By MIKE ROCKLES

Special to the

Sports Department

Did you know it is safer to go hunting than it is to take a bath, ride a bike, or play football? The truth is, every year, more people are injured taking a bath, than are injured while hunting. Only because of the serious nature of a gun shot wound, do people think otherwise.

With fall hunting season fast approaching, I would like to share some hunting statistics that will, hopefully, open your eyes to common mistakes and help you avoid becoming a statistic yourself.

As a Hunter Safety Instructor, I have the benefit of seeing the incident reports every year. Thus being said, the overall number of incidents is steadily declining. Yet they are still a huge, preventable concern. If the incidents that do occur were categorized by cause, you would find that nearly 100 percent of them could have been prevented!

For example, during the 2009 Ohio hunting season, there were a total of 20 gun-related incidents reported. Thirteen of the 20 were classified as intentional discharge and seven were classified as accidental discharge.

Can you guess what the overwhelming cause of these accidental shootings was? The victim was either mistaken for game or the victim was out of the line of sight in 12 of these 20 cases! Seven were results of improper gun handling. One was unknown. Those statistics in themselves were alarming to me! Basically, 19 of these 20 accidental shootings could have been prevented, if safe gun handling rules had been followed.

Although the overall incident reports are declining, tree stand falls are on the rise. For the 2010 season in West Virginia, 18 hunting mishaps were reported, seven of which were tree stand falls. One was fatal. Eleven of the 18 involved firearms, two of which were accidental discharge, three were self-inflicted, and the remaining six were mistaken for game or shooting at game not clearly identified!

In 1997 in West Virginia a 43-year-old bow hunter shot a 17-year-old when he mistook him for a squirrel! If you take one of my classes, I will prove to you that you can’t believe what you thought you saw and explain why!

I ask you, how many of those could have been prevented? If a hunter safety course had been taken and safe gun handling guidelines followed, almost all of those incidents should and could have been prevented. One emphasis in all safety courses is to positively identify your target and beyond before pulling the trigger. Remember, once you pull that trigger, you cannot call it back. The real sad fact is that, in most cases, the victim in an incident is either a family member or a close friend, because that is who we hunt with.

Seventy percent of all tree stand falls occur either while climbing into or climbing out of the stand. Wearing a fall restraint device, inspecting all your equipment, and practicing using the tree stand, greatly decrease you risk of falling. The previous steps of prevention should, of course, all be done prior to the day of hunting and during good lighting conditions.

All of these safety guidelines — and many more — can be provided for you via a Hunter Safety Course. To find one near you, go to: www.ohiodnr.com or www.wvdnr.gov.

Did you know, in West Virginia, anyone born before Jan. 1, 1975 (currently age 36 or older), was exempt from taking a Hunter Safety Course? Did you also know the average age of a shooter involved in an accident is over the age of 40? That being said, do you find it ironic — or a great indication of the priceless knowledge gained through a Safety Course?

If you or anyone you know is over the age of 36, please urge them to take a course. Many of us think, “It can’t happen to me,” but it can, and it does! Taking a class can help prevent you and loved ones from becoming a statistic!

* Editor’s Note: Mike Rokles is a certified Hunter Safety Instructor for West Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, and Kentucky.