Texas hunting accident deaths center on improper handling of firearms

Fatal hunting-related accidents in Texas remained at an all-time low in 2020, but the common theme in almost every accident, including non-fatal incidents, remains the improper handling of firearms.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department keeps detailed reports of all hunting-related fatal and non-fatal incidents dating back to 1966, providing clear insight into the nature of accidents involving outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen pursuing game ranging from deer and doves to hogs and ducks.

TPWD logged more than 1.3 million hunting license sales last year — its highest figure ever on record (largely due to COVID-19 lockdowns and folks having plenty of extra time) — with 24 overall hunting accidents, including a single fatal one. That translates to a hunting accident rate of 1.8 per 100,000 licenses sold, which is still among the lowest figures TPWD has ever documented.

By comparison, the department logged more than 1.244 million hunting license sales in 2019, with 21 overall accidents, including a single fatal one. That translated to a hunting accident rate of 1.7 per 100,000 licenses sold.

Mandatory hunter education — in effect since 1988 in the Lone Star State — has been the most important factor in the overall reduction of hunting accidents, though there remain fatal incidents that occur annually, most involving accidental discharges of firearms that could have been prevented by following the rules laid out in every hunter education class.

Here is the excerpt from the fatal hunting-related incident from 2020:

• Three hunters spotted a turkey and decided to go after it. They split up after watching it fly over a tree line. Towards dusk, the shooter and one of his friends spotted a dark object about 60-65 yards away down a power line. Shooter mistook the object for a turkey and fired three shots from his .223 rifle, two striking the victim in his upper left arm and chest.

Again in 2020, dove hunting was the leading pursuit that contributed to the most hunting accidents, with 11 overall incidents.

Here are excerpts from each non-fatal hunting-related incident from last year, with the species being hunted in parentheses:

• Seven hunters, mostly non-residents, were walking through the brush, about 30-40 yards apart, hunting hogs in ‘European’/drive fashion. As hogs passed through the line of hunters, shooter swung and shot victim who was positioned in the line-of-fire during the quick action. Victim’s thumb was shot off. (Dove)
• Shooter was hunting hogs from a helicopter when he reached over to retrieve/load another magazine into his loaded rifle. He carelessly handled and discharged the firearm while the muzzle was pointed at his right foot. (Hog)
• Young shooter was struck by shrapnel and burns to his right bicep/forearm from a .243 bullet/casing which discharged while the case was crushed inside the chamber. (Hog)
• Victim was struck in the head by a single buckshot pellet that ricocheted off coyote or a nearby rock. Shooter and victim were positioned 47 yards apart when the shooter shot at a coyote behind him. Victim was sitting at about a 45-degree angle from the shooter (Coyote)

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• Non-U.S. citizens were hunting rabbits at night. Shooter was exiting the vehicle, carelessly handling his .223 bolt-action rifle. Muzzle was pointed at victim’s left leg (calf) upon discharge. (Rabbit)
• Shooter was struck by shrapnel to his left bicep from a.17 caliber rifle upon discharge (Rabbit)
• Shooter and victim were hunting hogs and raccoons illegally from a public road. Shooter exited vehicle and shot while firearm was on top of vehicle. The .223 bullet/fragment ricocheted through the vehicle and struck victim in the back of his head. (Hog)
• Victim was peppered with “rat shot” to her right arm, leg, and hand, while sitting in a utility vehicle. Shooter had positioned himself on the other side of a tree to dispatch a rattlesnake. He told his wife and friend to drive out of the way, but, unbeknownst to him, he still discharged his .45 caliber handgun towards their new direction behind a brush line. (Snake)
• While hunting doves, victim’s hunting companion set her loaded shotgun on tailgate. Shooter picked it up and carelessly discharged it while muzzle was resting on his foot. (Dove)
• Texas Game Warden was checking dove hunters when she was struck by three pellets to the face, arm, and leg. The shooter illegally fired his shotgun towards a low-flying dove from across a public road/adjacent property at about 35 yards. (Dove)

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• While jumping on the trampoline in his back yard, the 13-year old victim was peppered by pellets from a neighboring property. One pellet penetrated his skin in his abdomen. At the time of the investigation, it is unknown where shot came from on nearby property. (Dove)
• Victim had finished hunting and walked back to his vehicle. Upon returning to watch the rest of his party continue hunting, he moved from a tree line to in front of others shooting at doves. Pellets struck him in abdomen through to his upper thighs. (Dove)
• Shooter carelessly fired his shotgun towards his right foot as he attempted to grab it and shoot at doves. (Dove)
• Shooter fired on low-flying dove outside of his safe zone and peppered both of his hunting companions with shot pellets from about 60-80 yards. (Dove)
• Shooter was dove hunting when she slipped and fell on a muddy dike after retrieving a downed bird. She failed to notice the mud in the lower barrel of her over-and-under shotgun, and when she fired the next shot, the bottom barrel split, injuring her right forearm/wrist. (Dove)
• While hunting doves, shooter positioned the muzzle of his loaded shotgun on his foot. Shotgun discharged when shooter lost his balance sitting down into his tripod chair. He lost one of his toes because of the blast. (Dove)
• Shooter carelessly fired his shotgun towards his brother’s thigh while attempting to reload his single-shot break-open shotgun. (Dove)

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• Shooter fired on low-flying dove outside of his safe zone and peppered his brother with shot pellets, striking victim from his face to his legs. Victim was between 30-50 yards away standing under a tree. (Dove)
• Shooter fired at a dove outside of his safe zone and peppered his dad with shot pellets, striking victim in head and the right side of his body. Victim was about 40 yards away sitting on an ATV, after retrieving a downed bird. (Dove)
• Several hunters were hunting hogs in South Texas brush country. Shooter swung on moving hogs outside of his safe zone of fire and shot his friend, the bullet striking the victim over the left eyebrow. Investigation happened after the fact, and hunting party was uncooperative as to who shot the rifle. They also claimed the rifle was lost during the event. (Hog)
• Four hunters were hunting hogs at night with thermal scopes. Shooter swung on running hogs outside of his safe zone of fire and shot victim who was to shooter’s immediate left. Bullet entered victim’s right shoulder and fractured his humerus/clavicle/scapula. (Hog)
• Shooter and his friend had returned from a bow hunt, but he was also carrying a holstered handgun. He carelessly fired handgun while removing it from holster on his belt and the bullet struck him his right thigh. Investigator noted that holster was too small for the shooter’s handgun and it may have contributed to the trigger being exposed, when otherwise protected. (Deer)
• Five hunters were lined up in a hunting blind with the shooter in the fourth position. Shooter swung at passing ducks outside of her safe zone of fire and shot her husband who was to her immediate right. Pellets entered victim’s upper left arm (Waterfowl)

In addition to hunting accidents involving the discharge of either a firearm or a bow, TPWD also documents incidents that don’t revolve around firing a weapon. Unfortunately, there were a pair of fatal cases in 2020.

Here are excerpts from those fatal incidents:

• While attempting to recover a deer, the 63-year-old male victim fell and collapsed because of a heart attack.
• A 15-year-old female victim died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to a propane heater in an enclosed blind with no ventilation.

In addition to a hunting license, anyone born after Sept. 1, 1971, must successfully complete a hunter education training course in order to hunt legally in Texas. The TPWD Hunter Education certification is valid for life and is honored in all other states and provinces. If you misplace your certification you can print a replacement online at no cost.