Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

2011 Hunting Incident Report2011 Hunting Incident Report

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary

3

History of Hunting Incidents & Fatalities

4

Incident Rate per 100,000 Hunters

5

Month & Day of Incident

6

Time of Incidents

7

Where Incidents Occurred

8

Animals Hunted by Shooter

9

Firearms Involved in Incidents

10  

Contributing Factors to Incident

11

Incident Conditions: Weather; Light Conditions; Topography; Ground Cover

12

Injury Information

13

Shooter/Victim Hunting Party, Victim Visibility

13

Shooter Statistics; Hunter Education; Experience; Age & Gender

14

Shooter Activity at Time of Incident

15

Distance from Muzzle to Wound

16

Victim Statistics: Hunter Education; Experience; Age; Gender

17

Victim Statistics: Surroundings

18

Victim Statistics: Color of Cap, Coat and Trousers

19

State Map with Hunting Incidents by County

20

State Map with Hunting Incidents by Deer Management Unit

21

History of Deer Gun Incidents & Fatalities

22

State Map with Gun Deer Season Incidents

23

Deer Gun Incidents: Day of Week; Victim Clothing Color

24

Deer Season Safety Violation: Archery & Firearms

25

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2011 Hunting Incident Executive Report

Hunting Incident -- is when a person is injured by the discharge of a hunting firearm or bow and arrow arising from the activity of hunting, including travel to and from the hunting field.

There were 26 total hunting incidents during the 2011 hunting season.  Two of the 26 incidents were fatal.  Thanks to the efforts of our hunter education program hunting is 

a safe activity in Wisconsin and getting safer all the time.  Hunting incidents are continuing  a downward trend and for 2011 we

were below the 10 year average of 

about 32 incidents per year.

Gun deer hunting, turkey and waterfowl hunting were the three hunting activities with the highest number of incidents with gun deer hunting having the most.  Hunting on 

game farms continue to be a location where several pheasant hunting incidents occur annually.  Other game hunting remained basically the same compared to 2010.

Rifles and shotguns remain the hunting implement involved most often in hunting incidents. Shotguns (62%) and rifles (38%).  No handgun or muzzleloader incidents 

occurred in 2011.  

There were three major causes for incidents for 2011:  Shooters failure to positively identify the target, victim out of sight of the shooter and victim covered by shooter 

swinging on game.  It’s not a good enough reason to take a shot when a hunter only thinks they are seeing a legal target; they must know and be certain the target is 

legal. Having a safe zone of fire and safe backstop is equally important to knowing your target.Planning your hunt and hunting your plan is important.  Know where your hunting partners are at all times.  

Self inflicted injuries accounted for  38% of the total number of incidents. This is a increase of 10% from 2010.  

Juveniles (under age 18) make up 23% of the incidents in 2011 . 

That means that 77% of all hunting incidents were caused by adult hunters. Historically juveniles have 

contributed to nearly 33% of the total numbers of incidents.  It

is important to note that the numbers of incidents caused by juvenile shooters was a single digit (6) 

incidents out of 26 incidents for 2011.

To summarize this report, 2011 was the third time in history that we had a gun deer season without a fatality.  1972 was the first year without a fatal incident for 

gun deer hunting.  We were well below the 10 year average for hunting incidents and expect to continue that trend into the future.  Incidents that were 

caused while hunters were either moving or shooting at moving game increase the  propensity for something to go wrong.

We cannot rest on past success and 

must stress the importance of knowing and practicing the 4 basic

rules of firearms safety every time we handle a firearm. Remember the slogan “Safe Hunting is No 

Accident.”

2012 can be the safest season ever. . . .IF  all hunters follow those 4 simple rules.

Jon King                                                        

This annual report prepared by:   Brenda Von RuedenHunter Education Administrator

Hunter Education Administrative AssistantBureau of Law Enforcement

Telephone (608) 267‐7509PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707

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History of Hunting Incidents & Fatalities

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Fatal Total Accidents

5

Wisconsin Hunting Incident Rate Per 100,000 Hunters

05

101520253035404550

1949

1951

1953

1955

1957

1958

1961

1963

1965

1967

1969

1971

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

License Year

Total Number

of Incidents

Incidents per 100,000

2011 26 3.61111

2010 32 4.435825

2009 18 2.506053

2008 30 4.186997

2007 27 3.742728

2006 31 4.294515

2005 38 5.325037

2004 35 4.84226

2003 35 4.886903

2002 47 6.8205

2001 51 6.68359

1967 Hunter Education Begins

1980 Mandatory Blaze Orange for Gun Deer Season

1985 Mandatory Hunter Education Begins

6

Month and Day of Week –

All Incidents 2011

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Day of Week – All Incidents 2011

Month Incident Occurred – All Incidents 2011

7

Time of Day –

All Incidents 2011

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

4:01 - 6:00

2:01 - 4:00

12:01 - 2:00

10:01 - 12:00 PM

8:01 - 10:00

6:01 - 8:00 AM

8

Where Incident Occurred –

All Incidents 2011

Other12%

River, Stream or Lake6%

Public Hunting Grounds

27%

Wooded Area40%

Field/Cropland15%

Other Includes:Private Pond

1Private Property 1 Wooded Swamp 2

Type of Land

9

Animals Hunted by Shooter –

All Incidents 2011

9

4

3 3

4

2

1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Dee

r

Wat

erfo

wl

Phea

sant

Squi

rrel

Turk

ey

Coy

ote

Oth

er -

Bla

ckbi

rd

10

Firearms Involved in Incidents –

All Incidents 2011

Rifle38%

Shotgun62%

Type

Slide/Pump38%

Semi Auto31%

Break /Hinge4%

Bolt12%

Lever15%

Action

11

Contributing Factors to Incidents –

All Incidents 2011

0 1 2 3 4

Victim Out of Sight of Shooter

Victim Covered by Shooter Sw inging on Game

Victim Moved in Line of Fire

Shooter Failed to Identify Target

Ricochet

Firearm Fell, Insecure Rest

Shooter Stumbled and Fell

Trigger Caught on Object

Loading Firearm

Improper Crossing of Obstacle

Horseplay w / Firearm

Carless Gun Handling/Finger on Trigger

Walking Carrying Firearm w ith Safety Off

12

Incident Conditions –

All Incidents 2011

Cloudy31%

Clear54%

Partly Cloudy15%

Daylight92%

Dawn8%

None92%

Raining4%

Snow4%

Weather

Light Conditions

Precipitation

Level54%

Rolling19%

Swamp/Marsh23%

Steep Hill4%

Grass57%Leaves

23%

Snow Cover8%

Other12%

Ground CoverTopography

13

Incident Statistics –

All Incidents 2011

No62%

Yes38%

No35%

Yes38%

Self Inflicted

27%

12

4

10

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Yes No Self Inflicted

Self Inflicted

Could Shooter See Victim?(includes self-inflicted injuries)

Members of the Same Hunting Party

(includes self-inflicted injuries)

Shooter/Victim Information Two-Party Incidents 2011

14

Incident “Shooter”

Statistics –

All Incidents 2011

17

9

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Yes No

6 6

5

1

8

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

0‐5 Years 6‐10 Years 11‐15 Years 16‐19 Years 20+ years

Under 128%

Age 50‐5924%

Over Age 6015%

Age 40‐494% Age 30‐39

4%

Age 24‐2915%

Age 18‐2315%

Age 12‐1715%

Female6%

Male85%

Unknown9%

Hunter Education Graduate?

Age Gender

Years Hunting Experience

15

Activity “Shooter”

Was Involved In –

All Incidents 2011

23

10

65

012345678910

Driver Stander Still Hunting Stalking In Blind

16

12

2

6

4

2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0‐10 Yd 11‐20 Yds 21‐50 Yds 51‐100 Yds Over 100 Yds

Distance From Muzzle to Wound –

All Incidents 2011 (Includes Self Inflicted)

17

Incident “Victim”

Statistics –

All Incidents 2011

18

8

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Yes No

6

4 4

2

10

012345678910

0‐5 Years 6‐10 Years 11‐15 Years 16‐20 Years 20+ years

Age 60 & Over23%

Age 30-399%

Age 40-499%

Age 50-5914%

Age 0-55%

Age 6-110%

Age 12-1726%

Age 18-2314%

Hunter Education Graduate?

Age Gender

Years Hunting Experience

Male88%

Female12%

18

Incident “Victim”

Surroundings Two-Party Incidents 2011

(Does not include Self Inflicted Incidents)

3

7

5

1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Dense Cover Light Cover Open Area Boat

19

Incident “Victim”

Clothing Color Two-Party Incidents Only 2011

(Does not include Self Inflicted Incidents)

Camouflage50%

Other13%

Blaze Orange31%

Blaze Orange/Camo

6%

01

23

45

67

8

BlazeOrange

Camouflage Brown Other

Cap

Coat or Vest Blue/Green8%

Blaze Orange44%

Other4%

Brown4% Unknown

4%Camouflage

36%

Trouser or Pants

20

2011 Hunting Incidents by County –

All Incidents

21

History of Gun Deer Incidents

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

Fatal Non-Fatal

Nonfatal100%

Fatal0%

2011 Gun Deer Incidents

22

Gun Deer Season Incidents 2011

1

2 1

1

1-Kenosha

1

1

1

Non Fatal = 8Non Fatal = 8

Fatal = 0Fatal = 0

Total = 8Total = 8

1.29 per 100,000 1.29 per 100,000 participants participants

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Incidents by Day of Week Gun Deer Season -

2011

Saturday22%

Friday11%

Thursday11%

Wednesday11%

Tuesday0%

Monday11%

Sunday34%

Other - Black20%

Blaze Orange

80%

Other-Brown20%

Blaze Orange

80%

Incident Victim Clothing Color Gun Deer Season –

2011 Two Party Incidents Only(Does not include Self Inflicted Incidents)

Cap

Camo20%

Blaze Orange

40%

Blue/Green40%

Coat or Vest

Trousers or Pant

24

2011 Deer Season Safety Violations -

Firearms

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Hunt within 50 Feet of Rd. - H07

Hunt Without Blaze Orange - H08

Hunt Before/After Hours - H23

Transport Loaded firearm in Vehicle - H43

Transport Uncased Firearm in Vehicle - H44

Hunt Deer with Illegal Firearm - H54

Shoot From/Across Rd. - H82

25

Remember Safe Hunting is no Accident!

TT

AA

BB

KKTreat Treat Every Every

Firearm Firearm As If It As If It

Is Is LoadedLoaded

Always Point the Muzzle In A Safe Direction

Be Certain Of Your Target & What’s Beyond

Keep Your Finger Outside The Trigger Guard Until

Ready To Shoot