In Maine, not so long ago, the November deer seasons were marred by numerous hunting fatalities. Don’t believe it? Go to your local library. Dig up some state newspapers published in the fall of the 1950s. There were some years during that era when as many as a dozen hunters were mistaken as deer and lost their lives as the result of another hunter’s negligence in the woods. How things have changed. Thanks to hunter orange clothing and mandatory hunter education courses, hunting is now one of the safest forms of outdoor recreation.

Still, hunting accidents happen. So all of us who hunt, no matter how experienced, need to constantly remind ourselves and our fellow hunters about the importance of proper and safe firearms handling. This fall, a Maine guide I know found himself guiding a seasoned bird hunter who used his 28-gauge Beretta as a pointing instrument during routine conversation. After a few times of looking down the muzzle of his client’s shotgun, the guide advised his customer that this was one time he wasn’t right. “One more time, and this hunt is over,” the guide admonished his client.

In that particular case, the misbehaving “sport,” who was a veteran bird hunter and should have known better, was not practicing what hunting safety instructors refer to as “muzzle discipline.” And when it comes to safe hunting behavior, muzzle discipline is what it’s all about. A gun that is not pointing at somebody cannot cause an accident or a tragic death.

Safe, ethical hunters never have lapses in muzzle discipline – even when the firearm is believed to be unloaded. They know every second of every hunting day where that muzzle is pointed. Anything less is a potential recipe for disaster.

The second cardinal rule of hunting safety is to be sure of your target. In an effort to raise hunter awareness, Maine enacted a target identification law. Simply put, this laws states that you must have an “unobstructed view of the head and torso of the potential target” before firing. If in doubt, don’t! There is not a trophy buck in the Maine woods worth the risk of wounding or killing another human being.

So let’s hunt safely and cultivate safe hunting habits in the young hunters that we bring along. What follows are a few useful tips issued last week by the safety office of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

*Be sure that someone knows where you are headed, and when you plan to return.

*Carry emergency survival gear, a flashlight, map and compass, matches and water.

*Stop periodically to eat and re-hydrate yourself.

*Wear two pieces of hunter orange that are in good condition.

*Be sure of your target, and what is beyond it.

*Always keep the muzzle of your firearm pointed in a safe direction.

*Unload your firearm before entering a dwelling, before entering a vehicle, or before storing it.

V. Paul Reynolds is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide, co-host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network (WVOM-FM 103.9, WCME-FM 96.7) and former information officer for the Maine Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. His e-mail address is [email protected].