With Wisconsin deer hunting season starting, it is essential to understand gun safety rules and regulations. Training and education provide hunters the skills to safely use their weapons without incident. Follow these safety rules to keep yourself and others safe this hunting season.
1. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. Always keep the gun unloaded until you are ready to use it.
3. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
4. Treat the gun as if it is loaded.
5. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Recently, an example of this occurred on a movie set where an actor did not realize a prop gun was loaded and accidently killled another person on set.
6. Check to make sure the safety is on unless you are ready to shoot.
7. Be sure to unload your gun once you are done using it.
8. Be sure to always wear orange if you are hunting so that you can be easily seen. People do not wear hunter orange because they are hunting, they wear hunter orange because they are in the vicinity of hunters with high-powered rifles. Even if you're not hunting and you're in the woods, be sure to wear hunter orange for your own protection. Unfortunately, people have been accidentally killed for not doing this.
There was a serious case recently where the gun handler did not follow these rules. The hunter’s safety was off when he put his finger on the trigger. While putting the gun in its case, he pulled the trigger, firing the gun. The bullet went through the case and through the side of the hunting camp and shattered his hunting partner’s femur.
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