Top 10 Hunting Safety Tips (Firearm & Bow)

August — Hunting Safety (Firearm & Bow)

Seasons open in September. August is when the prep actually has to happen.

REC Safe Hunting

Our R.E.C. Tenets, applied in the field:

R — Responsible
E — Ethical
C — Courteous

Treat every firearm as loaded. Muzzle in a safe direction, finger off the trigger, and be certain of your target and what's beyond it.
Wear a full-body harness in any elevated stand — attached from the ground up and back down. Falls injure more hunters than firearms do, and most falls happen while climbing in or out.
Use a lifeline so you're connected during the climb, not just once you're seated.
Inspect every stand, strap, and ladder before the season. Straps degrade badly after a winter outdoors.
Haul your bow or unloaded firearm up on a rope. Never climb with it.
Wear blaze orange where required — and consider it during archery season wherever gun seasons overlap.
Positively identify your target before you draw or mount. Never use a scope as binoculars.
Take a hunter education course and read this year's regulations, not last year's.
Handle broadheads with respect. Quivered at all times; they cause deep, fast-bleeding wounds.
Tell someone exactly where your stand is, and get in shape before opening day — cardiac events while dragging game are a real and underreported cause of hunting deaths.

Going after something new? The Hunting Game Guide covers deer, elk, moose, sheep, bears, cats, canines, turkey, upland birds and waterfowl across North America, with seasons and tips for each.