Brushing up on Hunting Season Safety

Information from NHPR, originally by Abigail Ham of The Keene Sentinel

Shared 10/2/24

During our weekly Walk & Talk this morning, discussion arose around hunting season safety for walkers and hikers. It raised the questions:  When is hunting season? What are wardrobe must haves to enjoy the outdoors safely? Is it even safe to be in the woods right now?

According to this article from Abigail (2024), we’re in the midst of hunting season. This article shares hunting season “brush-up” safety tips from N.H. Fish and Game educator Eric Geib. Geib shares that in training hunters muzzle control is emphasized, training to always treat firearms as if they are loaded. Geib also highlights part of the hunter education program is to ensure certainty about the target, and what lies beyond it. In 2001 the majority of hunting incidents recorded by the International Hunter Education Association were due to poor judgement or mishandling of a firearm. In New Hampshire in 2001 there were 64 incidents with 5 deaths.

Despite these statistics, the article uplifts that hunting season should NOT be a reason to stop enjoying time in the outdoors. The recommendation for outdoor enthusiasts during hunting season is two-fold. First, Geib recommends that everyone (pets included!) involved in an outing in the woods during hunting season wear blaze orange to help hunters identify them in the surroundings. The second recommendation Geib gives is to engage in conversation with your fellow hikers to ensure hunters are aware of your presence in the woods.

IF you would like to see this article from Abigail Ham on NHPR, please click here.

Works Cited:

Ham, Abigail. “It’s Time to Brush up on Hunting Season Safety.” New Hampshire Public Radio, Keene Sentinel , 23 Sept. 2024, www.nhpr.org/nhpr-news-partner/2024-09-23/its-time-to-brush-up-on-hunting-season-safety.

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