Ten Commandments of Shooting Safety

 1. Always control the direction of your firearm’s muzzle. Carry your firearm safely, keeping the safety on until you’re ready to shoot. Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.
 2. Identify your target and what is beyond it (for instance, don’t shoot at a deer on top of a ridge with nothing to stop the bullet’s flight if you miss). Know the identifying features of the game you hunt.
 3. Always treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
 4. Always be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions before you hunt. This is also true during the hunt if the barrel accidentally comes into contact with the ground, snow, mud, etc. Use the proper ammunition for the firearm you are carrying.
 5. Unload firearms when not in use. Firearms should be carried empty in transit to and from shooting areas.
 6. Never point a firearm at anything you do not want to shoot. Do not use a rifle scope as a binocular to identify an object that you are not sure of. You may be pointing your rifle at another human. Avoid all horseplay with firearms.
 7. Never climb a fence or tree, jump a ditch or log, or traverse otherwise difficult terrain with a loaded firearm. Never pull a firearm toward you by the muzzle.
 8. During practice make sure your backstop is adequate. Never shoot a bullet at water or a flat, hard surface.
 9. Store firearms and ammunition separately beyond the reach of children or careless adults.
 10. Avoid alcoholic beverages or other mood-altering drugs before hunting or while shooting.

 Hunters are constantly faced with ethical questions in the field, and usually they’re alone and have no audience to approve or disapprove of their actions. It is difficult to regulate ethics by law so it is largely up to the individual to decide what is and what is not proper in his or her interaction with other hunters and the game being pursued. The concept of fair chase obviously applies to the hunter's relationship with the game and is a primary ingredient in any honest hunting exercise. Simply put, fair chase means that the hunter respects his or her quarry and will not take unfair advantage of it during the act of hunting, even if such a situation presents itself. That said, here are some rules that should be an integral part of every hunter’s code of ethics.