Most sports have rules in place to keep its participants safe and usually a referee to control what goes on.

With hunting, there is no referee and you throw loaded weapons into the mix, suddenly the dangerous aspect of the sport is amplified.

“With laws, there are things like making sure your firearm isn’t loaded in a vehicle, making sure you’re not shooting along a road, or causing it to cross a road, staying the 183 meters away from buildings, not hunting while you are impaired, things like that,” says Gordon Cox, Environmental Sciences Instructor at Lethbridge College.

Etiquette is also something hunters need to take into consideration. Hunters should not only be constantly thinking about the rules and regulations set in place for them to follow, but also ask themselves — is this ethical?

“You have to make sure you know your back stop before you shoot, not walking with your finger on the trigger, crossing a fence or other barricade safely with your firearm. [You have to make] sure you are shooting animals that you have licences for and permission on the property,” says Cox.

Being self-aware is important when in the field, knowing where you are and where others are as well should be something hunters are thinking about at all times says Cox. This is important so when you are pointing your weapon in a direction, you are not risking the safety of not only yourself but also others in the field.

“I think the first thing to think about is always treat your gun as being loaded even if you know it isn’t. When you are transporting your gun in the field, have the breach open, always have the barrel pointed in a safe direction which is normally up to the sky,” says Shane Roersma, Environmental Sciences Instructor at Lethbridge College.

Roersma says he can’t stress enough about treating your weapon as if it’s loaded, it’s not just for your safety it is also for those around you.

“You only take the safety off when you are ready to shoot, those are just some of the safety tips that anytime I take someone hunting I want them to follow. Ultimately one mistake could be your last mistake,” says Roersma.

For more information on gun and hunting safety contact the Environment Sciences Instructors at Lethbridge College, or your local Conservational Officers.