Erring on the Side of Caution: 3 Essential Hunting Safety Practices

Many people enjoy hunting. It is an experience like no other. Some parents go hunting with their kids when they’re old enough, and they make some great memories together. Some friends go hunting in groups, while some siblings or other relatives take yearly hunting trips.

You can visit a hunting gear site to find some excellent deals before you get ready to go out this year. You might even get some items like pistol red dot sight on sale if you shop around the holidays.

You’ll need to follow the best safety practices to make sure you’re not involved in an accident while hunting, though. Let’s talk about three of the rules you should follow when you’re enjoying this exciting activity.

Wear the Proper Gear While Hunting

You might have seen hunters wearing orange gear when they’re getting ready to go on a hunting trip. Maybe you think they look a little silly.

That may be the case, but they’re not wearing orange vests and hats for no reason. The bright color orange is taught to hunters to be something that they should avoid shooting at or targeting when they see it out in the wild.

If you’re wearing an orange vest, hat, pants, and any other bright orange gear when you’re in the woods, you can feel much more confident that you will not be the victim of friendly fire.

Camo gear might help you blend in, but it also makes it more likely you’ll get some errant gunfire or arrows heading in your direction.

Keep Your Gun’s Safety On Until You Have a Shot

You might sit in a blind while hunting. You may move along the ground if you’re stalking your prey. Whether you’re sitting still or on the move, though, you should always keep your gun’s safety on and your finger off the trigger until you feel certain you have a shot.

If you move around and have your finger on the trigger and the safety off, that’s asking for trouble. If you stumble, you might accidentally discharge the weapon. You may shoot another hunter or yourself if you do that.

Be Sure of a Target Before You Fire

If you’re out hunting deer and walking through the woods, you might hear some scurrying in the undergrowth up ahead. It makes no sense to blindly pull out your gun and start firing.

You need to be sure of what you’re shooting at before you ever fire a shot. Sight along the barrel of your rifle or bow and see the animal at which you’re shooting before you pull the trigger or let loose an arrow.

You must also be aware of what lies beyond the animal, though. If there’s another hunter out there, and they’re in your line of fire, be mindful of that. If you miss your target and the shot goes wide, it could continue traveling for hundreds of yards in some instances.

These tips should keep you and your hunting party safe the next time you go out.