Safe Hunting

People have been hunting since the beginning of time to feed themselves and their families. Since the invention of firearms, there have been accidents and fatal shootings. In this present time, people no longer require the hunt to feed their families, but many hunt as a sport. It has become necessary to put rules and regulations into place to keep people as safe as possible while they hunt. If guns or any weapons are being used, there are safety rules that need to be followed so that the sport can be continued.

People no longer hunt everyday. Because the population of people is so high, there would not be enough game out there to feed everyone. Hunting for deer is allowed in our state for only one month, and never on Sundays. This kind of puts pressure on everyone hunting to get their deer in a short amount of time. Also, you must have a license to hunt, and only a certain amount of people have a special permit to shoot a doe. All the rules of hunting need to be followed to keep everyone safe.

Hunters wear camouflage gear to blend in with their surroundings. This puts them at risk of getting shot, so there is a law that you must wear something bright orange at all times. Some wear a hat and/or a vest. It’s very easy to see the bright color through the trees and there should be no mistaking a person wearing orange for a deer.

Hunters have regulations as to the time of day they can shoot a firearm. A hunter can be in the woods at any time, but guns can only be shot a half hour after sunrise until a half hour before sunset. This rule is another safety regulation so that all hunters can see each other and be sure to identify a person from an animal.  There are also rules in place as to where people can hunt. No one can shoot a gun from a vehicle nor have a loaded gun in a vehicle. A hunter must be at least ten yards into the woods before shooting, and no closer than 100 yards to any home.

Another safety law is that it is illegal to flush deer. This means a group of hunters spread out and walk in a certain direction, usually a field, where other hunters wait. The deer are spooked and all head in the direction they are being flushed, to where the others will shoot them in the field when they come out. This is a very dangerous practice because it would be so easy for the gunshot to hit another hunter.

All hunting rules have been put into place to keep down human fatalities. When a hunter or even a non-­hunter gets shot, the situation gets looked at, and that’s where all the rules and laws have come from. The rules are in place specifically to keep everyone who chooses to hunt safe. If everyone hunts safely, the sport can continue to be carried on through the next generations. There are hunter safety courses available, and most often, older family members teach their children and grandchildren the rules. If guns or any weapons are being used, there are rules that need to be followed so the sport can be continued.