NEWS10 ABC: Albany, New York News, Weather, SportsNY: 26 injured, 4 fatally, in hunting season

NY: 26 injured, 4 fatally, in hunting season

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York environmental officials counted 26 hunting accidents during the 2011 season, tying a record for safety hit two years ago.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation says the accident tally includes four fatalities that occurred during the regular deer season.

Hunting accidents in New York have been on the decline for many years, and environmental officials give much of the credit to mandatory safety courses for new hunters.

In the past five years, there has been an average of 5.3 accidents per 100,000 hunters. That compares to 19 accidents per 100,000 hunters in the 1960s.