Your safety is your responsibility.

• Tell someone where you will be hunting.
• Avoid outings alone. If you go alone, be extra careful and hunt in familiar areas.
• Dress properly and be prepared for the worst possible conditions. Protect against hypothermia.
• Check the weather forecast before going into the woods.
• Identify your target before shooting.
• Check hunting equipment before and after each outing, and maintain it properly. Familiarize yourself with its operation before using it in the field.
• Always wear enough blaze orange to be highly visible to other hunters.

Outdoors tips | Deer-season safety

• Be wary of permanent treestands made from plywood and pine 2x4s. It is unwise to trust these types of tree stands without checking their structural integrity ahead of time. Falling limbs, wind and moisture weaken permanent treestands over time and make them unsafe.
• Always wear a safety harness when hunting from a treestand. Each season, hunters get injured, some seriously, when they fall asleep and take a dive off their treestands, or slip and fall when climbing in or out of the tree.
• Wear hunter orange. A hat and vest (or coat) that covers the chest and back area in solid orange is required by law. Orange camouflage is not legal. Hunter orange must also be worn by anyone accompanying a firearms deer hunter.
• Be sure of your target before you put your finger on the trigger. Most fatalities are the result of mistaken-for-game accidents.
• Don't trespass on your neighbor, and if you see an unfamiliar hunter in your area, escort him (or her) to your property boundary. Never wave to get another hunter's attention, speak loudly in a clear voice.
• Never cross a fence, ride a 4-wheeler or climb a tree with a loaded rifle. Use a tow rope to pull your rifle up and down from your treestand.
• Be careful when dragging out your deer. Each year, hunters die from heart attacks as a result of overexertion. Get help if you can't handle the chore by yourself. Go slow and take your time.
• Tell someone where you are hunting and when you expect to be home if you are hunting alone. Carrying a cell phone is a good safety precaution if you are hunting alone.
• Never carry a loaded rifle in your truck or car, and be sure to unload your rifle when you get back to camp or when you stop hunting for the day. Assume that every rifle in camp is loaded unless the action is open and you can see that it's safe to handle.
• Report your kill on the Tele-Check System by calling (800)245-4263, and report all game law violations by calling (800) 252-5378