Law Enforcement Training 



An officer who will specialize in the training of conservation officer staff 

 in law enforcement practices and techniques, court room procedure and other 

 aspects of the law, was appointed on February 1, 1962, 



Hunter Safety Training Program 



The major purjx)se of the Hunter Safety Training Program is to reduce 

 hunting accidents. A second purpose is to introduce the new hunter to a knowledge 

 of game management. 



The year 1962 is the second full year under the regulation which requires 

 all new hunters to complete the course in order to purchase their first hunting 

 licence. Courses are given by members of conservation and service clubs through- 

 out the Province. There are more than 3,000 certified instructors donating their 

 time to this worthwhile training. Ehiring the year, 15,082 students successfully 

 completed the course. A total of 45,995 hunters have now obtained the funda- 

 mentals of safe gun handling under the Ontario Program. 



During the last few years, a variety of organizations have conducted classes 

 and the following table outlines the number of students, expressed as a percentage, 

 each has trained: 



Ontario Federation of Conservation Qubs 



Year Anglers and Hunters Outside Federation Miscellaneous 



1960 47% 24% 29% 



1961 41 22 37 



1962 35 24 41 



The miscellaneous group includes such organizations as high school cadet 

 corps, service clubs. Boy Scout Associations, church groups, cadet corps of the 

 Armed Services, community centres and a number of individual instructors, 

 especially in more remote areas. 



It is too soon to evaluate the success of the Program in reducing the numbers 

 of hunting accidents, although the table suggests that hunter training and a more 

 conscious public is contributing to a decline in hunting accidents. This is particu- 

 larly encouraging since the total number of hunters is increasing annually and 

 now stands at more than half a million in Ontario. Nevertheless, there are still 

 too many accidents and more effort will be given to the Program. 



Year Fatalities IVon-Fatal Total 



1960 36 118 154 



1961 22 104 126 



1962 17 109 126 



Detailed information is collected by Department field officers and by the 

 Ontario Provincial Police. The main causes of hunting accidents are reviewed in 

 the following compilation: 



103 



