Hunting Safety Rules

Spring marks the beginning of the seasonal hunt for migratory birds. Therefore, it is useful to remind ourselves of hunting safety rules in general, and firearm handling rules in particular.
We will also review the main causes of hunting injuries and suggest how to avoid them.

Hunting Injuries

Accidental shootings, resulting in injuries or even fatalities, occur quite often during hunts. However, sometimes injuries are not caused by firearms but by the hunter's inattention and carelessness. Primarily, such injuries involve dislocations and abrasions, but fractures are not uncommon either. This happens because a hunter, upon spotting game, especially a wounded animal, ceases to notice anything in their path, and events unfold as they inevitably should.

Therefore, to avoid hunting injuries, a cool head and sober calculation are essential. As the folk wisdom goes, "a hot-headed hunter will mistake a birch stump for a hare." Unfortunately, not all hunters adhere to common sense. Many will say that experience comes with time, but since we are dealing with firearms, one cannot afford to be ignorant of their operating rules.

Basic Firearm Handling Rules

Every hunter is obliged to know and strictly observe safety regulations when handling firearms, and to prevent their violation. Remember, not only your life and health but also the lives of those around you depend on this. After all, as they say, "even a stick can shoot once a year." The most foolish and absurd incidents occur due to drunkenness, negligence, and laxity.

The most crucial condition is to learn these rules by heart, to internalise them to the point of automatism, so that they are applied instinctively without conscious thought.

·                     Always and under all circumstances, handle firearms with care, as if they are loaded and ready for action. Never point them at people or domestic animals!

·                     Unload your firearm, pointing the barrel away from people, animals, and buildings to prevent accidental discharge. It is best to load and unload firearms with the barrel pointed upwards or towards the ground.

·                     Do not hand over your firearm to another hunter without checking the barrels for a cartridge in the chamber and without unloading it before the transfer. You should also unload your firearm during a break, when approaching populated areas or a vehicle. At your resting spot, it is best to hang your firearm in a secure place, for example, on a sturdy branch.

·                     After a misfire, do not immediately open the barrels without lowering the shotgun from your shoulder; wait 10-20 seconds to avoid the consequences of a delayed shot. Always open the shotgun with the barrels pointing away from people and the breech facing away from you.

·                     When transporting by any means, the shotgun must also be unloaded and placed in a case. However, in hunting grounds, it can be removed from the case and, without loading, held with the barrels pointing upwards, for example, slung over the shoulder.

·                     When shooting, a hunter must always be aware that other people may be present in the forest. This is especially true for rifle shooting. Furthermore, during group hunts, especially in poor visibility conditions. In such cases, it is essential to maintain communication with companions, using light or sound signals. Incidentally, knowledge of different types and methods of seasonal hunting is also important.

·                     During collective hunts, bright coloured vests are helpful when positioned at designated spots, which is particularly important in winter. Discipline is paramount here: do not leave your designated spot or cross the boundary markers, as you may enter another hunter's firing zone. It is also forbidden to shoot at game in adjacent sectors, even if the animal is wounded and moving away.

·                     These are the most fundamental points that every person with a shotgun should know to avoid endangering others.

·                     Equipment and Gear

·                     Another important factor that significantly contributes to the safety of a hunter is their gear. Indeed, when time is short and seconds count to retrieve a cartridge or draw a knife from its sheath, in the heat of the moment, we make mistakes that violate safety regulations. This happens when a necessary item is too deep in a bag or pockets due to poor equipment. Therefore, to prevent such oversights, one should not economise on equipment and should purchase high-quality, reliable items that will not fail when needed.

Unwritten Hunter's Rules

There are also unwritten rules of hunter conduct when pursuing trophies, which have been formed over hundreds of years of hunting's existence. This is the so-called etiquette or hunter's code, passed down from generation to generation.

·                     All hunters are equal among themselves during the hunt and during rest.

·                     Respect older hunters and hunting traditions.

·                     Remember: mutual assistance and hunting friendship are the main values.

·                     Do not be cruel to animals.

·                     Large game is considered the trophy of the hunter whose shot stopped it. Small game belongs to the one who finished it. In collective hunts, everything is usually divided equally.

·                     If game is caught in another's sector, it is given to the hunter who was stationed there.

·                     Do not shoot a bird in flight before it has taken off, and do not disturb a hare lying in its form.

·                     Do not shoot large game from behind, and do not leave it to die wounded.

·                     If game is taken from another's dog, return the game to the dog's owner and take compensation in the form of cartridges.

·                     It is forbidden to kill animals and birds for sport.

·                     Drunkenness during a hunt is unacceptable and can lead to disaster.

·                     An honest hunter will not take game from another's trap.

·                     And most importantly – nature is our home, and we must behave accordingly: with care and rationality!

·                     Of course, these are not all ethical rules, but the most basic ones, which every hunter who respects themselves and nature must adhere to.

·                     However, there are still people who treat nature exploitatively and ignore all codes and laws. Sooner or later, this leads to troubles and misfortunes for completely unrelated people. It is good if only the negligent shooter themselves suffers.

·                     To reduce the number of such people, we must observe the rules and laws.

Good luck to all hunters!