A good reason for this track record may be the efforts make by states to encourage or require beginning hunters to pass safety courses when purchasing licenses. Most hunters follow the wise advice to wear fluorescent orange clothing afield. The very fact that hunters use guns also lends a sense of cautious respect to practitioners.

But the dangers of firearms are very real. Hunters both new and experience should follow a long list of precautions.

• Never point a firearm at anyone
• Never point a firearm at anything you don’t intend to shoot
• Ensure that your safety is always on
• Always assume a firearm is loaded
• Positively identify your target before shooting
• Never shoot at hard surfaces with bullets or slugs than could ricochet
• Control the direction of your muzzle at all times
• Do not drink and hunt
• When not afield, store your guns away from children and unloaded
• Do not hunt with others who refuse to follow reasonable safety standards
• Never rest your finger on the trigger of your firearm
• Open your action engaging in difficult footing where you could drop the weapon
• Carry your firearm so the muzzle points away from everyone
• Never shoot if there is a chance of hitting unintended targets such as buildings or livestock
• Always be aware of what is in your firing zone