The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is reminding hunters to be safe this hunting season following the death of two teens during the 2023-2024 season.
In January, a teen accidentally shot himself while pulling his shotgun from the back seat of a truck.
“That is a classic example of a common accident,” said Michael Bloxom, Hunter Education Coordinator with ADCNR’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. “Always have the muzzle pointed in a safe direction whether it’s traveling, hunting, target shooting or whatever. And if you’re traveling, it’s better to keep the firearms unloaded and cased.”
In March, a teen hunting feral swine at night was shot and killed by his hunting partner.
“They had shot a hog during a legal nighttime hunt,” Bloxom said. “The rifle was slung on the shooter’s shoulder, and they were walking to go get the hog. Apparently, the victim was walking behind. Somehow, that rifle slung around on the hunter’s arm, pointed backwards and went off, striking the victim.”
Before the deaths, it had been two years since anyone was killed in a hunting incident. Typically, hunting incidents involve tree stands.
Six tree stand accidents occurred during the 2023-2024 season, much lower than in previous years.
“Typically, two-thirds of all hunting accidents are tree stand accidents,” Bloxom said. “We actually may be making some headway on getting people to wear their fall-arrest systems. That includes your safety harness and your safety line attached to the tree.”
Unsupervised hunters must complete a hunter education class. While there is an online option, the ADCNR said in-person classes are most beneficial.
“At the in-person classes they can interact with the instructors and ask questions,” Bloxom explained. “In our traditional classes, we try to find locations where we can have shotgun shooting or rifle shooting. In places where we can’t do live fire, we have some nice pellet rifles with scopes that we use to teach shooting skills and safety skills.”
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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