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Four hunters were injured in shooting incidents during the 2014 Wisconsin gun deer season, making the nine-day hunt the safest on record, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Prior to this year, the lowest number of shooting incidents in the state’s traditional gun deer hunt was five (two fatals and three non-fatals) in 2004.

The 2014 season is the fifth without a fatal shooting incident. Four have occurred this decade (2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014).

The state sold 589,830 deer hunting licenses as of opening day. The nine-day gun hunt was Nov. 22 to Nov. 30.

Following are summaries of three of the shooting incidents supplied by the Department of Natural Resources. The fourth was not immediately available in the days after the season:

On Nov. 26, a 41-year-old hunter sitting in a tree stand in Portage County was struck in the foot by a bullet. The shooter was a 57-year-old hunter on an adjoining property. The bullet traveled 467 yards. The victim sustained a minor injury and was treated at a hospital and released.

On Nov. 27 in La Crosse County a 65-year-old hunter was lowering his gun from a tree stand when the firearm discharged. The bullet grazed his upper thigh; he was treated and released.

On Nov. 29 in Manitowoc County, a 16-year-old fired at a deer moving out of a corn field, striking a 24-year-old in the pelvic area. The victim was transported to a hospital. The hunters were members of the same hunting party. The incident did not occur during a deer drive.

The nine-day gun deer season has been getting safer over the last 50 years with the advent of mandatory hunter safety classes and blaze orange clothing.

From 2004 to 2013, Wisconsin averaged 7.5 non-fatal and 1.2 fatal shooting incidents per nine-day season.

Wisconsin has more than 4,100 active volunteer hunter education instructors.

In 2013, the Wisconsin Hunter Education Program held 962 traditional hunter safety courses, 90 Internet field day courses, 88 adult test-out events and 135 archery safety courses.

The DNR certified 33,364 students in 2013.

Click here for more information on hunter safety courses in Wisconsin.