Hunting is safe in Colorado and becoming safer, due, almost exclusively, to the effectiveness of hunter education training for hunters. Colorado began offering
voluntary hunter education training in the 1950s. In 1970, the state legislature
mandated hunter education for all persons born on or after January 1, 1949. (Hunter education is also required of non-resident as well as resident hunters.)
Hunting is a wildlife management tool used by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in fulfilling its mission; the Hunter Education Program furthers that mission by educating hunters to be safe, responsible, knowledgeable, and involved. With the emphasis on 'safe', the effectiveness of education and training in the reduction of hunting incidents is clearly reflected in the table, below, of incident statistics compiled over the years.
Links are provided (in the box to the right) to the most recent, complete Hunter Education Program annual reports and hunting incident reports from which the figures are taken. The reports also provide detail of students certified, volunteer instructors trained, range reimbursements, and more.
|
Years |
Fatal Incidents |
Average Fatal |
Non-fatal Incidents |
Average Non-fatal |
|
1961-1969* |
91 |
9.0 |
218 |
24.2 |
|
1970-1979 |
45** |
4.5 |
186 |
18.6 |
|
1980-1989 |
23 |
2.3 |
163 |
16.3 |
|
1990-1999 |
13 |
1.3 |
111 |
11.1 |
|
2000-2004 |
8 |
1.6 |
49 |
9.8 |
* Nine-year period **Beginning of mandatory hunter education