[ODFW-News] Governor proclaims September Hunter Safety Awareness Month

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
For more information call 800-720-6339 (ODFW) or 503-947-6000	
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  


For immediate release	Monday, August 23, 2004

Governor proclaims September Hunter Safety Awareness Month

SALEM - Oregon Governor Theodore R. Kulongoski has proclaimed September
to be Hunter Safety Awareness Month. The proclamation is supported by
the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State Police, and
Oregon Hunters Association.
"With September being the traditional start of the hunting season,
this is a good time to remind both hunters and others about the
importance of being safe when recreating outdoors," said ODFW
Education Services Section Manager Kenn Condon.

ODFW plans to kick off a statewide hunter safety campaign Sept. 1 that
will focus on the use of blaze orange by hunters and non-hunters alike,
noted Condon. This will be the second year ODFW has sponsored a fall
hunter safety campaign with OSP and OHA. 

ODFW and OHA also are teaming up to offer outdoor survival and safety
workshops at a series of September meetings being held by local OHA
chapters. 
"No matter how much you think you know about hunting safely, you can
always learn more safety tips with the refresher courses being offered
around the state in September," said OHA President Ken Hand.
"Remember, safety is the difference between the hunt of lifetime
and the haunt of a lifetime."

"Oregon's hunting community takes safety seriously," said Condon,
"Oregon traditionally has a very low number of hunter injuries and
fatalities, and we want to keep it that way."
Last year's one hunting fatality occurred shortly before the 2003
safety campaign began. There were three hunting fatalities in 2002,
three in 2001 and two in 2000, according to OSP reports.

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