MACKINAW - The boy who critically wounded his father in a hunting accident Monday was not a graduate of a DNR certified hunting safety course as required by law, Tazewell County sheriff's police said.

Conservation police from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have taken over the probe which left Darren Adams, 35, of Mackinaw in critical condition at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria Tuesday night.

IDNR spokeswoman Marcelyn Love said the investigation is continuing.

The boy, whom police did not name, is aged 8, police said. Illinois state law requires anyone born after Jan. 1, 1980 to graduate from a DNR certified hunter safety course before they may purchase a hunting license. Parents are legally responsible to see their children take the course, IDNR conservation police said.

The shooting occurred when the boy's 20-gauge shotgun discharged unexpectedly after he shot a squirrel and was preparing to shoot another, said Capt. Bobby Henderson of the Tazewell County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday.

Adams, who was struck in his stomach, may have been saved when pellets from the load were slowed when they passed through a canteen he was carrying in the pocket of his hunting coat, police said.

IDNR safety education administrator Jeff Hopkins said hunter education classes are attended by about 18,000 people each year.

The incident is the fifth hunting-related mishap reported to his office during 2006. None has been fatal. One involved another squirrel hunter, another involved a duck hunter, a third involved a raccoon hunter and the fourth involved a mushroom hunter wounded when a turkey hunter fired at a bird without knowing anyone was nearby, he said.

Surprisingly, the most common hunting accidents do not involve firearms, Thompson said. More hunters are hurt falling from tree stands than by any other cause, he said.

The most common mistake made with firearms involves "swinging" on game, which occurs when a hunter follows a moving target until a hunting partner is in the line of fire, Hopkins said. Other mistakes are being unaware of where your hunting partners are located or if anyone is behind your target when you shoot, he said.

Still, Hopkins stressed hunting is a relatively safe sport. About 300,000 people hunt in Illinois each year, Young said. Yet, only 22 people were injured while hunting in 2005, and only half of those involved firearms. One of those mishaps was fatal. In 2004, 15 injuries from a total of 32 injuries involved firearms. None was fatal, he said.

"Hunting is a pretty safe sport if you want to look it. It's just when an accident happens, it's an attention getter," Hopkins said.

The Ten Commandments of Firearm Safety

1. Watch that muzzle! Keep it pointed in a safe direction at all times.

2. Treat every firearm with the respect due a loaded gun. It might be, even if you think it

isn't.

3. Be sure of the target and what is in front of it and beyond it. Know the identifying features of the game you hunt. Make sure you have an adequate backstop - don't shoot at a flat, hard surface or water.

4. Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot. This is the best way to prevent an accidental discharge.

5. Check your barrel and ammunition. Make sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions and carry only the proper ammunition for your firearm.

6. Unload firearms when not in use. Leave actions open; carry firearms in cases and unloaded to and from the shooting area.

7. Point a firearm only at something you intend to shoot. Avoid all horseplay with a gun.

8. Don't run, jump or climb with a loaded firearm. Unload a firearm before you climb a fence or tree, or jump a ditch. Pull a firearm toward you by the butt, not the muzzle.

9. Store firearms and ammunition separately and safely. Store each in secured locations beyond the reach of children and careless adults.

10. Avoid alcoholic beverages before or during shooting. Also avoid mind - or behavior-altering medicines or drugs.

Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources