Hunter safety has come a long way in Texas; record-low accidents

Hunting in Texas appears to be much safer these days.

According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, a record-low 10 hunting accidents were recorded in 2023, and only one accident resulted in a fatality.

For comparison, a record-high 30 Texas hunters died as a result of an accident in 1972.

“The staggering numbers recorded every year [in that era] showed the need for more firearm safety, which led to the creation of the Hunter Education Program,” TPWD stated Friday in a news release.

Completing the program became a requirement for hunters beginning in 1988.

“The continued decline in hunting-related accidents and fatalities is in large part due to the efforts of the TPWD Hunter Education Program and the many Hunter Education instructors across the state, many of whom are volunteers,” said Steve Hall, TPWD Hunter Education coordinator.

“Beyond safety, we teach hunters how to be legal, ethical, take a good shot and take care of game from field to fork.”

Only one hunting-related fatality has been recorded in each of the last four years in Texas.

–Generic hunting image courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service