RALEIGH, N.C. — Before heading out on this season’s hunt, make sure you are taking the proper precautions with these firearm safety tips.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Home from the Hunt campaign is reminding hunters to brush up on their firearm safety as blackpowder and gun deer hunting season gets underway this month, along with other seasons for duck, bear, small game and other game.
“Always positively identify your target before pulling the trigger,” said Carissa Daniels, engagement and education manager at the Wildlife Commission. “Sounds obvious, but it’s easy to let anticipation and excitement cloud your judgment. Collect yourself and be aware of your surroundings. To ensure the safest shot, make sure there are no houses, vehicles, powerlines, livestock or people in front of or behind your target.”
Additional firearm safety tips include:
- Always point a firearm in a safe direction.
- Treat every firearm as if it were loaded. Never assume a firearm is unloaded.
- Use binoculars, rather than a rifle scope, to identify the target.
- Keep your finger out of the trigger guard and off the trigger until ready to shoot.
- Be sure of your target, as well as what’s in front of and behind it.
Anyone hunting deer during firearm season, regardless of weapon and including archery hunters hunting on Sundays during the season, are required to wear hunter orange that is visible from all sides.
Officials say the requirement does not apply to landholders, his/her spouse and children if hunting on the landholder’s property.
Anyone traversing game lands during the season, like hikers and birders, are encouraged to wear blaze orange so they can be easily identified by hunters and other users.
Wildlife officials say anyone using a firearm while hunting bear, feral swine, rabbit, squirrel, grouse, pheasant or quail must also wear a cap or hat made of hunter orange material or an outer garment of hunter orange material that is visible from all sides.
For more information on hunting in North Carolina, click here.