DEER PROGRAM REPORT DEER ROGRAM REPORT

2006-2007 Hunting Incident/AccidentSummaryistockphoto.comhunteracci cciDentsAhunting accident/incident is one in which a person is injured by the discharge of a hunting firearm, bow and arrow, or a fall from a huntingtree stand arising from the activity of hunting.There were 27 total hunting related incident/accidents investigated in Mississippi during the 2006-2007 hunting season, an increase fromlast season. Of these, 16 were firearm/bow related with 2 fatalities and 11 were tree stand related with 2 fatalities.The majority of hunting incidents occurred while deer hunting, but there were also incidents reported while dove, duck, squirrel, and hoghunting. (Figure 28).Firearms related accidents increased from last year and treestand accidents remained constant. Since 2001 total hunting accidents hadbeen on a steady decline until last season (Figure 29).Sportsmen, Hunter Education Instructors, and Conservation Officers in Mississippi should be commended for keeping hunting among thesafest of sports. Volunteer instructors and Conservation Officers certified 10,387 sportsmen in Hunter Education during the 2006 – 2007season (Figure 30). Hunting accidents in Mississippi average about one injury for every 13,000 licensed hunters: an average of around seveninjuries per 100,000 participants. When compared to other sports such as football, which averages around 3,500 injuries per 100,000 participants,hunting is a very safe sport.Hunter education regulations changed slightly for the 2006 – 2007 season as an effort to increase hunter recruitment. Youths 12 – 15year of age must complete a Hunter Education course in order to hunt unsupervised. Youths 12 – 15 years of age may hunt without a HunterEducation certificate if under the direct supervision of a licensed adult 21 years of age and older. Youths under 12 years of age must stillbe under adult supervision while hunting. An apprentice license was also created. The apprentice license is for residents over the age of 15which do not have the required certificate of hunter education. This apprentice license may be purchased only one time by a resident and theapprentice hunting licensee must be accompanied by a licensed or exempt resident hunter at least twenty-one (21) years of age when hunting.With these new hunter education requirements, we are confident accident numbers will continue to decline.622006-2007 Mississippi Deer Program Report