The 2024-25 hunting season in New York was one of the safest on record, according to data released by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. The agency’s annual report recorded 11 hunting-related shooting incidents, including four involving multiple parties and seven self-inflicted cases. One fatality was reported.
The figures align with a broader trend of declining incidents in recent years, attributed largely to hunter education programs and stricter safety regulations. In contrast, 166 such incidents were documented in 1966.
Tree stand falls remain a persistent risk. Eleven elevated hunting incidents were reported, with nine involving hunters who either failed to wear or properly secure a safety harness. Two falls were fatal. Officials stress that proper use of fall-arrest systems, which keep hunters tethered from ascent to descent, could prevent nearly all such incidents.
Efforts to promote safety begin with mandatory education courses for first-time hunters, bowhunters, and trappers. Tree stand safety is now a regular component of hunter education programs, reinforcing guidelines that include inspecting equipment, securing harnesses, and notifying others of hunting locations.
The state’s youth deer hunting program, launched in 2021, allows licensed 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt under adult supervision in participating counties. A recently published report highlights the program’s success and recommends making it permanent.
Officials emphasize that every hunting-related shooting incident is preventable when hunters follow fundamental safety principles: treating every firearm as loaded, controlling the muzzle, identifying targets and surroundings, keeping fingers off the trigger until ready to fire, and wearing hunter orange or pink.
Full safety statistics and additional resources are available on the DEC’s website.
