Shotgun Safety

Handling a duck gun requires simple yet critically important precautions

Safely handling a shotgun when duck or goose hunting requires strict adherence to all primary safety rules (such as those covered in any hunter education course) plus several additional, waterfowl-specific guidelines. All are easy to follow, but with gun safety, there’s zero room for mistakes­—regardless the excitement of mallards or teal winging overhead. So, easy does it—don’t let your elation overtake good sense. Now on to the tips.

  1. Duck blinds and other settings can position hunters closely together, so always establish safe zones of fire. The generally accepted field of fire is between 10:00 and 2:00, with 12:00 being directly to your front. For example, if a duck decoys farther to your left than 10:00, let the buddy to your left shoot. Doing so is courteous, safe, and avoids “ringing” your neighbor’s ears with damaging muzzle blast. The zone may be smaller than you’re used to, so consider using an unloaded gun to practice standing and swinging on a duck within the space.
  2. Additionally, keep your ammunition separate from others’ to avoid dangerous mix-ups.
  3. Do not load your gun until the legal “shooting time” arrives, and always load/unload with your safety on and the muzzle pointed in a safe direction—up at the sky and away from everyone.
  4. If you must exit the blind or leave your gun unattended for any reason, open the action and remove all shells, rendering it incapable of firing. It also never hurts to double check your safety throughout the hunt. The safety should remain on and your finger should stay outside the trigger guard until you’re shouldering the gun to shoot—not when ducks are first spotted or starting to cup their wings.
  5. If you’re hunting with a dog in close quarters, be extra careful. Keep your gun within arm’s reach, and be aware of the dog’s movements. A dog contacting an unattended, loaded gun poses serious dangers.
  6. Lastly—and importantly—be certain to identify your target and what’s beyond it. Is there a dog completing a retrieve, a buddy adjusting the decoy spread, or a hunter from another nearby party who has entered your vicinity? These and similar scenarios are all “no-shoot” situations.

So, simple rules, yet all are critically important. By staying alert and adhering to them, you can ensure a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable hunting experience for all.