Basic Firearms Safety Tips

1. Every hunter must stay fully alert when around firearms.

2. Always wear highly visible hunter or "blaze" orange clothing, to increase your safety while hunting. Keep in mind that your clothing gives other hunters opportunity to easy see you. Majority of states and provinces require or recommend hunter orange clothing for most hunting activities in order to increase your safety while hunting.

3. Do not wear brown, tan or white clothing during hunting, because these colors are associated with game species.

4. Do not consume alcohol or other drugs while hunting or when handling firearms.

5. Never go hunt or shoot with anyone who is under the influences of alcohol or drugs.

6. Never go hunt under influences of prescription or non-prescription drugs that affect your body's senses (i.e. any medicines that cause drowsiness).

7. Never shoot at game that you can’t identify or at dark shape.

8. Avoid shooting at running game when there is little opportunity to succeed or at the game that is clearly out of range.

9. Never shoot at animals that are close to other hunters, hard surfaces (rocks, trees) or other animals you don’t hunt.

10. Avoid shooting at game that another hunter is shooting at.

11. Always respect zone of fire area. Zone of fire is the area into which a hunter may shoot safely, usually an area that extends in a 45° angle directly in front of you when hunting with other hunters. If you are hunting alone your safe zone of fire will be determined by your view, the presence of unsuitable targets such as rocks trees, or water, and the range of your firearm.

12. Avoid doing anything that could make someone mistake you for game.

13. When crossing obstacles alone always unload your firearm and leave the action open.

14. When you are crossing the fence, if possible, place your firearm on the ground under the fence, with the muzzle pointing in the direction away from you. Try to keep the muzzle away from mud and debris.

15. Always cross the obstacle far enough from the firearm so that if you fall, you won't fall on the firearm.

16. When you have to retrieve the firearm, always approach it from the stock end, not the muzzle end.

17. When crossing obstacles with others first unload your firearms and leave the actions open. First hunter should cross the obstacle while the second holds both firearms, than the hunter who has not yet crossed passes the firearms (one by one) over the obstacle to the first hunter and then crosses the obstacle.

18. Maintain constant control over your firearm. The carry method that offers the best control of your firearm is two-hand carry.

19. Your first step when transporting your firearm on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or raising your firearm into a tree stand is to check that the gun is unloaded and prove it safe.

20. Never put game over your shoulders to carry it out of the hunting area or woods.

Related Links:

Romwell Hunting Guide

Hunting Dogs

Light Goose Decoying Strategies

Story: How I Killed a Bear

Sports & Outdoors