There are lots of safety rules to remember when hunting or shooting. If you're not old enough to remember them, then you probably
shouldn't be out in the woods. I know I wouldn't want to be out there with you if you didn't know these.........
Treat EVERY gun as if it was loaded. Even if you know that it's not, you're sure that you checked to see that
it was unloaded, NEVER, EVER POINT A GUN AT ANYTHING YOU DON'T WANT DEAD!
When you pick up a gun, the first thing to do is check to see if it's loaded. Ask a grown-up for help, if needed.
When hunting or target shooting, always be aware of what's BEHIND your target....you wouldn't want to shoot
the neighbor's house, horse, or anything else that might get you in trouble! I'm not talking from experience, but
my dad has sure saved me a couple of times when I ALMOST shot toward something.
Keep your finger OFF the trigger till you're ready to shoot. This way when you sneeze it won't accidentally go bang!
I can't say it enough.....GUNS AREN'T TOYS!..........GUNS AREN'T TOYS!..........GUNS AREN'T TOYS!
Never pick up any kind of gun without a grown-up there to help, or without a grown-up knowing and allowing you to
handle the gun.
Ok, you've read those rules, now it's time for your safety quiz.......
You are at a friend's house. Your friend wants to show you his dad's pistol that's hidden in
the closet. Your friend is holding the gun, waving it around in the air and trying to do
cowboy tricks with it and then asks you if you want to hold it too.....What do you do?
If there's a grown-up home, RUN and tell the grown-up! If not, tell your friend to put the gun away or "I'm never coming to your
house again." If your friend still doesn't put it away, LEAVE the house, call your parents, go to a neighbors,....whatever you need
to do to be safe. That will also teach your friend a little bit about gun safety too. GUNS AREN'T TOYS!
Your dad was cleaning his gun and left it on the counter when he went to answer the phone. You
see the gun there and want to pick it up. Should you pick it up?
Yes, you should pick it up..........as soon as you get your dad's permission and first checking to see if it's loaded!
You are out hunting on Farmer Dan's ranch. You see a HUGE 12-point buck standing out in the
field minding his own business. You lift your gun and take aim.....only to realize that 200 yards
behind the buck stands a herd of Farmer Dan's cows. Should you go ahead and shoot the buck
being sure to not miss?
Absolutley NOT! Unless you plan to never hunt on Farmer Dan's ranch again, and no one else's ranch in the entire county. A couple of
bad hunters can ruin it for everybody......DON'T BE A BAD HUNTER! Always try to do the right thing. You can lure the buck to a
different location to get the safe shot. And if it doesn't work out that way, then I guess the buck will live to be hunted another day!
I had to hunt for quite a while without any gun at all. I would just be there with my dad, watching and learning. Then I got to carry an empty
gun, just for practice on how to be safe with a gun while hunting. It's a good idea to practice walking with a gun and being safe. Your parents
will help you and watch you practice. About a year ago I was in my backyard with my nerf gun and my mom caught me shooting at our pet
peacock......I really didn't see a problem with it....peacocks have lots of feathers so I didn't think it would hurt him. But my parents were so mad
that I was shooting at a pet, they banned me from my b.b. gun for a week. So try to learn from my mistakes........Never shoot anything at a pet!
When you think you've memorized all the rules, have your parents make up some more
questions for you so you can show them that you're ready to be safe with a gun!