More than 560,000 hunting licenses are sold every year in Colorado, and tens of thousands of hunters take to the field carrying bows and arrows, shotguns and rifles. Consequently, safety must always be a primary concern.
But Colorado averages fewer than two hunting fatalities per year. And since 2000, hunting has continued to post the best safety record of outdoor recreation activities, with a per-year average of only 1.3 fatalities and approximately 12 total incidents involving injury from a firearm, arrow or other gear used in hunting. Almost all hunting incidents involve hunters; nonparticipant injuries are extremely rare.
“Hunting is safe and getting safer all the time in Colorado,” said Mark Cousins, hunter education coordinator for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Hunting accidents have declined rapidly since the passage of two laws in 1970. One law requires hunter education training for all hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1949. The other requires hunters to wear at least 500 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing above the waist – including a head covering visible from all directions.
Almost all hunting incidents could have been avoided if the hunter had exercised a little more care, Cousins said.
“With hunting, one moment of carelessness can mean a lifetime of consequences,” Cousins said.
Long before the hunting season starts, hunters should head to the shooting range for practice.
“Get out to a range and practice and be familiar with the guns you’ll be using,” Cousins said. “Practice makes for a much safer and enjoyable hunt. And it also increases your chances for a successful harvest.”
Most hunting incidents involving firearms occur around vehicles. The reason: That’s where guns usually are loaded or unloaded and where hunters are standing close to each other. Exercise extra caution when loading and unloading a gun, and do it well away from your vehicle.
Hunters also are reminded that it is illegal to place a loaded firearm in or on a vehicle. It also is unnecessary because it is illegal to hunt from or shoot from a vehicle. Hunters must be at least 50 feet from the center line of a maintained road before shooting. The distance is farther in some areas, so check local regulations in Parks and Wildlife’s Colorado Big Game brochure. On Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management roads, you need to be just off the road.
It is highly recommended that firearms be unloaded when you’re crossing streams and fences, and while walking on unstable, steep or rough terrain. The gun’s safety isn’t always enough to prevent it from firing because it can be moved to the fire position by clothing, vegetation or a fall.
“The safety is a mechanical device that can break or fail. It is not a substitute for proper gun handling and safety,” Cousins said.
As soon as the hunt is over, whether that means an animal has been harvested or you’re finished for the day, unload your gun. Firearms should be unloaded well before getting to the vehicle or camp, and then double- or even triple-checked to be certain they are empty before placing them in a case or vehicle.
“At the end of a long day in the field when hunters are tired, it is more important than ever to be extra careful with firearms,” Cousins said.
On the Net
For more information about hunting in Colorado, visit Parks and Wildlife’s online hunting section at http://wildlife.state.co.us/HUNTING/Pages/Hunting.aspx.
