Hiking Death/Injury Statistic

“I generally try to stay out of hunting areas during the season. No problem with it, someone has to keep the deer numbers down. I personally don't like the sound of a rifle going off a hundred yards away, though I guess if I were in danger I'd be hit before I heard it.”

“sacco - Here was his reply. (this is for PA)

We put out the hunting incident reports at the end of the fiscal year so I'll look into the numbers. As for hikers there is a Hiker License in which you may shoot hikers during December, January, and February. The reasoning behind this is that if someone is hiking in the cold weather they deserve to be shot!! (ha ha). There have been no hiker shootings within the last two years at least. Usually it is hunters shooting themselves, other hunters or stray bullets entering houses. I'll see what I can find out.”

“A hunter was shot and killed yesterday in PA. The day before that a father shot his son in the leg. In both cases the person shot was behind the deer that was being shot at.

Cold weather is the only time I like to go hiking. I hate summer. That's when I spend the most time indoors. Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!”

““ok, you guys have done some great sleuthing...those are some good HUNTING statistics...anybody have anything on what causes the most deaths to HIKERS?”

Just guessing, but based on 12 years of paying attention, number one has to be falls, second would be avalanch. Trailing way behind the leaders would be hypothermia and lighting strikes, animal attacks would be even more rare. I've only heard of one altitude-related death in the continental U.S. - that's gotta be the most rare of things people worry about.”

“I think most hikers die of heart disease, followed by cancer, then stroke, then respiratory disease, accidents, diabetes, ...”