Firearms deer season opens Saturday, Nov. 29. As you prepare to head out to our fields and forests, be sure to keep safety in mind. The Pennsylvania Game Commission offers these important tips:
Basic Safety
• Positively identify the target. Be sure you are shooting at legal game. Never shoot at sounds or movement.
• Stay in the zone! Hunters should be spaced 25 to 40 yards apart, and always in sight of one another. Each hunter’s zone of fire spans about 45 degrees directly in front of the hunter. Never shoot at game moving between you and someone else.
• Plan your hunt! Let someone know where you’re hunting and when you’ll return.
• Buckle up! If you hunt from an elevated stand, always wear a full-body, fall-restraint device as soon as your feet leave the ground and until they return.
• Keep fit! Hunting is hard work. Don’t become a statistic. Keep physically fit. Start with a check-up and follow your doctor’s advice.
• Stay found! Become familiar with your hunting area. Learn how to use a map and compass or GPS unit. Be prepared for emergencies. Carry a basic survival kit and know how to use it.
• Be seen! Wear or display the required amount of fluorescent orange clothing.
SMART Firearms Safety
When using a firearm, follow these five primary safety rules:
• Safe direction: Keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction at all times.
• Make sure: Positively identify your target.
• Always check: Know what’s beyond your target before shooting.
• Respect firearms: Treat all firearms as if they are loaded.
• Trigger caution: Don’t touch the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
Treestand safety
Hundreds of Pennsylvania hunters have been seriously injured in tree stand-related accidents.
By remembering these STEPS to tree stand safety, you can reduce your risk of falling and be prepared to signal for help if you do fall.
- Safety harness or belt: Always wear a full-body safety harness whenever your feet leave the ground.
- Tree stand maintenance: Check your stand for missing or broken parts before each use.
- Evaluate your stand site: Select trees that are alive and will support your weight
- Partners and plans: Hunt with a partner and have a plan in case of an emergency.
- Signals: Carry a whistle or other signaling device should you need assistance.
Hunters should also:
- Use a haul line to bring gear up
- Make sure firearms are unloaded with the action
Fluorescent orange requirements
- Whenever orange is required, it must be worn at all times while hunting.
- Generally, when orange is required, hunters must wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange that’s visible from 360 degrees on the head, chest, and back. A hat and vest satisfy this requirement.
- When using a blind or enclosed tree stand during firearms deer, bear, or elk seasons, a minimum of 100 square inches of fluorescent orange material must be displayed within 15 feet of the blind or stand and visible from 360 degrees.
- It is unlawful to be on state game lands from November 15 through December 15 without wearing a minimum of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange, unless engaged in lawful hunting or trapping that doesn’t require the use of orange.
- Even when not required, the use of orange is strongly recommended, especially while moving.
