Hunting is one of the Safest Activities in America

Hunting Is Much Safer Than Golf and Most Other Activities

Hunting is among the safest outdoor OR indoor recreational activities in the US.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has put together some data that shows hunting ranks among the safest activities in America, third in fact for safety when compared to other recreational activities. Hunting has an injury rate of 0.05%, (1 injury per 2,000 hunters), only camping and billiards are safer. Golfs injury rate is 0.16% (1 injury per 622 golfers). Football not surprisingly tops the list with an injury rate of 5.27% (1 injury per 19 players).

“Many people have the misconception that hunting is unsafe, but the data tells a different story,” said Jim Curcuruto, NSSF’s director of industry research and analysis. “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.”

Compared to hunting you’re:
- 11 times more likely to be injured playing volleyball
- 19 times more likely to be injured snowboarding
- 25 times more likely to be injured cheerleading or bicycle riding
- 34 times more likely to be injured playing soccer or skateboarding
- 105 more times likely to be injured playing tackle football

16.3 million hunters were in the field last year. Approximately 8,122 sustained injuries, that equates to 50 injuries per 100,000 participants. The majority of accidents (6,600+) involved tree stands. The most recent data (2008) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that firearms constitute just 1/2 of 1 percent of all unintentional fatalities in the United States.

—
The injury data NSSF used to compile this hunter-safety report comes from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the Consumer Products Safety Commission 2010 and the International Hunter Education Association’s Hunter Incident Clearinghouse. Activity participation figures are from the National Sporting Goods Association Sports Participation in 2010 report.

http://www.nssf.org/newsroom/releases/show.cfm?PR=120511.cfm&path=2011
http://nssf.org/PDF/research/Hunting%20Safe%20Activity%20Chart%20NSSF%20branded.pdf
http://nssf.org/lit/FSDOY.pdf