Hunting accident reports at all-time low in last year

    The three hunting accidents, none fatal, reported to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in 2016 are the fewest recorded in a year since the state began keeping track in 1958.
    The 2016 incidents are also a decrease from the 10 hunting accidents in 2015. None of those were fatal, either.
    “Hunting in Nebraska continues to be a very safe outdoor recreational activity in which many families participate,” Nebraska Hunter Education Coordinator Wendy Horine said.
    The record-low hunting incidents last year coincided with a year in which a record 10,111 hunter education certificates were issued.
    Hunter education in Nebraska dates to the 1970s, but the program was revamped in 2015 to allow students the option of taking the course online, with the youngest group of students required to attend a two-hour Hunt Safe Session. The online option made certification more readily available to all Nebraskans.
    “The average number of hunters in the state has remained stable for the past 17 years, while incident numbers have steadily declined during the same period and have dramatically declined since the inception of hunter education in Nebraska,” Horine said.
    For more information about hunter education in Nebraska, visit HuntSafeNebraska.org.
    “It goes without saying that if we didn’t have the dedication and commitment of our nearly 1,000 volunteer instructors, the hunter education program wouldn’t be possible,” Horine added.
    Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer hunter education instructor or mentor should call Horine at 402-471-6134.