Whether a person has hunted for 50 years or 5 minutes, the most enjoyable day of hunting begins and ends with hunting safely. All hunters are encouraged to exercise the following rules for hunting safety.

1. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded and remember to keep the safety on.

2. Control your gun and only point at what you intend to shoot. Duck hunters should be extra careful with guns because other people are usually close by.

3. Before shooting, identify your game, make sure no person is in the way and that nothing is beyond it.

4. Every deer hunter or person accompanying a deer hunter must wear blaze orange.

5. Deer hunters should hold a flashlight while walking in the woods or fields in the dark to let others know that you are not game.

 

Hunters using tree stands should:

1. Use a harness or safety belt to secure yourself to the tree. Always wear a safety belt while in a tree while deer hunting.

2. Know your physical limits and don't climb a tree unless you are sure you are physically able. You can always hunt from or build a simple ground blind from tree branches.

3. Use a haul line to get your unloaded gun into and out of the tree stand. Never climb with equipment.

4. Stay alert and awake. If you start to nod off, get back to the ground.