hunting incidents report - 2011 season

2011 Hunting Incident Report in .pdf format

In 2011, 55 hunting and shooting sports related incidents were reported in South Dakota. One hunting incident resulted in a fatality. The total number of incidents increased by about 57% from the previous year and 45% higher than the 10 year average. Overall, 2011 had the highest number of hunting and shooting sport related incidents since 2005.

The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks compiles hunter safety statistics each year using the definitions outlined by the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA). The IHEA determines the criteria of how incidents are reported. These criteria are:

Type A. Injury or death of a person resulting from the discharge of a firearm or bow during hunting.
Type B. Injury or death of any person while hunting, which did not involve the discharge of a firearm or bow.
Type C. Injury or death of any person, other than while hunting, resulting from the discharge of a firearm or bow.

This report includes incidents reported within all three of the above criteria. Other incidents may have occurred but were not reported to the Department.

Below is an overview of the reported incidents. After this overview, each incident is described on a case-by-case basis.

38 incidents were related to pheasant hunting
3 incidents were related to Big Game (deer) hunting
2 incidents were related to waterfowl hunting
7 incidents were related to hunting other species
5 incidents were related to non-hunting activities

In cases where a shooter could be determined, 12 incidents involved South Dakota residents while 20 incidents involved non-residents.

Where hunter education completion could be determined, the data indicates 20 people involved as shooters had received hunter education while 9 had not.

Each individual hunter shoulders the responsibility for their own safety and the safety of those around them. The four basic rules of hunter safety are:

Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction
Keep the action unloaded and open if not actively hunting
Be sure of your target and what is beyond your target
Keep your finger outside and alongside the trigger guard until ready to shoot

2011 Case-by-Case Summary of Hunting Incidents

Pheasant Hunting Incidents

Type: A
County: Lake
Date of Incident: 10/5/2011
Reason: Victim out of sight of shooter
Age of shooter: unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim was driving UTV out in the field to check on brothers hunting party. Victim was out of sight of hunting party. Shot pellets fired from hunting party struck victim in face, hand and arm.
Type: A
County: Tripp
Date of Incident: 10/15/2011
Reason: Victim moved into line of fire; victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Hunting group walking across a field. Victim was located higher on a hillside when struck by pellets from shooter below.
Type: A
County: Spink
Date of Incident: 10/15/2011
Reason: Careless handling of firearm
Age of shooter: Unknown
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Shooter was blocking for others in party and rested gun on his own foot. Shooter pulled the trigger and was shot in own foot.
Type: A
County: Brule
Date of Incident: 10/15/2011
Reason: Careless handling of firearm
Age of shooter: 15
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Shooter was hunting with older brother and entered back into vehicle with loaded firearm. Shooter then saw pheasant in ditch and grabbed the gun with his finger inside the trigger guard. Gun fired and shooter shot himself in own foot.
Type: A
County: Aurora
Date of Incident: 10/15/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 83
Hunter Ed. cert: No
Brief Description: Victim was standing at end of a field blocking when shooter fired at a pheasant flying between shooter and victim. Shot string struck victim in face.
Type: A
County: Edmunds
Date of Incident: 10/16/2011
Reason: Victim out of sight of shooter
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim was blocking in field and struck by pellets in ear and neck fired from shooter who could not see victim.
Type: A
County: Beadle
Date of Incident: 10/16/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game; victim moved into line of fire
Age of shooter: 35
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Shooter was walking down road hunting pheasants and victim was driving vehicle towards shooter. Shooter did not see victim, and fired twice at a pheasant striking victimâ€™s vehicle with shot pellets and one pellet also hit victim in face as the victims window was down.
Type: A
County: Mellette
Date of Incident: 10/16/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim was blocking at end of sunflower field and shooter swung on pheasant and fired resulting in pellets to victim's face.
Type: A
County: Lyman
Date of Incident: 10/16/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game; careless handling of firearm
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim was hunting on one side of shelterbelt. Shooter was hunting on opposite side of shelterbelt and fired at a low flying pheasant. Some of shot string from shooter went through shelterbelt striking victim. Victim's group was a bit ahead of shooter's group.
Type: A
County: Lyman
Date of Incident: 10/16/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Hunting group looking for downed bird when another pheasant flushed and flew low. Another hunter in the same party shot at it striking victim with pellets from shot string.
Type: A
County: Campbell
Date of Incident: 10/17/2011
Reason: Victim out of sight of shooter
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim was blocking and out of sight of shooter. Victim was struck in face by shot pellets from shooter who was walking towards victim.
Type: A
County: Hyde
Date of Incident: 10/18/2011
Reason: Victim out of sight of shooter
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim was blocking at end of tree belt when struck by pellet in face from shooter who was walking and shooting at pheasants.
Type: A
County: Faulk
Date of Incident: 10/18/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 72
Hunter Ed. cert: No
Brief Description: Victim was blocking for other hunters. Pheasant flushed and shooter fired as pheasant came into line with victim placing pellets into the head, body and foot of victim.
Type: A
County: McCook
Date of Incident: 10/18/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 14
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Line of hunters broke up as hunting party looking for downed pheasant. Another pheasant got up and shooter fired twice striking victim in right eye with pellet from shot string.
Type: B
County: Hand
Date of Incident: 10/20/2011
Reason: Shooter stumbled and fell
Age of shooter: Unknown
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Shooter stumbled down steep ravine and broke own leg while trying to help dog.
Type: A
County: Hand
Date of Incident: 10/21/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 57
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Shooter walking through dense undergrowth with hunting group when pheasant flushed next to him and flew low to the ground. Shooter fired at pheasant striking victim with pellets from shot string in face, chest, shoulder, and arm.
Type: A
County: Sully
Date of Incident: 10/22/2011
Reason: Mixed ammunition/wrong substitution
Age of shooter: 72
Hunter Ed. cert: No
Brief Description: 20 gauge shell was placed into the top chamber of an O/U 12 gauge shotgun.12 gauge round was placed in behind 20 gauge round. While shooting at pheasant the top barrel blew out approximately 1 inch behind 20 gauge shell. The force of the blast shattered forestock into many pieces resulting in injury to shooters own hand.
Type: A
County: Hand
Date of Incident: 10/22/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: 13 people hunting together and split into two groups to walk a grassy area. The two groups were walking toward each other when a pheasant flushed and flew low to the ground. Several shots were fired injuring two victims.
Type: A
County: Tripp
Date of Incident: 10/24/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 64
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Pheasant flushed between two hunters and shooter shot at bird striking victim in chest and arm with pellets from shot string.
Type: A
County: Brule
Date of Incident: 10/28/2011
Reason: Victim out of sight of shooter
Age of shooter: 38
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Victim was blocking and struck by pellet in face fired from walker shooting at pheasant.
Type: A
County: Lyman
Date of Incident: 10/28/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim was blocking field as other hunters were walking toward him. Shooter fired at flushing pheasant and struck victim in face with two pellets from shot string.
Type: A
County: Gregory
Date of Incident: 10/29/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 12
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Shooter was hunting with a group of about 10 individuals when pheasant flushed and shooter shot at bird not seeing victim behind bird. Victim was struck with pellets from shot string.
Type: A
County: Grant
Date of Incident: 10/30/2011
Reason: Loading firearm; discharge firearm in/on vehicle; careless handling of equipment; ricochet; faulty equipment
Age of shooter: 30
Hunter Ed. cert: No
Brief Description: Shooter was loading shotgun in vehicle and had heavy rust on trigger mechanism which caused gun to fire sending pellets ricocheting off the truck floorboard and into victim's leg.
Type: A
County: Lyman
Date of Incident: 10/31/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 40
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: No description given.
Type: A
County: Brown
Date of Incident: 11/01/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: unknown
Brief Description: Victim was blocking when pheasant flushed and several people shot. Victim was struck in face by pellet from shot string from unknown shooter.
Type: A
County: Brown
Date of Incident: 11/01/2011
Reason: Unknown
Age of shooter: Unknown
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim struck by shot pellet to face.
Type: A
County: Davison
Date of Incident: 11/06/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game; careless handling of firearm
Age of shooter: 10
Hunter Ed. cert: No
Brief Description: Shooter was walking in a line hunting pheasants but fell behind and fumbled around his shotgun discharging a round striking victim with fifty or more pellets into victim's right shoulder, side and head
Type: A
County: McPherson
Date of Incident: 11/07/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 63
Hunter Ed. cert: No
Brief Description: Victim was blocking at end of field when shooter walking CRP strip swung on pheasant and fired. Victim received one pellet from shot string in left eye brow.
Type: A
County: Spink
Date of Incident: 11/10/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game; victim out of sight of shooter
Age of shooter: 20
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Victim was hunting one side of cattail slough and shooter was on another. Pheasant flushed and flew between them. Shooter swung on the bird and thought the bird was past the victim, but shooter could not see victim. Shooter fired at bird striking victim in face with shot pellets from string.
Type: A
County: Sully
Date of Incident: 11/11/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game; victim out of sight of shooter.
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim was driving pheasants toward blockers in heavy cane cover and was struck by shot pellets in face and chest.
Type: A
County: Hutchinson
Date of Incident: 11/12/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game; victim out of sight of shooter.
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: unknown
Brief Description: Victim was blocking at the end of the field and hunters shot at low flying pheasant. Blocker was not visible when other hunters shot at low bird and was struck by shot pellets under chin and right eye.
Type: A
County: Stanley
Date of Incident: 11/25/2011
Reason: Victim out of sight of shooter
Age of shooter: 52
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Shooter was hunting a field using blockers. Pheasants flushed in front of the blocker and shooter fired at flying bird not seeing victim in line of fire. Victim was struck in face by pellet from shot string.
Type: A
County: Tripp
Date of Incident: 12/07/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: Unknown shooter
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim was hunting on one side of shelterbelt. Hunter on opposite side of shelterbelt shot at a low flying pheasant. Some of shot string went through shelterbelt striking victim. Victim's group was a bit ahead of shooter's group.
Type: A
County: Miner
Date of Incident: 12/10/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 77
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Group of hunters walking field when a pheasant flushed and flew low to ground. Shooter was swinging on bird and fired in line with victim. Shot struck victim in hand, side of face and chest.
Type: A
County: Miner
Date of Incident: 12/17/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 31
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim was walking row of grass toward blocker when pheasant flushed flying low to ground. One hunter in party shot at it and then blocker in front of victim decided to shoot at bird. Victim saw blocker was going to shoot right at him so turned around and was struck with pellets in several places.
Type: A
County: Miner
Date of Incident: 12/27/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 35
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Group of hunters walking grass toward each other when pheasant flushed and flew in front of shooter. Shooter fired and struck victim with three shot pellets in hands and chin.
Type: A
County: Faulk
Date of Incident: 12/28/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 56
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Victim was walking out to mailbox and shooter was walking shelterbelt not seeing victim. Shooter fired at bird and struck victim in foot and lower leg with shot pellets.
Type: A
County: Hand
Date of Incident: 12/29/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game
Age of shooter: 17
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Victim was hunting in group when pheasant flushed and flew between victim and shooter. Shooter swung on bird and fired striking victim in face with shot from shot string at a distance of approximately 30 yards.

Waterfowl Incidents

Type: A
County: Spink
Date of Incident: 3/23/2011
Reason: Trigger caught on object
Age of shooter: 48
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Shooter was hunting geese in layout blind and was reloading shotgun when the trigger caught on a piece of clothing or blind and fired round into shooter's own foot.
Type: B
County: Clark
Date of Incident: 11/23/2011
Reason: Other: Falling object
Age of shooter: none
Hunter Ed. cert: none
Brief Description: Shooter was in layout blind hunting geese. Shooter shot a goose and it fell and landed on own foot breaking shooter's own ankle.

Big Game (deer)

Type: B
County: Edmunds
Date of Incident: 10/31/2011
Reason: Failure to use safety belt
Age of shooter: 22
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Victim was trying to shoot a pheasant from tree stand and fell out of stand and broke foot.
Type: B
County: Hamlin
Date of Incident: 11/05/2011
Reason: Failure to use safety belt
Age of shooter: 17
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Victim was hunting deer from tree stand. A tree adjacent to the victim in stand broke and struck the victim knocking him out of his tree stand. Victim suffered broken ribs, partially collapsed lung and is paralyzed due to spinal injury.
Type: A
County: Davison
Date of Incident: 12/04/2011
Reason: Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game; victim moved into line of fire
Age of shooter: 14
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Victim and shooter were blocking when a deer ran towards victim. Shooter fired at deer and struck victim in upper right leg with bullet.

Other Species Hunting Related

Type: A
County: Douglas
Date of Incident: 1/20/2011
Reason: Dropped firearm; shooter stumbled and fell
Age of shooter: 12
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: No adult supervision when shooter was aiming at rabbit and slipped and fell dropping the .22 pistol. The pistol hit the ground and fired a round into shooter's own upper right thigh.
Type: A
County: Tripp
Date of Incident: 2/3/2011
Reason: Victim mistaken for game
Age of shooter: 24
Hunter Ed. cert: No
Brief Description: Victim was using hand calls to call in predators. Shooter mistakenly thought victim was fox/coyote and shot victim in lower leg.
Type: B
County: Clay
Date of Incident: 9/7/2011
Reason: Horseplay while hunting
Age of victim: 14
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim was riding on hood of car with loaded shotgun hunting doves while vehicle was traveling down road. Victim then attempted to jump off the front of moving vehicle. Victim was then run over by driver of vehicle.
Type: A
County: Meade
Date of Incident: 9/9/2011
Reason: Careless handling of firearm
Age of victim: 13
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Shooter was hunting doves when shotgun fired with muzzle not pointed in safe direction. Resulted in the death of the shooter.
Type: A
County: Brookings
Date of Incident: 11/6/2011
Reason: Careless handling of firearm
Age of shooter: 59
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Shooter was hunting coyotes and stood to stretch legs using barrel of gun as hoist. Gun fired and shooter suffered wound to own left index finger. Safety was off the whole time.
Type: A
County: Hyde
Date of Incident: 11/20/2011
Reason: Faulty equipment; other: not sure happened so fast
Age of shooter: 20
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Shooter was getting out of vehicle with gun to hunt coyotes when victim in hunting party hit shooter's vehicle door causing gun to fire removing victims toe.
Type: A
County: Hand
Date of Incident: 12/13/2011
Reason: removing/placing firearm in vehicle
Age of shooter: 49
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Shooter was driving down road when he saw three raccoons together. Shooter was trying to get shotgun out of case inside vehicle when it fired and struck shooter in own left hand and legs.

Other Non-Hunting Related

Type: C
County: Tripp
Date of Incident: 4/6/2011
Reason: Dropped firearm; removing/placing firearm in vehicle
Age of shooter: 54
Hunter Ed. cert: Yes
Brief Description: Shooter was exiting vehicle when .22 revolver fell out of case resulting in the hammer hitting the vehicle and causing it to fire. Round struck shooter with .22 round in own hand.
Type: C
County: Douglas
Date of Incident: 7/13/2011
Reason: Loading firearm; careless handling of firearm
Age of shooter: 72
Hunter Ed. cert: No
Brief Description: Victim and shooter were practicing with .22s and shooter was walking back to bench while reloading pistol. Shooter had pistol cocked and was letting the hammer down when the gun fired striking victim in upper leg.
Type: C
County: Lyman
Date of Incident: 9/30/2011
Reason: Ricochet; careless handling of firearm
Age of shooter: 61
Hunter Ed. cert: No
Brief Description: Shooter was unloading shells from shotgun after shooting at clay pigeons thrown from trap house. Shooter fired shell into ground after thinking gun was unloaded and shot pellets bounced off the ground striking victim in right eyelid.
Type: C
County: Spink
Date of Incident: 11/27/2011
Reason: Careless handling of firearm; running/walking with loaded firearm
Age of shooter: 30
Hunter Ed. cert: Unknown
Brief Description: Victim had been out sighting in rifle and went to get rifle from vehicle to take inside home. On way back into home victim accidentally pulled the trigger and rifle discharged a round into victims own left foot.
Type: C
County: Turner
Date of Incident: 12/10/2011
Reason: Other: dog stepped on gun causing it to fire
Age of shooter: none
Hunter Ed. cert: none
Brief Description: Victim was traveling down road with loaded AR-15 resting between driver's seat and console. Victim's dog stepped onto gun causing it to fire and the round struck the center console and hit victim in foot. Safety was not on at time of incident.