Eric Davis

Mayhood's Sporting Goods

Opening day of the firearm season for deer hunting is only hours away now. For many hunters, this is the most anticipated day of the year. Some hunters travel great distances to partake in the tradition of “deer camp” with family and/or friends. With the hype of opening day, many hunters can lose sight of the most important part of hunting; safety. There is no greater disappointment than hearing about hunters getting injured or killed from being shot at by other hunters.

The main cause for hunter related shootings is almost always target misidentification. While it is important to wear blaze orange to make sure other hunters can see you, it is far more important for hunters to be sure of their target and what is beyond it.

You often hear of hunters shooting at something walking towards them in the brush where they can’t get a good look at it. If you can’t tell what you are shooting at, you shouldn’t be shooting! Last year in New York there were multiple hunter related shootings, with one in the Sandy Pond area getting a lot of publicity. These shootings are 100% preventable.

If you are hunting with family or friends, make sure you know where they are going to be in relation to where you are going to be. If you hunt on public land, always take the extra few hunt; don’t set up 50 yards behind them.

If you can see a hunter from a distance who is already setup, try to avoid walking right by them. Consider giving a whistle to get their attention to let them know you are there for safety reasons.

On private property something that gets overlooked first when a hunter sees a deer, is the boundary line between properties. Some hunters like to hunt close to the property lines because deer always seem to be in that transition area. If you see a deer on the property where you do not have permission to hunt, don’t shoot at it.

Ahead of the season, talk to your neighboring landowner and ask about getting permission to track deer on their property. You need the landowners permission to be on their property no matter what.

Getting ahead of the game can save you the heartache of knowing there is a deer in the woods that is going to waste. If the neighbor says you cannot track deer on their property, don’t hunt close to the boundary where deer are likely to run there after getting shot. If you still have a deer that makes it to another property, you can contact your local Environmental Conservation Officer (their numbers are in the NYS Regulation booklet) to have them talk to the landowner on your behalf.

The last part of proper etiquette is being prepared for the hunt and for the harvest. Bring everything you will need to field dress and drag a deer out of the woods. Nothing makes me cringe like a hunter shooting a deer then asking if anyone have a knife they can borrow.

Make sure you have a knife, some gloves, and a good length piece of rope at the minimum. I carry zip ties for attaching tags to deer, a few ziplock bags to put the bloody gloves in to keep the blood from getting in the fabric of my vest, and a few pens for filling out tags. Remember that you MUST fill out your tag immediately upon harvesting a deer in New York. You don’t need to attach it to the deer until you are at camp, home, or a vehicle – whichever happens first.

When you are out in the woods this Saturday, and for the rest of the season, make sure to be prepared and be safe. With proper etiquette and safety precautions, there should be zero hunter related shootings in New York this fall.