Being Safe During Deer Hunting Season

By Glen Wunderlich

With the Nov. 15 firearm deer approaching, Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers encourage hunters to brush up on safety tips and hunting regulations to ensure a safe, enjoyable experience.

The following general safety tips will help to insure that we hunters continue the trend to safer hunting:

o    Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.  That also means that if someone is offering to show you his firearm and presents it to you, ask him to open the action to verify it’s clear.  If you are the one presenting the firearm, make it your automatic policy to show it’s clear before someone else touches it.

o    Keep your finger away from the trigger and outside the trigger guard until you are ready to fire.  By following these instructions, others can be sure that the firearm cannot inadvertently discharge.

o    Keep the safety on until you are ready to fire.  A person’s hidden rationale for not using the safety may result from not becoming familiar with the firearm.  As a result, he may leave the gun ready to fire, so as not to forget later.  Or, maybe he forgot to check after loading and chambering a round.  Both are bad excuses.  Practice with the empty gun you will use until the process of taking the gun off “safe” is natural.  Another reason people will intentionally leave a gun in the “fire” position is because some safety mechanisms make an audible click, if operated quickly, and could spook game.  You should  practice operating the safety slowly, so as to minimize any related sound.

o    Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.  It doesn’t matter if you know the gun is empty; make it a habit!   Also, point out any unsafe handling to others, if they get careless.

o    Be certain of your target, and what’s beyond it, before firing.  To be certain of your target, get in the habit of carrying binoculars.  A good harness can make them accessible quickly and some will guard against the elements.  You don’t want to get in the habit of using your scope to identify objects – especially what may turn out to be another hunter!

o    Know the identifying features of the game you hunt.  If you cannot verify that what you are looking at is what you want to kill, hold your fire.  Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up to be the person that tries to explain away your negligence.

o    Unload the firearm before running, climbing a fence or tree, or jumping a ditch.

o    Wear a safety harness when hunting from an elevated platform. Use a haul line to bring the unloaded firearm up and down the raised platform.

o    Always wear a hat, cap, vest or jacket of hunter orange, visible from all sides, with a minimum of 50 percent hunter orange during daylight hunting hours, even if hunting on private land. The law also applies to archery hunters during firearm season.

o    Always let someone know where you are hunting and when you plan to return. This information helps conservation officers and others locate you, if you become injured or lost.

o    Carry a cell phone into the woods. Not only does it let you call for help, if necessary, but newer phones emit a signal that can help rescuers locate you.  Double check to make sure it’s in quiet mode, though.

o    Program the DNR’s Report All Poaching (RAP) line (800-292-7800) in your phone contacts so you can alert conservation officers to any natural resources violations you may witness.

Firearms, Hunting

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The cub was spotted by Cornville residents and reported to AZGFD on three separate occasions. Each time, the reporting residents did the right thing, leaving the animal alone, because the mother of a young animal is typically nearby. In this case, the mother never returned after two weeks and AZGFD biologists determined that in this situation, it was best to intervene. Read more

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“The perpetrator’s rampage was stopped by a law abiding citizen, using an AR15-type rifle,” noted CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “The shooter bought his guns at retail and passed background checks because the military failed to forward his criminal records to the National Instant Check System. Now it is being reported that the gunman once escaped from a mental health facility in New Mexico.

“Isn’t it ironic,” he mused, “that a private citizen, who the anti-gunners would prefer to be defenseless, used a rifle that gun control extremists have tried to ban with the claim that such guns do not belong in civilian hands?” Read more

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Ammunition

MI DNR conservation officers provide tips for a safe, enjoyable hunting season

As the Nov. 15 firearm deer season opener nears, Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers encourage hunters to brush up on safety tips and hunting regulations to ensure a safe, enjoyable experience.

“Firearm deer season is a special time of year in Michigan,” Cpl. Dave Painter said. “It brings family and friends DEER 3 COPYtogether in celebration of our state’s great outdoor heritage. Staying safe, knowing the laws and being good stewards of our resources will help hunters have a memorable outing.”

Painter reminds hunters that a mandatory deer check is in place within certain areas of the state due to the confirmation of chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological disease found in deer, elk and moose. Hunters harvesting a deer in these CWD areas must bring it to a DNR check station within 72 hours. Visit mi.gov/deercheck for a map and list of check stations.

Regardless of where deer are harvested in Michigan, the DNR encourages all hunters to voluntarily take them to the nearest check station to help with disease surveillance. In addition, big-game hunters who travel outside of Michigan should be aware of new regulations restricting the importation of harvested cervids.

Painter also offered the following general safety tips:

    • Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
    • Keep your finger away from the trigger and outside the trigger guard until you are ready to fire.
    • Keep the safety on until you are ready to fire.
    • Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
    • Be certain of your target, and what’s beyond it, before firing.
    • Know the identifying features of the game you hunt.
    • Make sure you have an adequate backstop. Don’t shoot at a flat, hard surface or water.
    • Unload the firearm before running, climbing a fence or tree, or jumping a ditch.
    • Wear a safety harness when hunting from an elevated platform. Use a haul line to bring the unloaded firearm up and down the raised platform.
    • Avoid alcoholic beverages or behavior-altering medicines or drugs before or during a hunt.
    • Always wear a hat, cap, vest or jacket of hunter orange, visible from all sides, during daylight hunting hours, even if hunting on private land. The law also applies to archery hunters during firearm season.
    • Make sure at least 50 percent of any camouflage pattern being worn is in hunter orange.
    • Always let someone know where you are hunting and when you plan to return. This information helps conservation officers and others locate you if you become injured or lost.
    • Carry a cell phone into the woods. Not only does it let you call for help if necessary, but newer phones emit a signal that can help rescuers locate you. Also consider downloading a compass or flashlight app.
    • Program the DNR’s Report All Poaching (RAP) line (800-292-7800) in your phone contacts so you can alert conservation officers to any natural resources violations you may witness.

Read more

Hunting

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We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and grieve for all those affected by the hand of an evil man in Sutherland Springs, Texas; indeed, we mourn for every man, woman, and child lost to unjust violence and unconscionable circumstance wherever and however they may fall.

In the aftermath of the horrific and illegal premeditated killing at the First Baptist Church we see once more, and quite clearly, that only virtuous people bearing arms can effectively respond to those evil or insane people who, devoid of a moral core, take deliberate actions to kill and injure others when they are at their most vulnerable. And, too, such virtuous people are not limited to those in government service; rather, they are found in abundance throughout our great nation, standing as sheepdogs, vigilant for the cause of peace but prepared to defend life if needed, perhaps even at the cost of their own. Read more

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Ammunition, Firearms
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