This is a post by Blake Anderson, he’s with Hunter Tree Stands . The article is all about hunter safety and the what nots and what to do when in the field.  Read the article and be sure to practice Hunter Safety!

Hunter Safety
As a hunter I cannot press [hunter safety] strong enough to my readers.  Each year on average, there are 1,000 hunters shot and killed in hunting accidents by being shot by another hunter and the shooter is usually the buddy that does the shooting.  Knowing where your buddy is at all times is so important I cannot stress this enough.

As a responsible hunter you already know you must be wearing hunter orange.  Deer do not see very well in the daytime hours and rely mostly on their hearing and noses to detect danger. By wearing your hunter orange hat, vest, gloves you are not going to be seen by a deer, however, you will be seen by another hunter.

If you do not have a clear and clean shot don’t take the shot. This is where other hunters end up getting the bullet and not the deer.  If you ‘think’ you see or hear a deer wait until you actually have it in your sights clearly and with out a doubt know exactly what you are shooting at.

When you are out hunting there is nothing fast about it. Hunting takes time, patience, knowledge and more patience. There is no sense in getting over excited on the first or even the last day of hunting season if you hear a sound in the woods and it just may be another hunter who is not wearing hunter orange.

If you do not bag a deer in one season, there is always another season coming up next year.  It is not worth shooting at the first break of a twig or a strange noise that you ‘think’ is a snort or a hoof if that sound ends up being another hunter who does not follow the [hunting safety rules].

Whether you are sitting in a [tree stand] or in a [blind] on the ground make sure you with out a doubt know what you are shooting at.  If you do not clearly see a deer yet hear noises, do not shoot.  If it is a deer it will come into your view and this is where your patience comes in.  Be certain and positive before you squeeze that trigger.

Look through your sites prior to putting your finger on the trigger if you are not sure what the noises are.  Once you are absolutely positive that you have a deer in your sites you can follow that deer until it is in a position wherein you can obtain a clear shot without any doubts whatsoever what you are shooting at.

With 1,000 hunter accidents each year that is 1,000 too many and these accident only occur when the shooter is not sure what they are shooting at as they do not have a clear view and due to other hunters not abiding by hunter safety rules and wearing hunter orange.

It is much better to come alive with or without a deer than to come home in a black plastic body bag. Use common sense and if you are hunting with your young son or daughter make sure they are enrolled in hunter safety classes with yourself the parent in attendance as well.  It is so much better to be safe than sorry when it comes to hunting.

So many people rely on hunting each year to fill their freezers with meat. It is not just the thrill of the hunt but also to be able to sustain your family and true hunters do not waste a good deer.  Please be safe, wear your hunter orange, make sure you know where your hunting buddy is at all times and make sure you have a clear shot without any doubts of what you are shooting at.  Be safe and keep others safe while in the woods hunting.