It’s been a welcome trend to see the number of reported hunting accidents continue on a steady decline. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and International Hunter Education Association, approximately $415 million in excise tax monies (tax collected on the sale of firearms and ammunition) were apportioned to states for the purpose of hunter education and safety training from 2009-2013. This, along with a network of 55,000 dedicated hunter safety instructors, helps make hunting one of the safest activities in America. 

 

So, what does it mean to be a “safe” activity? According to 2013 data, only camping, with 12 injuries per 100,000 participants, and billiards, with 19 injuries per 100,000 participants, had better safety records than hunting, in which there were 45 injuries per 100,000 participants. That translates to 7,302 injuries among more than 16.3 million firearms hunters.

 

To look at those numbers from another perspective, a person is …

• 33 times more likely to be injured bicycle riding than hunting. 
• 50 times more likely to be injured playing basketball than hunting.
• 54 times more likely to be injured skateboarding than hunting.
• 125 times more likely to be injured playing tackle football than hunting

 

These were the safest sporting activities in 2013, based on injury data as reported by the Consumer Products Safety Commission and National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Participant numbers are from the National Sporting Goods Association.