Finn209
11-04-2004, 08:41 PM
Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources
fw.ky.gov
Tips For a Safe Modern Gun Deer Season
Press Release Contact: Lee
McClellan
November 4, 2004
(800) 858-1549
Frankfort, KY, (November 4, 2004) - Deer hunters need to be
prepared and
think about a few safety-related situations before the opening of modern gun
deer season on November 13, 2004.
One of the most common accidents that happens to hunters is a fall
from a tree stand that is too old, or because the hunter doses off, loses
balance and winds up tumbling out because a harness wasn't used as a safety
precaution.
Many hunters construct deer stands made with plywood for a
floor and
some pieces of a 2 by 4 board serving as steps. It is unwise to trust these
types of tree stands on opening day without checking their structural
integrity ahead of time and making any needed repairs.
Falling limbs throughout the year can hit and weaken the floor, which can
lead to
an unexpected and painful fall. Steps weakened through 11 months of rain,
heat, cold and freeze can easily break free and cause serious injury under
an unsuspecting hunter's weight.
Always wear your safety harness when hunting from a tree stand. It is the
single most important safety item a deer hunter can use. More hunters are
injured, sometimes fatally, from falls than errant shots, being mistaken for
game, or other types of incidents.
As the years go by, we all gain a few pounds. Don't shoot deer on steep
slopes
or in areas that require you to drag your deer a long way if you aren't in
the shape you were in high school. Think ahead and try to minimize the
physical effort it takes to move and load a harvested animal by hand, if
you're not used to heavy lifting and exertion. Make sure you have some help
available ahead of time. Use the buddy system and take frequent breaks. Be
sure someone at home knows about where you are and about what time you
should be home, just in case something happens.
All hunters who hunt during modern gun deer season, or any other period when
firearms can be used for deer hunting, must comply with the hunter orange
clothing law. It requires hunters wear solid, unbroken hunter orange color
visible from all sides on the head, back and chest. Hunter orange must also
be worn by anyone accompanying a gun deer hunter. Camouflage patterns with
splotches of hunter orange do not meet the requirements. Wearing hunter
orange while walking to and from the deer stand, but taking it off while in
the deer stand, does not meet the requirement. It's much wiser to keep your
hunter orange on at all times while you're in the field, even if you're just
eating lunch, for obvious reasons.
Other safety tips are also important, but sometimes easy to forget. Do not
cross a fence, or climb a tree stand ladder without completely unloading
your firearm beforehand. It is easy for a firearm laid against a fence to
slide off, hit the ground and fire. If hunting with a companion, let him or
her hold the firearm after you unload it and while you cross. The empty
firearms can then be handed over carefully and safely, person two can climb
over, and then both hunters can reload and proceed. Don't transport loaded
firearms in any type of vehicle. Use good judgment when operating
all-terrain vehicles. Don't get in a hurry.
Never fire at any movements, sounds or colors, and don't assume if you have
on your hunter orange, all other hunters will, too. Rather, expect the
opposite. Keep your firearm's safety on until you are ready to shoot.
Always be 100 percent certain of your target before you fire. Once the
bullet leaves the barrel, you can't take it back.
Safety should become a habit for all hunters. Don't take it lightly and cut
corners. Remember, you can take the finest trophy in the world, but it
won't mean much if you wind up hurt, hurting someone else, or worse.
-30-
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
(KDFWR) manages, regulates, enforces and promotes responsible use of all
fish and wildlife species, their habitats, public wildlife areas and
waterways for the benefit of those resources and for public enjoyment.
KDFWR, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, has an economic impact to the
state of $4.8 billion annually. For more information on KDFWR, visit our web
site at fw.ky.gov.
fw.ky.gov
Tips For a Safe Modern Gun Deer Season
Press Release Contact: Lee
McClellan
November 4, 2004
(800) 858-1549
Frankfort, KY, (November 4, 2004) - Deer hunters need to be
prepared and
think about a few safety-related situations before the opening of modern gun
deer season on November 13, 2004.
One of the most common accidents that happens to hunters is a fall
from a tree stand that is too old, or because the hunter doses off, loses
balance and winds up tumbling out because a harness wasn't used as a safety
precaution.
Many hunters construct deer stands made with plywood for a
floor and
some pieces of a 2 by 4 board serving as steps. It is unwise to trust these
types of tree stands on opening day without checking their structural
integrity ahead of time and making any needed repairs.
Falling limbs throughout the year can hit and weaken the floor, which can
lead to
an unexpected and painful fall. Steps weakened through 11 months of rain,
heat, cold and freeze can easily break free and cause serious injury under
an unsuspecting hunter's weight.
Always wear your safety harness when hunting from a tree stand. It is the
single most important safety item a deer hunter can use. More hunters are
injured, sometimes fatally, from falls than errant shots, being mistaken for
game, or other types of incidents.
As the years go by, we all gain a few pounds. Don't shoot deer on steep
slopes
or in areas that require you to drag your deer a long way if you aren't in
the shape you were in high school. Think ahead and try to minimize the
physical effort it takes to move and load a harvested animal by hand, if
you're not used to heavy lifting and exertion. Make sure you have some help
available ahead of time. Use the buddy system and take frequent breaks. Be
sure someone at home knows about where you are and about what time you
should be home, just in case something happens.
All hunters who hunt during modern gun deer season, or any other period when
firearms can be used for deer hunting, must comply with the hunter orange
clothing law. It requires hunters wear solid, unbroken hunter orange color
visible from all sides on the head, back and chest. Hunter orange must also
be worn by anyone accompanying a gun deer hunter. Camouflage patterns with
splotches of hunter orange do not meet the requirements. Wearing hunter
orange while walking to and from the deer stand, but taking it off while in
the deer stand, does not meet the requirement. It's much wiser to keep your
hunter orange on at all times while you're in the field, even if you're just
eating lunch, for obvious reasons.
Other safety tips are also important, but sometimes easy to forget. Do not
cross a fence, or climb a tree stand ladder without completely unloading
your firearm beforehand. It is easy for a firearm laid against a fence to
slide off, hit the ground and fire. If hunting with a companion, let him or
her hold the firearm after you unload it and while you cross. The empty
firearms can then be handed over carefully and safely, person two can climb
over, and then both hunters can reload and proceed. Don't transport loaded
firearms in any type of vehicle. Use good judgment when operating
all-terrain vehicles. Don't get in a hurry.
Never fire at any movements, sounds or colors, and don't assume if you have
on your hunter orange, all other hunters will, too. Rather, expect the
opposite. Keep your firearm's safety on until you are ready to shoot.
Always be 100 percent certain of your target before you fire. Once the
bullet leaves the barrel, you can't take it back.
Safety should become a habit for all hunters. Don't take it lightly and cut
corners. Remember, you can take the finest trophy in the world, but it
won't mean much if you wind up hurt, hurting someone else, or worse.
-30-
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
(KDFWR) manages, regulates, enforces and promotes responsible use of all
fish and wildlife species, their habitats, public wildlife areas and
waterways for the benefit of those resources and for public enjoyment.
KDFWR, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, has an economic impact to the
state of $4.8 billion annually. For more information on KDFWR, visit our web
site at fw.ky.gov.