Safety Tips for Deer Hunters - ABC5 News Des Moines, IA

Safety Tips for Deer Hunters

By Alex Schuman

aschuman@myabc5.com

@alexschuman

The number of hunting injuries keeps going down each decade, which the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources claims is partly because they started requiring hunters to take a safety class for their license.

One of those hunters is Mike Weiser.

Weiser hunts every season and says 30 years without an accident is not luck.

"We really emphasize [safety] a lot," he said.

Weiser was one of many hunters shopping Sunday for a new bright orange jacket.  He makes everyone in his hunting group wear as much orange as possible so they stand out. 

"We make sure everybody knows where everybody's at," Weiser said. "And you don't shoot in a direction that you're not sure of."

The DNR says even if you don't know where everyone is, you always must know where your gun is pointing.

Mark Jones, another hunter, takes that very seriously and does not put up with people who think otherwise. 

"I've hunted with gentlemen before in the past that were not as safe as some," Jones said. "Just don't hunt with those folks anymore.  I've never even had a near miss."

Being willing to miss is also important, according to Kevin Baskins, the DNR's spokesperson. 

He says you might have a clear shot at a deer, but if you are not sure what else could be in that area - let go of the trigger.

"A lot of times you pass up a shot," said Weiser.  "But that's what you need to do."