Michigan Records Safest Hunting Season, No Fatal Accidents in 2014

The Michigan DNR reports that Michigan recorded no fatalities during all hunting seasons in 2014. It is the first time no fatalities have been recorded over an entire year of hunting in Michigan.

Ten hunting incidents involving injuries were recorded in Michigan in 2014. Nine in the Lower Peninsula and one in the Upper Peninsula. 

“We had 10 incidents reported for 2014, which ties with last year for the fewest number of reportable hunting incidents since Michigan started tracking them in the 1940s," said Sgt. Tom Wanless of the DNR's Recreational Safety, Education and Enforcement Section. 

"What makes 2014 the safest on record is that for the first time we had no fatalities," Wanless added. "Michigan’s hunter education program, and the dedicated volunteer instructors who are the backbone of it, is a big reason we have been experiencing a low number of hunting incidents.”

More than 729,000 base licenses were sold in 2014. That puts Michigan’s hunting injury/fatality rate per license at .001 percent. A base license is required to purchase any hunting license. 

Of the 10 incidents reported in 2014, four involved small game hunters, two involved waterfowl hunters and four involved deer hunters.

One of the deer hunting incidents occurred during the early antlerless season in September and one was in December’s late antlerless season.

Two incidents were reported during the firearm deer hunting season from Nov. 15-30. One incident took place Nov. 20 in Osceola County, while the other happened Nov. 25 in Oakland County at Bald Mountain Recreation Area.