New York's hunting season marred by two fatalities from accidental gun discharges

If you are a deer hunter, there are certain things you should never do.

One is to never, ever pull a loaded firearm up into a tree stand. That is a rule that generally is well observed.

Another is to never drag a deer while carrying a loaded firearm. I won’t say that rule generally is violated, but it is too often ignored.

The two fatalities during the last hunting season in New York State involved just those things. They were tragic occurrences in what was an otherwise safe season. There were 12 hunting related shooting incidents during 2023, tied with 2019 for the fewest ever. There also were eight Elevated Hunting Incidents (falls from tree stands for the most part) – down from 13 in 2022 – and no deaths.

But two fatalities with firearms? We can’t have that.

One involved a hunter pulling a loaded firearm into a tree stand with a rope. The gun discharged, striking the 57-year-old man in the chest, killing him.

The other involved two hunters dragging a deer. The shooter’s firearm discharged, striking his partner in the chest, killing him.

I know why hunters do these things. We want to be waiting and ready any time a deer appears. But at what cost?

Most of us know how to not pull a loaded shotgun or rifle into a stand. Dragging a deer with a loaded firearm? I’m betting a very high percentage of hunters do that.

I’ve done it myself, plenty of times. I won’t anymore.

There were 11 other incidents, including during small game hunting. One involved leaning a loaded gun against a truck and having it fall over and discharge. A couple of hunters shot themselves in the foot. Another hunter took a second shot at a deer and the barrel of his gun exploded, probably due to an obstruction. (Most of us know mud can block a shotgun barrel. Fewer realize snow can, as well). Yet another was struck in the eye with a pellet from a companion’s gun while rabbit hunting.

And, although it didn’t involve hunting, a person was injured when struck in the leg by a fragment from a round that was fired at a rabbit eating in a garden.

Rifles were the firearm in six incidents. There were three cases involving shotguns and three involving muzzleloaders. There were none with bows, crossbows, handguns or air guns. The average age of the shooters was 45, and the average hunting experience was 15 years, with one hunter having 60 years in the field.

There were no fatalities among the eight Elevated Hunting Incidents in 2023. In most cases, the injured person either was not wearing a harness or was not using a harness properly. In one, a strap broke. In another, the hunter, with 55 years of experience, was climbing a pine tree when a branch broke, sending him 20 feet to the ground.

Authorities say most tree stand injuries occur while climbing into or out of stands.

In its annual hunting safety press release, the Department of Environmental Conservation quoted the International Hunter Education Association as estimating that there are 300 to 500 tree stand fatalities in the United States each year, among 6,000 injuries, the bulk of which require surgeries. Those are astounding numbers, almost unbelievable, except there are states that have averaged more than 10 tree stand deaths a year, another number that is hard to imagine. Improper use of equipment and worn equipment are the biggest contributing factors. Poorly designed gear and poor hunter judgment are unlikely causes, as well.

Things are improving, and not just because of supposed lower hunter numbers in recent years. (Some reports indicate that numbers increased, at least through 2021.) Themeateater.com reports a 70 percent decrease in tree stand incidents between 2010 and 2021, possibly because of better equipment and better-educated hunters.

No deer, or rabbit, or pheasant is worth a human life. No deer is worth a debilitating injury. Safety must be our top priority.

Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. Keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. Be sure of your target and beyond. Educate yourself on tree stand safety.

Write to John Pitarresi at 60 Pearl Street, New Hartford, N.Y. 13413 or jcpitarresi41@gmail.com or call him at 315-724-5266.

NOTEBOOK:

Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend set

The Sportsmen of Oneida County and the Affiliated Conservation Clubs of Madison County, and the Madison County National Wild Turkey Federation will hold their annual Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend Aprll 20 and 21.

Environmental Conservation Officers from Region 7 and 6 and other sportsmen and sportswomen also will be involved.

Youngsters eligible for the youth hunt and who do not have the opportunity to learn from, or hunt with a family member or other adult will have the opportunity to go turkey hunting with a mentor.

A session on the basics of turkey hunting and marksmanship will be held April 13.

Applications are available at https://www.cnymyhunts.org/?page_id=247. Information is available at 315-225-0192.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: New York hunting season: Accidental gun discharges killed two hunters