Lt. Michael Bloxom of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division handed control of the Hunter Education Program to WFF’s R3 staff on September 1 this year, but as he heads toward retirement, Bloxom highlighted the effectiveness of hunter education with a milestone achievement during the 2024-2025 season.
“We actually had a record low number of accidents last season,” said Bloxom, who will retire at the end of the year. “We only had seven accidents, and that includes treestand accidents. Historically, two-thirds of our accidents involved a treestand. This past season, we had four firearm and only three treestand accidents. I hope that means we’re finally getting the messages out about using safety harnesses and other safety equipment. But three is still too many.”
Unfortunately, one of the treestand accidents resulted in the only fatality of the season. The accident occurred in Bankhead National Forest, which is known for its rugged terrain with plenty of gorges, canyons and steep ridges…