DEC says 2011 hunting season ties safety mark

WATERTOWN - The state Department of Environmental Conservation announced Wednesday that the 2011 hunting season tied a mark for safety. According to department statistics, there were 26 reported hunting-related shooting incidents that resulted in injury. That mark tied for the fewest, set in 2009. That total includes four fatalities that took place during the regular deer season, one of which was self-inflicted. The department’s release noted that while the number of hunters has fallen since 1960, the incident rate has declined more than 70 percent. The state’s five-year average for hunting incidents is 5.3 per 100,000 hunters, down from 19 incidents per 100,000 hunters in the 1960s. The department credited hunter-safety courses for the improved numbers.