DES MOINES, Iowa — In Iowa, hunting is a yearly tradition for plenty of people - and safety is one of its time-honored tenets.
In 2023 so far, five injuries and one death have occurred while hunting. But Mick Klemesrud with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources told Local 5 there's plenty hunters can do to stay safe.
"A good day in the field can turn tragic quickly. So that's that's how we go back to hit those same points," Klemesrud said.
That includes making sure you're not fixated on the game, that you look beyond your target and that you don't fire at running deer.
"Safety is always part of every hunt," he said. "And we always talk about having a hunting plan, which identifies where everybody's going to be at all parts, times during the hunt."
Here are other pieces of safety advice from Iowa DNR:
- Wear a blaze orange hat, cap, vest, coat, jacket, sweatshirt, shirt or coveralls with at least 50% of the item showing on the outside of your clothes
- Talk to fellow hunters and stay in a straight line while pushing a field
- Know exactly where standers will be located
- Unload the gun when crossing a fence or other obstacle
- If hunting with a dog, never lay a loaded gun against a fence to prevent an accidental discharge
For more regulatory guides for all types of hunting, click here.