March 12, 2015

Hunter Education continues to be catalyst for safe firearm practices afield

PRATT – Each year, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) compiles a summary of all reported hunting incidents as a way to assess safety issues afield and address any potential areas for improvement in Hunter Education programs. The 2014 Kansas Hunter Education Hunting Incident Report is now available and although the total number of incidents has slightly increased from 2013, Kansas has had no firearms-related fatalities for three years running.

A total of twelve reported hunting incidents took place during the 2014 hunting seasons, and although the details surrounding each incident vary, all were preventable. A breakdown of the 2014 incidents is as follows:

- Five incidents of hunters unsafely swinging on game

-Three incidents of careless gun handling

-Two incidents of victims moving into the line of fire

-One incident of a hunter stepping onto his own broadhead that was left on the ground

-One incident of a hunter injured by a dog stepping on a shotgun left on the ground

Hunting remains one of the safest outdoor activities when compared to the millions of hunter days recorded by Kansas hunters each fall. It’s because of the efforts of volunteer Kansas Hunter Education instructors, and the thousands of students who have learned from them, that Kansans can safely enjoy and continue our great hunting heritage.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in taking a Hunter Education course and continuing good hunting practices into the 2015 seasons and beyond, visit ksoutdoors.com and click “Services/Education/Hunter” for more information.

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