For info on archery safety, click on the arrow.
To learn to safely use a muzzleloader, click on the pistol.
