Unfortunately, hunting accidents involving firearms occur systematically during hunts, but they can be avoided by participants primarily observing elementary safety requirements.
Unfortunately, hunting accidents involving firearms occur systematically during hunts, but they can be avoided by participants primarily observing elementary safety requirements. The main causes of accidents during hunts are shooting along the firing line or outside one's sector, unauthorized leaving of one's assigned position, shooting at noise or rustling, at unclearly visible targets, and negligent handling of firearms.
We remind you that the Hunting Safety Regulationsprohibit:
• boarding or alighting from a vehicle with a loaded hunting weapon;
• removing an assembled hunting weapon from a vehicle by the barrel(s);
• shooting at noise, rustling, at unclearly visible targets, or in conditions of poor visibility (dense fog, heavy snowfall, against the sun, etc.);
• shooting and being with a loaded hunting weapon within 200 metres of the outermost building of a populated area;
• shooting in the direction of people, populated areas, agricultural or domestic animals (except stray cats and mongrel dogs), or vehicles from smoothbore hunting firearms at a distance of less than 500 metres from them, and from rifled hunting firearms at a distance of less than 2 kilometres;
• pointing a hunting weapon, including an unloaded one, at people, agricultural or domestic animals (except stray cats and mongrel dogs), or their places of accommodation;
• firing unnecessarily, cocking an external hammer weapon, or releasing the safety catch on an internal hammer weapon;
• finishing off a wounded game animal with the butt of a weapon.
During driven hunts, hunters areprohibitedfrom:
• conducting them in conditions of poor visibility;
• moving to the middle of the firing line, including a clearing or road, or to its side opposite the shooters' positions (numbers);
• changing positions, independently
select positions and leave the assigned position before the end of the drive, except in cases where the hunter must provide immediate assistance to another person in distress;• use semi-automatic weapons with a magazine capacity of more than 10 rounds, as well as cartridges for rifled weapons with full metal jacket bullets and for smoothbore weapons with round bullets;
• shoot at game animals along the firing line, outside their sector, after the signal to end the drive.
A shot along the firing line is considered a shot at an angle to it such that the projectile or part of the projectile will fly at a distance closer than 15 metres from the adjacent position.
Each shooter at a position must accurately know the location of adjacent positions and the entire firing line. Adjacent shooters must show each other their positions before masking at their positions.
During a drive hunt, weapons may only be loaded at the assigned position. Weapons must be unloaded before leaving the position.
Shooting during a drive hunt is carried out in accordance with the requirements established by the hunt leader.
Shooting during a drive hunt is carried out after the game animal has crossed the firing line. In exceptional cases, with the permission of the hunt leader, shooting inwards and/or within the enclosure is permitted, provided that safety is ensured. The hunter making the shot bears responsibility for the consequences of shots fired inwards and/or within the enclosure.
A hunter may only shoot after having first ensured that there are no people, agricultural or domestic animals in the direction of the shot.
Violation of the requirements of the Hunting Safety Rules entails administrative responsibility (a fine of up to 15 base units, and for repeated violation of these rules within a year – a fine of 10 to 30 base units or deprivation of the right to hunt).
