Safe Hunting Pheasants and Upland Birds in South Dakota.

HUNTER'S SAFETY

REMEMBER -

Never assume that a firearm is not loaded. The only certain way to ensure that a firearm is empty is to open the chamber and look inside to see if a round is present. Removing the magazine will not guarantee that a pistol is unloaded or cannot fire. Shotguns and rifles can be checked by cycling or removing all rounds and by then opening the chamber so that a visual inspection of the chamber for any remaining rounds can be made.

Never point your gun at anything you do not plan on shooting. This is very important when loading or unloading a firearm. In the event of an accidental discharge, no injury can occur as long as the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction. A safe direction means a direction in which a bullet cannot possibly strike anyone, taking into account possible ricochets and the fact that bullets can penetrate walls and ceilings. The safe direction may be "up" on some occasions or "down" on others, but never toward anything not intended as a target. Even when "dry firing" with an unloaded gun, you should never point the gun at an unsafe target.

Make it a habit to know exactly where the muzzle of your gun is pointing at all times, and be sure that you are in control of the direction in which the muzzle is pointing, even if you fall or stumble. This is your responsibility, and only you can control it.

• At game that you can't identify. Never shoot through brush and trees at a sound, movement or a dark shape!
  
• At running game, when there is little opportunity to check your zone of fire and you are very unlikely to make a clean kill anyway.
  
• At "skylined" animals that are standing on or moving over a hill where you have no way of knowing what lies beyond your target.
  
• At targets when the angle of a missed shot would cause your bullet to travel its maximum trajectory and possibly injure others.
  
• At game that is clearly out of range.
  
• At flocks of waterfowl as opposed to a single target. Flock shooting increases the risk of wounding game rather than making a clean kill.
  
• When objects in the foreground of your target could deflect your bullet.
  
• At game that another hunter is shooting at.
  
• When your bullet is apt to ricochet off flat or hard surfaces such as rocks, water, or trees.

Never consume alcohol or other drugs while hunting or when handling firearms. Do not hunt or shoot with anyone who has. Hunting while intoxicated is extremely dangerous to yourself and others. Alcohol affects your body's mental and physical abilities and impairs your sense of judgement. It also increases your risk of exposure while in the outdoors.

Prescription and non-prescription drugs also affect your body's senses. Medicines that cause drowsiness, for example, can be especially dangerous when you are handling firearms, operating motorized vehicles or when hunting from tree stands. Always stay fully alert when around firearms!