Hunting is Safer than Bowling

When I was a kid, I remember adults talking about how dangerous hunting was. Go do something safe like playing soccer or riding your bike, they said. Well, it turns out that a person is 43 times more likely to be injured bicycle riding than hunting, and 54 times more likely to be injured playing soccer than hunting. So, for all you naysayers out there, try that on for size.

To make this a little more personal to me, my brother cracked his skull riding a bike. Likewise, my bicycle gave me more than a couple scars on my otherwise runway-ready face. And to bring this full-circle, my soccer-playing friends all have had knee surgeries.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation just released the 2015 edition of their Industry Intelligence Report. They use hard data to refute the myth that hunting is more dangerous than other pursuits. The comprehensive report includes accident statistics for firearms ownership and hunting.

Not only have firearm accidents continued to drop as part of a 20-year trend, but also their data shows that hunting is safer than bowling.

Bowlers suffered 48 injuries per 100,000 participants, while 33 hunters per 100,000 were injured.

That's 0.05 percent versus 0.03 percent. Pretty low odds of receiving a hunting-related injury, if you ask me. The fact remains that hunting is an extremely safe activity.

Hunting remains one of the safest recreational activities in America, thanks to the many programs and instructors dedicated to teaching new hunters proper safety techniques, said NSSF's Jake McGuigan. Practice gun and treestand safety judiciously, since one injury is too many, but don't let fear keep you from heading afield.

Santa was wrong, Ralphie: You probably won't shoot your eye out.