Be safe this hunting season
Here are some basic tips to stay safe this hunting season:
Wear hunter orange. The wearing of a garment of hunter orange is a legal requirement for all while hunting big or trophy game and for hunting pheasants in Game and Fish Wildlife Habitat Management Areas. This highly visible outerwear is important for the safety of those hunting and others in the field. Even when hunter orange is not required, as with small game hunting, it is a very good safety practice for all members of the hunting party.
Handle firearms safely. Treating every firearm as if it were loaded is one of the golden rules of firearms handling and is one of the basic principles taught in Wyoming’s hunter safety classes. It should be emphasized by both the beginner and the most experienced hunter. Safe handling of firearms includes a constant awareness of the direction of the firearm’s muzzle, which often changes in hunting situations due to terrain and varying conditions.
Use good judgment. Knowing what the target is and what is beyond this target requires a hunter to use good judgment. To ensure safety, never shoot at sound, at flash of color, or shapes in the cover – positively identify the target and beyond since the bullet can never be retracted once fired.
Be careful around vehicles and fences. Accidents often occur in and around vehicles and during fence crossings. Hunters are urged to take extra precautions when handling firearms in these situations.
Be prepared for weather changes. Weather changes can be quick, unpredictable, and extreme in the fall months. Being prepared for rain and snow especially at higher elevations is an all-season concern in Wyoming. Hunters should always have survival gear for shelter making, signaling, and fire starting even on the shortest hunt.
Don’t keep your hunting trip a secret. Inform someone of where you are going and when you expect to return. Search and rescue teams are much more effective with their efforts of finding lost or injured hunters when they know where to start looking.
Be safe while field dressing your animal. Field dressing is another aspect of the hunt where extra safety precautions should be taken. Maintaining a good sharp edge on knives while field dressing is safer than a dull knife since less pressure is needed to get the job done. Hunters should always make sure the strokes of the knife blade are made away from their body so that a slip will not find the blade coming back and causing injuries. With the awareness of disease transmission, it is also recommended that latex or rubber gloves are used throughout the field dressing process.
Wyoming’s Hunter Education program covers these and other topics including Hunter Ethics, Wildlife Conservation and Management, Game Care, Wildlife Identification, and Hunting Regulations. Hunter education is required of anyone born after Jan. 1, 1966.
Wear hunter orange. The wearing of a garment of hunter orange is a legal requirement for all while hunting big or trophy game and for hunting pheasants in Game and Fish Wildlife Habitat Management Areas. This highly visible outerwear is important for the safety of those hunting and others in the field. Even when hunter orange is not required, as with small game hunting, it is a very good safety practice for all members of the hunting party.
Handle firearms safely. Treating every firearm as if it were loaded is one of the golden rules of firearms handling and is one of the basic principles taught in Wyoming’s hunter safety classes. It should be emphasized by both the beginner and the most experienced hunter. Safe handling of firearms includes a constant awareness of the direction of the firearm’s muzzle, which often changes in hunting situations due to terrain and varying conditions.
Use good judgment. Knowing what the target is and what is beyond this target requires a hunter to use good judgment. To ensure safety, never shoot at sound, at flash of color, or shapes in the cover – positively identify the target and beyond since the bullet can never be retracted once fired.
Be careful around vehicles and fences. Accidents often occur in and around vehicles and during fence crossings. Hunters are urged to take extra precautions when handling firearms in these situations.
Be prepared for weather changes. Weather changes can be quick, unpredictable, and extreme in the fall months. Being prepared for rain and snow especially at higher elevations is an all-season concern in Wyoming. Hunters should always have survival gear for shelter making, signaling, and fire starting even on the shortest hunt.
Don’t keep your hunting trip a secret. Inform someone of where you are going and when you expect to return. Search and rescue teams are much more effective with their efforts of finding lost or injured hunters when they know where to start looking.
Be safe while field dressing your animal. Field dressing is another aspect of the hunt where extra safety precautions should be taken. Maintaining a good sharp edge on knives while field dressing is safer than a dull knife since less pressure is needed to get the job done. Hunters should always make sure the strokes of the knife blade are made away from their body so that a slip will not find the blade coming back and causing injuries. With the awareness of disease transmission, it is also recommended that latex or rubber gloves are used throughout the field dressing process.
Wyoming’s Hunter Education program covers these and other topics including Hunter Ethics, Wildlife Conservation and Management, Game Care, Wildlife Identification, and Hunting Regulations. Hunter education is required of anyone born after Jan. 1, 1966.
Al Langston (307) 777-4540
