Do you think safety first before you shoot

tobymac

Member
Just wondering how safe you feel the shot is before you shoot. I know the feeling when you hear the birds fly up and you get caught up in the moment. But I always try to look infront, behind, and left to right of the shot as quickly and accurately as I can. We always have a safety meeting before we get in the trucks to go hunting and always say there is no bird worth shooting at someone for.
 
This is why I love hunting over pointers. If there is a bird holding, it's nice to get yourself positioned properly and plan a quick strategy on potential flight and where other hunters are at.

Neil

Good point. No pun intended. But there has got to be times when a pheasant surprieses you.
 
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I make a mental note of any restricted area and if I see a bird moving towards that area I don't swing that way. I think accidents happen with bird hunting because people swing quickly left or right and get too focused on the bird. I think of it as preventive safety when I make a mental note of people, buildings, roads ect. Understanding where your blockers are and your position in a corn field is important. Safety first or stay at home.
 
Like uplandgame said above, just constant awareness of what zones are safe to shoot at any given time. The more orange on the head and shoulders the better to keep track of everybody at all times as well.
 
I agree with UGA, I have a Brittany that will hold a point all day if need be. I hunt mostly private lands so I usually know who or what is around me.......Bob
 
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My dad always says " take a breath and count to three", if he actually does it, it works cause he is a good shot.
 
Safety

I hunt alone or with one other friend, or occasionally my son. I always know where they are, or I don't shoot. Period. I've had a covey of quail get up and not fired a single shot because I didn't know where everyone was. And I love quail.

My father didn't hunt, but all the men in our neighborhood did. And I remember their safety instructions today, almost 50 years later, as though it was yesterday. My best friend's father would glare at us like we'd already shot somebody when he talked about gun safety. He was really scary and those messages stuck. In almost 50 years of hunting I've never had, nor even been close to a safety incident.

Safety first has to be like religion, not just a slogan.
 
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