Even After Record Safety Year, Hunters Preach Vigilance
Cooler temperatures and changing colors on the trees represent the arrival of fall for many people. For around 700,000 New Yorkers, hunting offers a peaceful escape into the outdoors. In Dutchess County, bowhunting of deer and bears began on Oct. 1, with regular hunting slated to begin on Nov. 19.
But, like anything involving weapons like bows and firearms, it has the potential to turn dangerous.
In February, the Department of Environmental Conservation announced that the 2021 hunting season was New York’s safest since the DEC established its hunter-education program in 1949. Last year, there were nine hunting-related shooting accidents with one fatality.
“It’s remarkable that 2021 was only a one fatality season,” said Bill Conners, who writes about outdoors for the Poughkeepsie Journal. “All you have to do is look at how many opportunities are there for an accident or an injury, and when you do the math, it’s remarkable that there’s one or two, God forbid, a three fatality season.”
Dutchess County has several rod and gun clubs that engage with local communities and encourage participation in shooting sports. In New York State, all new hunters must complete a certification to purchase a hunting license. Unsurprisingly, safety is always the first thing covered.
“Safety is our first, second, and third priority,” said Michael Zeleznik, a member of the Viola Rod and Gun Club in Hyde Park. “The big thing is that people know how to handle their firearm safely. Never have it pointed at anything you wouldn’t shoot, and always know what’s behind your target.”
Zeleznik stresses that hunters follow the DEC’s five rules of firearm safety, which in addition to controlling the barrel and target awareness, include treating every firearm as if it was loaded, keeping your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot, and wearing orange or pink.
“You know, before they instituted the safety protocols, it was common to see 30 or 35 fatalities in a given season, Conners said. “We always say one is too many but let’s face it, when you have that many people in the woods and that many opportunities for failure, keeping it down to one or two, I think speaks very highly of the dedicated volunteers. There’s no paid instructors.”
In addition to shooting accidents, tree stand incidents are also fairly common. Hunters use tree stands to get better vantage points in pursuit of dear, bears, and other animals. At first, tree stands were made by hunters. Now, they are mostly commercial, which does not necessarily mean they are safer.
“That tree stand can only be as strong as the chain that it’s used to hook into the tree,” Conners said. It can only be as safe as the guy who installs it… and you have to have it harnessed properly because there are accidents where people fall wearing a safety harness and they die because it wasn’t secured properly. I’d say we see a half dozen to a dozen incidents annually.”
Accidents do not just happen to novices with limited experience. Hunters of all different skill levels and ages have to stay vigilant.
“At our club, we encourage people to take refresher courses,” Zeleznik said. “It’s important to remember to check all the boxes and not get lazy or irresponsible. When someone does, it can have severe consequences.”
For many, hunting serves as a means to get outdoors and relieve stress. Even though it is an escape, there are still plenty of rules and regulations that need to be followed to ensure safety.
“Just be safe and responsible,” Conners said. “A lot of the stuff is common sense. At its best, hunting is just you and nature. All we ask is for people to remember a few crucial rules, wear the right gear, and above all, be careful.”
