Humane and safe hunting

The fixed rules

There are few safety rules, and they always apply — on the stand, in the car and on the range.

• Always handle the firearm as if it is loaded
• Never point it at anything you are not willing to shoot
• Keep your finger off the trigger until you are going to shoot
• Be sure of your target and of what is behind it
• Load only on the stand, and unload before you leave it

Backstop and background

A rifle bullet can travel several kilometres. You must therefore always have a safe backstop — a hillside, a rock face or something else that stops the bullet if it passes the animal or goes through it.

Never shoot at a silhouette against the sky, at water or at hard flat ground: the bullet can ricochet. Know where the neighbouring stand, the path, the road and the houses are before the hunt starts.

A humane shot

A humane shot hits the lung and heart area behind the shoulder, on an animal standing still and broadside. Do not shoot into a group where you cannot see the whole animal, at animals running straight towards or away from you, or at a range where you are not certain.

Let the shot go rather than take the chance. An animal you do not shoot at may be there again tomorrow.