Bowhunters are more likely to suffer an injury from falling out a tree stand than they are from an equipment accident.
At the mid point in the deer bow-hunting season and with rifle season fast approaching hunters are reminded to take the necessary safety precautions to make the hunt a success.
All tree stands need to be firmly secured and the access to the stand must provide solid footing for hunters as they go up and down the tree, said Mark Shoup, associate editor of Kansas Wildlife and Parks Magazine.
A ladder stand provides the most secure platform for the hunter and is the best for safety, Shoup said.
Once the stand is secure the hunter needs to get up to the stand safely as well. Never carry the bow while climbing up to the stand. Instead, secure a line to the bow and to the hunter.
When the hunter has reached the stand they need to secure themselves to the stand with a harness. When the hunter is secured then they can use the line to pull the bow up to the stand.
The same thing is true when descending from the stand. Use the line to set the bow safely on the ground first then climb down.
Whether bow or rifle hunting, hunters need to follow hunting laws and regulations. Always get permission to hunt on any piece of property and never shoot from vehicles.
A vital safety key for both bow and rifle hunters is know their target. Hunters should never shoot any weapon until they know their target.
Hunters need to avoid using a riflescope to identify a target. If that rifle should discharge the results could be disastrous.
“Never us your scope to identify a target, use binoculars,” Shoup said. “When a hunter uses a riflescope for identification that means the rifle is pointed at an unidentified target.”
In one instance, a hunter pointed a gun at a target for identification but it turned out to be another hunter dressing out a deer.
Another unidentified target situation resulted in the death of a teen-age hunter. A hunter in a pickup stopped by the side of the road and shot from the vehicle at what he thought were geese. The geese were decoys and the shot hit a teenager in a camouflage goose blind killing him.
It’s also vital to know what is around and behind the target. If a deer is on a hill do not shoot because there is no way of knowing what is on the far side of that hill, Shoup said.
“Know what your target is and what lies beyond,” Shoup said.
A basic rule of safety for guns is to know where the muzzle is pointed.
Hunters should never cross a fence with a loaded gun and they should unload the gun whenever they leave the hunting area.
It is dangerous to have loaded gun in a vehicle so it must be unloaded before it is goes into the vehicle.
Hunters should always wear hunter orange. It allows for instant identification and can prevent a hunter from being shot, Shoup said.
Deer rifle season is from Dec. 3 to Dec. 14. Antler-less deer season is from Jan. 1 to Jan. 4 2009. By following safety rules, hunters can have a safe hunt no matter the season or the weapon.
Pratt, Kan. —
