Hunting Incident Academy

The IHEA Hunting Incident Academy provide training for investigators who work on hunter injury and fatality incidents. Hunting "accidents" is a term that many people use to describe incidents, but in a legal sense incident is a legally stronger and more accurate term.

Historically, hunter education programs were known as hunter safety programs. The original goal was to reduce injuries and fatalities among hunters, shooters, and gun owners. While the goals for hunter education have expanded, the importance of safety to the International Hunter Education Association's mission remains as important today as it was when the first safety course was taught.

Incident academies bring together some of North America's most experienced hunting incident investigators and forensics experts to help teach law enforcement personenl the best appraoch to hunting incident investigations. Topics such as how to find evidence, how to document it, and how to report it are covered.

Good hunting incident investigations lead to appropriate legal actions to remove safety threats from the field. The investigations also help hunter education professionals evaluate course curriculum, and program success. Incident statistics are also used to alert hunters to specific safety concerns via agency news releases and magazines.

Ultimately, the goal for the Hunting Incident Academy is to save lives and reduce injuries. That is a goal everyone should support.