DEC Reminds Hunters To Be Safe

Utica, NY (WIBX) - The Department of Environmental Conservation is reminding hunters to be safe while hunting this season.

According to officials with the group, hunters wearing orange are seven times less likely to be injured than those who don't. In the past ten years, 15 hunters were killed after being mistaken for animals. None of them were wearing orange clothing.

The DEC is also encouraging hunters to remember basic firearm safety, including treating every gun as if it were loaded, be sure of your target and to always point the gun in a safe direction.

Since the 1960's, the hunting incident rate has decreased by two-thirds, from 19 incidents per 100,000 hunters to 6.4 incidents per 100,000 hunters.

The DEC is encouraging all hunters to review the safety tips on the group's website, found at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9186.html.