Deer hunting is on in full force in Columbus County and bear season is fast approaching on Nov. 8. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission wants to make sure folks stay safe and injury free by offering a class in hunter education.
Last year, four hunting fatalities were reported in North Carolina. Forest Orr of the N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission says (WRC) that though gun safety is a concern, it is not the leading cause of death when hunting.
“Tree stand falls are the leading cause of fatal hunting incidents overall in North Carolina,” stated Orr. This occurs when people climb up the tree with no safety harness.
The other three deaths reported included unintentional discharge of a firearm in an unsafe direction, an individual who died from a close-range gunshot wound to the leg, and a heart attack due to over exertion from dragging a deer through a culvert to a vehicle.
The NCWRC offers hunter education courses from August to November free of charge. The classes are for all ages and can be taken online or in person, and most of the course material is on a tenth grade reading level. Tests are to be taken without assistance, and the field day is currently being waived with online courses.
“More than a firearm safety course, instruction includes ethics and responsibility, conservation and wildlife management, wildlife identification, survival and first aid, specialty hunting and tree stand safety,” according to the WRC website. Time is also set aside during in-person classes for firearm familiarization.
Courses are a minimum of six hours long, and are taught by wildlife officers, hunter education specialists, and certified volunteers. The certification is accepted in every state and province in North America. The WRC reports that hunting accidents have decreased by 50 percent in the last 20 years due to the classes.
If you are interested in taking a hunter education class, you can either contact a local wildlife officer or sign up on the website at www.ncwildlife.org. The next available course is this weekend in Columbus County.
