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Hunting & Fishing News Back to Hunting & Fishing News Hunting Safety Tips and Ethics 7/2003  Don't rely on your gun's safety. Treat all weapons as if they're loaded and ready to fire. Never cross a fence, climb a tree or stand or jump in a ditch with a loaded gun. Never hoist a loaded weapon into a stand. Never load or carry a loaded weapon until you are ready to use it. Always unload weapons before reding in any vehicle, including ATVs. Watch your muzzle so the other fellow doesn't have to. Wear hunter orange so you can be seen. A blaze orange hat and at least 400 square inches of hunter orange above the waist-line should be worn during all gun deer seasons. It should be worn at all times, not taken off once in the stand. Keep guns and ammunition seperately and in locked storage. Don't shoot unless absolutely sure of your target and what is beyond it. Know the range of your weapon. Remember, even a .22 rimfire can travel over 2-1/2 miles. Always wear eye and ear protection when shooting firearms. Always be sure your gun barrel and action are clear of obstructions, and only carry ammunition specifically intended for the weapon you're using. Always carry handguns with the hammer down on an empty chamber. Avoid alcholic beverages before and during shooting. Tell someone where you're going and when you plan to return. If you move from one area to another advise someone. Dress for the weather, take a compass and maps to prevent from getting lost, and be alert for other sources of danger such as poisonous snakes. Carry a flashlight while walking through the hunting area before or after daylight. Ever wake up at night in camp and fumble around in the dark for your flashlight? It's never where you put it. But you'll always be able to put your hand on it if you tuck it into your shoe under or beside the bed, and it can't roll away, either. Open-fire chefs who keep burning their fingers on pot covers can make things easier for themselves by making a lid-lifter from a Y-shaped branch. Trim it to a handle and fork and wedge the lid top in the fork. To drag a deer out of the woods, tie one end of a 5-foot piece of rope around the base of the antlers and the other end around the center of a 2-foot-long dried stick about 2 inches thick. Extend your arms behind you and grasp the stick with both hands. As you walk away in this position you will be pulling the deer forward without lifting any of its weight. Two people can share the task by grasping opposite ends of the stick with one hand each, pulling shoulder to shoulder. If you are lost in heavily wooded country, the angles at which logging trails join will always show you the way out to a traveled road. Logging trail systems branch out like tree limbs from the main stem. The sharp angle formed at their junctions always points to the route the loggers used to haul timber to the road. When deer hunting, use your 5- or 6-foot drag rope to sling extra clothing over your back where it is out of the way and won't interfere with your shooting. Roll the clothing into a 2-foot-long bundle, leaving enough slack to permit slipping your head and one arm and shoulder through the resulting loop. Wear the bundle on your back with the strap over your non-shooting shoulder. Buckled snowshoe harnesses are dangerous when you are crossing frozen lakes, ponds, or streams. You can't swim with snowshoes on. People who work around thin ice wear simple bindings that have only a leather toepiece and a loop of rubber tire tube or Bungee cord around the heel. The stretchable heel loop makes it possible to kick out of the harness or pull it free if you accidentally go through the ice. If you fall in the water while wading, don't try to swim against the current. Instead, roll on your back, feet downstream, and let the current sweep you along, using your arms and legs to propel yourself slowly toward shore. Use your feet to kick off from rocks. When you get into shallow water, roll onto your stomach, and crawl ashore. When building a lifesaving fire on snow or ice, lay a broad carpet of conifer boughs to stand on around the firesite. This will get your feet up off the cold surface and allow your boots to warm. If needed, use more boughs to build a wind barrier 3 feet high about 8 feet upwind of the fire to reduce heat loss. Snowmobile operators should carry a small, dry container filled with strips of rags in the vehicle's storage box. If an emergency occurs and building a fire is necessary, dip the end of a rag strip in the gasoline tank and use it as an instant fire starter. When using a tree stand, always adhere to the follwing safety rules, and the chance of an accident can be minimized. Wear a safety belt. If your stand collapses, a safety belt will prevent you from falling. Don't leave much slack in the belt. One or two feet of slack will allow you to turn 360 degrees, and if a fall occurs, you'll only fall one or two feet. Use a cord or rope to raise and lower all equipment from the stand, keeping your hands free for climbing. Keep equipment on the opposite side of the tree from which you are climbing, so if you do fall, you won't fall on your equipment. Inspect your stand. Check for loose or rotten boards, loose nuts and bolts, and replace worn chains or straps. Practice setting up your stand. Be familiar with the workings of the stand before you go to the woods. Before using manufactured stands, always read the instructions and warnings. Tell a dependable person where you're hunting and when you'll return. If you're injured and can't get out of the wood, someone will know where to look for you. Pick a mature tree on which to secure your stand. Do not use a tree that is rotten or has dead limbs that may fall on the stand. Clear the tree of any limbs that could cause a fall, but get permission before you start clearing. If you're not allowed to cut limbs, use cords to tie them back. If the weather turns bad, return to the ground. High winds make stands unstable. Rain, snow or sleet can cause you to slip. Extra precautions are needed in these situations. Don't fall asleep. This is a common cause of accidents. If you get drowsy, leave the stand and walk around to wake yourself up. Remember, the higher you are in your stand, the further you might fall. If you do fall, don't panic. Try to determine the injuries you have. Check for spinal cord injuries by wiggling your feet and legs. If you suspect you have this type of injury, don't move. Stop excess bleeding. Check for broken bones, and if you think you have any, support them with splints. Carry a survival kit at all times. Include matches, string, candy bars, a whistle and other items that can make an overnight stay more comfortable. If you told someone where you are and when you're expected to return, help should be on its way. Hunting safely from a stand depends on what you do before you hunt. Being prepared is the best way to prevent tree stand accidents. Hunting Ethics As the hunter learns the basics of hunting safety, he must also develop certain responsibilities to the sport. An understanding of game laws, sporting codes and wildlife management are as important as handling a weapon safely. All hunters must develop a code that make them good hunters. This code is called "hunter ethics." Obey all the rules of safety and insist that those around you do the same. Obey all game laws and insist that those hunting with you do likewise. Do your best to acquire marksmanship and hunting skills that assure clean, sportsmanlike skills. Support conservation efforts that assure good hunting for future generations. Don't be a slob. Keep your campsite neat, and don't offend others by openly displaying your kill in camp or on your vehicle. Pass along to other hunters, especially youngsters, the attitudes and skills essential to being a true outdoor sportsman. |
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