14-02-2025
DEC says latest hunting season second safest on record
State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar announced Friday, Feb. 14 another safe year of hunting seasons, with the 2024-25 season being the second safest on record in New York.
DEC released its annual report documenting hunting-related shooting incidents and tree stand/elevated hunting incidents, and the numbers are consistent with the low incident rates observed across the state in recent years.
'Hunting-related incidents are preventable when hunters follow safe and legal hunting practices and proper tree-stand safety measures,' Mahar said. 'Thanks to New York's exceptional Hunter Education Program and hunters adhering to New York's hunting regulations, requirements and firearm safety, hunting continues to be a safe and enjoyable activity for hundreds of New Yorkers and visitors each year.'
DEC documented 11 incidents in 2024, including four two-party firearm incidents and seven self-inflicted incidents. Unfortunately, one of the incidents was a self-inflicted fatality. Two incidents involved individuals who were not legally hunting.
All first-time hunters, bowhunters and trappers are required to complete a hunter or trapper safety course and pass the final exam before being eligible to purchase a hunting or trapping license. These additional efforts to increase public awareness about hunting safety has resulted in a sharp decrease in hunting-related incidents from decades ago, the release stated. For example, 166 hunting-related shooting incidents were reported in 1966.
DEC also documented 11 elevated hunting incidents in 2024, though not all falls are reported. Of these incidents, nine involved hunters failing to wear a safety harness or failing to connect the harness to a tree. Two of the falls were fatal, the others resulted in serious injuries. All incidents could have been prevented by proper use of a fall-arrest harness system that remains connected to the tree, the release stated.
Used correctly, a harness and fall-arrest system keep the hunter connected from the time they leave the ground to the moment they get back down.
