Brought to you by Good Shepherd Medical Center
Whether it’s for sport or for sustenance, hunting requires you to be
focused, skilled and patient. Every year, hundreds of hunters suffer
injuries. People have gun accidents, but not all injuries come as the
result of a firearms mishap. Other factors that also put hunters at
risk are unstable terrain or dangerous animals.
As you join thousands of hunters heading into the woods, fields and
marshes during the fall hunting seasons, please review and think
about firearm safety each and every time you head out.
TEN COMMANDMENTS OF FIREARMS SAFETY
The ‘Ten Commandments of Firearms Safety’ is an excellent safety
checklist, covered in all hunter education courses and well worth
a review by any hunter who utilizes firearms to hunt. The
commandments are as follows:
➊Treat every gun with respect. (Even if you think the gun is
unloaded, act as if it is.) This is often referred to as the cardinal
rule of gun safety.
break open the barrel, or otherwise
ensure that ammunition cannot be
fired accidently.)
carrying your firearm, check your barrel
and the chamber. Be sure your gun is in good
condition before you use it. Never attempt to
fire a gun that has an obstructed barrel.
you can be sure that even if you fall you have
some sense of control over the direction your
firearm is pointed.
Carry only empty guns into your home,
➋
vehicle or buildings. (Open the chamber,
Be sure your barrel and target are free from
➌
obstructions. Before loading, firing or even
Carry your firearm so that you control the direction
➍
of the muzzle. By carrying your firearm correctly,
➎ Be sure you know your target before you pull your trigger. Never,
ever fire until you are 100% sure of your target. There have been
many instances of death or severe injury due to a hunter
thinking he was shooting at an animal.
➏Never point a gun at anything you don’t want to shoot. Only draw
down on your target.
➐ Never leave your gun unattended. Children and others with little or
no experience with guns can have fatal accidents.
➑Never climb a tree or fence with a loaded gun. Use a rope to pull
your unloaded firearm up or place your firearm on the other side
of a fence before crossing.
➒Never shoot at flat hard surfaces or water. The ricochet that could
occur could be fatal.
➓Never use a firearm while drinking. Just as driving is dangerous,
using a firearm can be deadly.
By following these commandments you can be confident that you are
using your firearm safely. This will decrease any chances of accidents
or injury.
SAFETY FIRST
It’s a good idea to enroll in a hunter safety course even if you’ve gone
hunting before. In the United States, some states require hunters to
take a safety course before they can apply for a hunting license. Many
states offer courses in hunter safety, some
of which are conducted over the Internet.
Most programs require hunters to
participate in a field day to demonstrate
they have learned and can apply the
lessons from the course. The International
Hunter Education Association (IHEA)
offers an online course that you can
complete at your convenience. But the
IHEA’s hunters should use its course
only as a supplement to a traditional
hunter safety program.
© Good Shepherd Medical Center, 08/2012