Hunting Safety
Shooting a firearm or a bow involves mental and physical action on the part of the shooter coupled with some chemical and physical actions that take place quickly. When a shooter presses the trigger on a loaded firearm, a series of actions take place that propels the projectile through the barrel. The barrel acts as a launching tube, and it starts the projectile(s) toward the precise spot at which the muzzle was pointing at the time the gun was fired. Driven by rapidly expanding gases, the projectile accelerated down the bore and exits through the muzzle before striking the target or whatever was in front of the muzzle at the time of firing. Shot holes or bullet holes leave evidence of where the muzzle was pointed. No mental action can alter that impact site once the sear has been released and the projectile sent on its way.
Mental control is required of every shooter, since it is the shooter’s mind that controls where the muzzle is pointed and when the trigger may be pressed. Firearms do not think; they merely perform their appointed function. Therefore, every shooter must think.
Muzzle control is the most critical element of firearms safety in the field or on the range. No one wishes to look down the business end of a firearm’s barrel. When a firearm is in your hands, it is your absolute responsibility to control where the muzzle points at all times. Your attention must be sharp at all times, in all situations, constantly. The foundation for that focused attention lies in self-control, and the firearm must be pointed in a safe direction at all times.
“Safe direction” is defined by the circumstances, and it is primarily a case of exercising common sense. Safety means that nothing would be injured if the firearm discharged unexpectedly and sent a range down range.
Hunter must be concerned about handling firearms at home, on the range, and in the field. Most hunters must transport their firearms to the hunting area by some type of vehicle. States differ significantly in their requirements for transporting firearms. Very few permit the transportation of loaded firearms in motor vehicles; and even where it is permitted, the practice is unsafe and unwise. Some states require that unloaded firearms be in a case for transport. Others do not. Be sure to cover all aspects of firearms transportation law as it applies to your state and neighboring ones.
Safety is the primary concern when transporting firearms. Most laws are written to protect people from accidents or foolishness during transport. Nevertheless, the reasons for care in transportation go far beyond safety. Proper transportation protects the firearm and its sights. It maintains the value of the arm as well as its proper functioning. Sturdy, secure, padded cases are ideal for transporting firearms over any distance. Soft, padded cases are good for keeping dust and debris off the firearm as well.
Before any firearm is placed in a case for transport, the user should check it once more to make sure that it is empty in chamber and magazine and that the barrel is free from any obstructions. That may have been done several times in the past, even moments before; but learning to take a moment to make sure is sound practice that could save a life. Any time a firearm is handled, this same procedure should be repeated.
Filed firearm handling consists of carrying and using he firearm in the field. Hunters carry firearms in many different ways, and most of those techniques are acceptable under some conditions. Most methods involve at least two points of contact between the firearm and the hunter. A variety of two-handed carries give greater security to the firearm. Most shooter carry their firearm diagonally across the torso with the dominant-side hand on the pistol grip and a finger guarding the trigger guard and the off-side hand on the forearm. Normally the muzzle is pointed upward and outward from the body. As the cradle carry is approached, the muzzle may come down to point almost horizontally to the non-dominant side. Most shooters use the cradle carry when sighting game is not assumed to be imminent. The dominant-side hand still grasps the grip area of the firearm with the index finger covering the trigger guard; but the non-dominant hand may grasp the dominant wrist, allowing the forearm to rest in the crook of that arm.
The port-arms carry may be either one- or two-handed. It is primarily a shotgunner’s position, used when flushing game is expected at any moment. In the one-handed version, the butt of the rests on the shooter’s dominant side hip with the dominant-side hand grasping the grip and the index finger guarding the trigger. The two-handed approach is similar to the two-handed carry described above, but it moves the muzzle forward toward the anticipated line of flight.
Rifles or shotguns are often carried on slings when walking to or from the hunting area or covering long distances during a hunt. The vast majority of hunters carry the muzzle up keeping, it in a safe direction. A muzzle-down sling carry requires extra caution to keep the muzzle pointed away from the hunter and his or her companions. Carrying a handgun in a holster is the equivalent of using a sling carry with a long gun.
Where conditions permit, a firearm may be carried in a trail carry with the muzzle forward and nearly horizontal with the hand grasping it near the receiver. It could also be carried on one shoulder, whether nearly vertically or nearly horizontally with the hand grasping the butt of the grip for control. These carries can be used with many variations, but all of them are determined by simple rules: muzzle control, secure handling, and keeping “safe direction” in mind constantly.
Handling firearms when obstacles or rough terrain are encountered must also be learned. Perhaps the most commonly encountered obstacle is a fence. Regardless of whether a single person is involved or a party of hunters negotiates the obstacle together, all firearms should be open and empty when a fence crossing is being made. When hunting with dogs, be particularly aware of their presence and movements. Crawl through or under the fence, retrieve your firearm, and check it thoroughly for obstructions before loading. Where several people are crossing a fence together, safe, open and empty, firearms can be passed from one individual to another. The entire party can load once everyone has been able to cross the obstacle.
Safety dictates that fences be crossed carefully with solid attention to proper firearms handling. Ethics dictate that fences be crossed carefully to avoid damage to the fences. Most often, it is better to crawl under or through a fence than to climb it. Climb fences only when you can do so without damaging them, and be sure to report any fence damage you encounter or cause along the way.
Elevated blinds present frequent opportunities for safety violations. The temptation to climb into the blind with a loaded firearm strapped on one’s back is strong. Resist it! The safe approach is to attach a hauling line to an empty firearm, lean the firearm against the backside of the tree or an open part of the blind, and climb into the stand. Use the hauling line to pull the firearm into the stand after you are securely established in the blind. Remember to check the bore for obstructions before loading. When descending from the tree or blind, reverse the process. Lower the empty firearm to the ground, then climb down to retrieve it. Ground blinds that require some contortion to enter them should be treated similarly, loading after getting situated.
Boats or off-road vehicles are treated like motor vehicles in most states. Only safe (open or empty) firearms or cased, safe firearms should be passed into or from them. Be sure to pass them carefully and to stow them where they will stay dry and out of harm’s way. Load the arms only when ready to hunt, e.g. the boat is anchored and the decoys are placed or movement is stopped as you call for that bull moose. Unload all guns before heading to port or removing them from the boat.
Loading or unloading guns sometimes presents potential safety problems. Often a group of people is close together, near vehicles, roads, buildings, or other possible danger areas. Firearms must be pointed in a safe direction while being loaded, and one of the easiest ways to accomplish that is to have hunters stand with their backs toward each other and firearms pointed away. As always, check for obstructions prior to loading and put the safety in the “ON” position once the arm is loaded.
Guns should be unloaded to traverse obstacles or dangerous terrain, like logs, slippery banks, scree slopes or similar challenges. They should also be unloaded when a group of hunters stops to talk, discuss strategy, or pauses to eat. Finally, they should be unloaded at the end of the day or at the conclusion of hunting a given cover. Check them again for before casing them.
Adhering to safe zones of fire prevents accidents. In the excitement of shooting at game, it is possible for a hunter to swing too close to other hunters in many situations. Knowing the limits of zones of fire is critical. In a single file group of hunters, only the lead person has a safe zone of fire in the direction of fire. The others may have a narrow zone or fire to the sides if location of their partners permits.
Many types of hunting involve groups of hunters working covers in line-abreast patterns. Upland game, small game, or waterfowl hunters may be in this situation as they attempt to flush game or as they wait in a blind. Each hunter must know where his or her companions are and which areas permit safe shots as well as those areas that are off limits to shooting. Take the time to discuss each person’s zone of fire to make sure that nobody makes an error. Even big game hunters who are still hunting in groups or conducting a drive are likely to find themselves in this situation. Drive hunts require very pointed definitions of safe zones of fire, since drivers are moving toward a line of standers with game likely to be flushed between them.
Anchored or staked boas can be treated like blinds with close quarters, well-defined zones of fire, and agreed upon shots. Drifting or hand powered boats are a completely different story. Only the person in the shooting position, usually in the bow, should have a loaded firearm.
The final element of firearm safety in the field involves target identification and shot selection. Sine the mental control stops and chemistry and physics take over when the trigger is pressed, complete and absolute identification of any potential target is essential. The safety of any shots must be carefully assessed before taking any shot, and that safety assessment must include every point between the muzzle and the spot where the projectile will stop. Following this rule provides safety for people, livestock, and non-game animals as well as capability of making clean kills on legal game.
Knowing that something is not a hunter, blaze and international orange is not enough. Although a state may require hunters to wear this safety color, it is not required of kids who could be playing in the fields, hikers, loggers or other workers, farmers, ranchers, or others who might be sharing this site. “Mistaken for game” accidents should never happen!
On the other hand, wise hunters elect to use protective colors to help other hunters see them. In contexts where color is not a detriment to hunting success, blaze orange clothing makes the hunter easily visible to other hunters. Seeing more easily allows responsible hunters to avoid shots in that direction. On the other hand, bright colors can negatively affect success in many hunting situations like bowhunting, turkey hunting, waterfowling, and dove hunting. Animals with excellent color vision and some with color vision that differs from our own can be warned away from hunting ranges by bright colors. In fact, bright colors can be dangerous in some situations. Turkey hunters, for example, should never wear or use items in white, blue, yellow, orange, or red because these are the releaser colors that say gobbler to excited hunters. The wave of a handkerchief or a glimpse of a sock top above the boot could cause a careless hunter to shoot without waiting for full identification. Records show that the safest turkey hunters are hose in full camouflage. Remember that failure to see orange does not make a shot safe, YOU must think it through carefully to make sure of its safety.
Practice with game recognition and shot selection can be set up on a hunter’s trail using silhouette targets and both safe and unsafe shooting situations.
Equipment Checking and Storage
A wise hunter includes equipment checks in his or her routine. In the field, every firearm should be checked thoroughly before it is loaded. The bore should be checked to make sure that it is free from obstructions or excessive oil. The ammunition should be checked to make sure that it is the proper ammunition for the firearm being used and that no other ammo is mixed in with it.
Once the firearm is loaded and the safety is applied, the hunter should make frequent checks of the safety to make sure it is still in the safe position. The arm should be opened and thoroughly checked after any fall; particularly to make sure that the bore is not obstructed. After traversing heavy cover, particularly under snowy conditions, or during periods of heavy rain or snow, periodic checks of the bore should also be conducted. After taking any shot that does not sound or behave as expected, the bore should be checked for the presence of a lodged bullet, wad, or base wad; and the chamber should be checked id a case does not appear to be intact.
The position of the safety should be determined under all these conditions as well. Even though the safety is a mechanical device that can fail, a wise hunter makes sure that it is properly applied and in working order. Shooters must understand that some safety devices will allow the firearm to discharge if they are not completely in the safe position. Remember too, the only real safety on any firearm is the person holding it.
Any time that firearms are exchanged, they should be passed from person to person with a standard protocol. The firearms should be empty with the actions open. The person passing the arm should protect the trigger and trigger guard with one hand and hold the forearm with the other. The person receiving the arm should grasp it at the grip and on the forearm before saying “thank you” as a symbol of his or her having accepted control of the gun. The person passing the firearm should respond with “you’re welcome” to signify that their care and control of the arm is about to be relinquished to the other party. Once the arms are ready to be used again, they should be checked in both bore and chamber, reloaded and have their safeties applied.
Careful inspection of firearms in the field, store, or home prevents many mishaps with firearms. The term “accident” should not be used when the situation was caused by failure to observe safety standards or proper firearms maintenance. Damage to guns and shooters come from many preventable sources. Bore obstructions of all kinds = cleaning patches, wads, or even oil or grease can result in burst barrels. Poor storage conditions, like access to the arms by dirt dauber wasps, can result in both pitting and obstructions. Bores may be obstructed by using mixed ammunition, lack of a powder charge, improper bullet seating, or cartridge failure. Mud and snow are among the more common obstructions, and they must be completely removed before the firearm is fired. Even a tiny amount of material near the forcing cone of a shotgun choke can result in a split barrel.
Mechanical damage can also result in problems. A safety that does not do its job or that allows a released sear to be blocked until the safety is moved to the “fire” position is dangerous and should be repaired by a competent gunsmith or the manufacturer. A broken firing pin can lodge forward, resulting in “slam firing” in semi-autos or pump guns or even in bolt actions where vigorous operation of the bolt takes place. Faulty sears, usually those that have become worn or have been adjusted by an amateur with a hone, can allow the second barrel or a double to fire on recoil or allow other guns to fire after a slight impact. Broken or bent interrupters in some actions can cause the firearm either to fail to function at all or to go fully automatic. Both situations call for immediate service by a gunsmith. Improper headspace, wither too much or too little, can create pressure problems, damaged ammunition, and potential damage to the arm or the user. Even damage to the stock can cause problems. Although minor cracks may not be critical, serious ones could result in the firearm coming apart during firing. Even cracked butt plates could result in a pinch during firing. The moral of the story is to keep firearms in good repair and working order.
One of the keys to keeping arms functional is proper cleaning. Assuming that the arm came in from the field relatively clean and dry, allow it, if necessary, to warm to room temperature in the case. When it is removed from the case, immediately check it to be sure it is safe. Carefully swab the bore from the breech end if possible with a quality solvent and a brass or nylon brush or patch on a cleaning jag. When the patches are coming through clean, run several clean, dry patches through to remove the solvent residues. Finally, use a patch lightly oiled with a quality gun oil to lay down a thin protective coating on the bore.
Make sure that all metal parts are clean and dry, and then wipe down all metal parts with a lightly oiled cloth or a cloth treated with an anti-corrosion compound. Apply a small drop of oil to all moving parts. Remember that too much oil is worse for the gun than not enough, so keep the lubricant to a minimum. IF the firearm is to be used in sub-zero weather, consider stripping all oil from bolts and other working parts with a solvent. Dry graphite can be used to lube moving parts under these conditions.
Stocks do not need the same treatment. In fact, gun oils that seep into stock wood tend to damage that wood. Minimize stock contact with oils and solvents. Scrapes and scratches can be touched up with a tiny amount of stock finish or boiled linseed oil, rubbed with the hand until it seems to disappear into the wood.
Storage is a matter of personal choice, but some standards should be recognized. In general, gun cases are not intended for long-term storage. Moisture, body salts, or other contaminants that are trapped in the case can cause contact damage to the firearm that will go undetected until the next time the case is opened. Usually, long-term storage should involve a cool, dry place where the firearm is safe from damage and access by unauthorized persons. Vaults, safes, locked cabinets, or locked rooms are all excellent choices. Many authorities claim that horizontal storage is better than vertical storage for the prevention of viscous oil seepage into stocks or actions.
Guns and ammunition normally should be stored in separate locations, both with controlled access. The standard cool, dry location that was stated for guns is also excellent for ammunition. Excessive heat or moisture can damage ammunition by breaking down the powder or contaminating it with waxes or other compounds. Exposure to temperature extremes can result in condensation problems as well.
Of course, all firearms should be cleaned properly before storage, and all ammunition should be placed in properly labeled containers so it can be used appropriately after some time has elapsed. Both storage areas should be checked periodically to make sure the arms and ammunition are in good condition.
