The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms industry, compiled data showing that hunting ranks third in safety when compared to 28 other recreational pursuits ranging from baseball to wrestling.
Hunting with firearms has an injury rate of .05 percent, which equates to about 1 injury per 2,000 participants.
For comparison, golf has an injury rate of .16 percent (one injury per 622 participants), while tackle football topped the list with an injury rate of 5.27 percent (one injury per 19 participants).
“Comprehensive hunter education classes that emphasize the basic rules of firearm safety and a culture of hunters helping fellow hunters practice safe firearms handling in the field are responsible for this good record,” said Jim Curcuruto, NSSF’s director of industry research and analysis.
To put hunting’s safety standing into perspective, compared to hunting a person is:
Æ 11 times more likely to be injured playing volleyball.
Æ 19 times more likely to be injured snowboarding.
Æ 25 times more likely to be injured cheerleading or riding a bike.
Æ 34 times more likely to be injured playing soccer or skateboarding.
Æ 105 more times likely to be injured playing tackle football.
The vast majority of hunting accidents were tree stand-related. Recent figures on hunting fatalities were not available, but the foundation reported statistics from 2002 showed 99 fatal hunting accidents in the U.S.
