COLUMBIA (WACH) -- A Hopkins man died while hunting near his home just south of Columbia over the weekend. According to the Richland County Coroner it was an accident.

Hunting officials say the incident, while tragic, is a reminder of the importance of hunter education.

"Hunting accidents occur, we try to keep them to a minimum but they do occur each year," says Robert McCullough with the Department of Natural Resources.

McCullough recommends wearing blaze orange to be visible in the woods.

He adds people heading out into the woods to camp or hike should also wear bright colors and make sure they are visible to hunters too.

McCullough says many accidents would be avoided if all hunters knew their target and what lies beyond it.

"Don't think that you are shooting at something...don't suspect a deer is going to walk out, make sure you see it and know what is behind it because everybody is not Davy Crockett...some people miss and when you do you want to know where that bullet is going to end up," he says.

South Carolina law says everyone born after June 30, 1979 must complete a hunter education course before they can purchase a hunting license.

Find out more about the classes, as well as more hunting safety tips, at the SCDNR website.