Officials urger more caution after fatal hunting accident

State officials are urging hunters to re-examine their safety procedures. Three hunters were shot Saturday on the first day of shotgun deer hunting season. A 73-year-old man who was shot in the hip died. Department of Natural Resources recreation safety supervisor Rod Slings says three accidents in one weekend is unusual. He says they usually have 30 total accidents that range from minor injuries to fatalities.Slings says with so many hunters in the woods, there’s a chance someone will get shot, especially when hunters shoot at a moving deer. He says one reoccurring accident happens when a deer runs between two people and someone is shot in the crossfire.Slings says hunters need to wear as much blaze orange as possible so they can be seen by others.The D-N-R issued over 71-thousand deer hunting licenses for the shotgun season — four thousand more than a year ago. Despite the high numbers of hunters and this weekend’s accidents, Slings says the sport is still a safe one.The elderly Brooklyn, Iowa, man who was accidentally shot and killed this weekend was hunting near Blakesburg on Saturday, the first day of deer hunting season in the state. At least two other hunters were shot and survived.