Ten Tips for A Safe Fall Hunt

By: Laurine Wolf
Deputy Director of Education and Humanitarian Services for the Safari Club International (SCI) Foundation

The fall hunting seasons are in full swing.  It’s such an exciting time — there’s a crisp feeling in the air, and there’s a sense of anticipation as “the game is afoot.”  It’s also a time when we can get lax about basic rules that keep us all safe in the field. As the organization that is “First for Hunters,” SCI is proud to partner with NSSF and Project ChildSafe for the annual “HuntSAFE” initiative and offer these 10 Tips for Safe Hunting. 

  1. First, be an ethical hunter by being adequately prepared — practice your shooting skills, review the rules of firearms safety and maintain your firearms to keep them working properly and reliably. 
  2. If you’re going to be hunting alone, make sure someone knows where you are and when you expect to return. Better yet, hunt with a friend — they’re someone who can administer first aid or go for help if needed, plus you can’t beat the camaraderie of hunting together.  
  3. Any time you’re handling firearms, always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. That includes at home, in the field, at the range, in vehicles and everywhere in between.  
  4. When moving firearms into or out of a vehicle, make sure they’re unloaded and never grab, hold or move the firearm by the muzzle.  
  5. Unload your gun when climbing into or out of a tree stand or crossing a fence or stream. 
  6. When hunting, keep the firearm’s safety “on” and keep your finger outside the trigger guard until you’re ready to shoot. That’s important to remember because the safety is just like any other mechanical device: it can fail.    
  7. If you’re hunting from a tree stand, always use a safety harness.  
  8. Be certain of your target — and what lies beyond it. 
  9. Make sure YOU are easily identifiable and not invisible to or mistaken for game by other hunters. 
  10. Don’t forget that you haven’t completed a safe hunting trip until your firearm is unloaded and securely and safely stored — where children can’t access it, and where it’s not an easy target for criminals.  In that same spirit, store ammunition separately from the gun. 

In addition to these tips, Project ChildSafe has developed a HuntSAFE quiz and a Hunting Checklist for Families to help reinforce safe firearms handling and storage. And for families looking to pass on the hunting heritage, check out the new HuntSAFE Walk-Through Module and Childs Hunting Pledge.  

Laurine Wolf is the Deputy Director of Education and Humanitarian Services for the SCI Foundation, which works to ensure the future of wildlife through conservation, education and hunting. Learn more about the SCI Foundation by visiting https://safariclubfoundation.org/.