Nebraska’s firearm deer season begins its 9-day run tomorrow and Nebraska Game and Parks is reminding all hunters to keep safety as a top priority.
Game and Parks Hunter Education Coordinator Hunter Nikolai says first and foremost is the wearing of hunter orange clothing – pointing out that not only does it increase visibility, it’s required by law.
Anyone hunting with a firearm deer permit must display at least 400 square inches of hunter orange material on their head, chest, and back – even hunters in an enclosed blind or hunting with archery equipment.
Nikolai says “Hunter orange significantly increases your visibility to other hunters, helping you and other hunters follow one of the four primary rules of firearm safety: be sure of your target, what is in front of it and what is beyond it.”
The other 3 primary safety rules deal specifically with guns: treat every firearm as if it is loaded, always point the muzzle of your firearm in a safe direction, and keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until you are ready to fire.
Nikolai offers some additional safety tips such as never shooting at sound, at movement, through thick brush, toward a roadway, at water or ice, or at a deer silhouetted against the sky.
Other recommendations include never crossing any kind of an obstacle such as a fence, stream, or steep embankment with a loaded weapon and always identifying a target by using binoculars or spotting scope instead of a rifle scope.
Nikolai encourages anyone who sees another hunter breaking one of the safety rules to speak up because it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure safety in the field.
He adds that if you witness an actual game violation, you should report it to Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers either online at Outdoor Nebraska or by calling toll-free 800-742- 7627