Hunting accidents on rise

Hunting accidents so far this winter have injured at least three dozen Iowans and killed two. Steve Dermand, an executive officer in DNR law-enforcement, says this year’s total is not unusual. He says incidents may be up in some years when there are higher pheasant populations and thus more licenses have been given out to hunters. Dermand says when there are more hunters in the fields, it’s more likely there will be incidents. Dermand says the number of hunting accidents in Iowa so far this season looks pretty much average. He says hunting accidents are tragic because they’re preventable. He says in some cases, they’re things like fumbling around for guns in a vehicle, despite the state’s law that requires all guns to be not only unloaded but in a case when they’re in a vehicle. He doesn’t blame laser sights, hi-powered scopes or new high-tech firearms for the incidents in which hunters injure themselves or others, saying they might make a hunter’s vision limited, but every sportsman should be aware of their surroundings and companions.