National Safety Month: Secure Firearm Storage Reminders for Hunters

For hunters, firearm safety is part of every hunt. We practice safe firearm handling in the field, know our target and what’s beyond it and take steps to ensure a safe and successful experience outdoors. That commitment to safety continues long after the hunt is over. That’s the message behind Gun Storage Check Week^®, taking place June 1–7. During this national firearm safety awareness week, gun owners are encouraged to take a few moments to review how they store their firearms and ensure they are secured from unwanted access. The campaign’s message is simple: Make Sure It’s Secure^®. Gun Storage Check Week serves as an annual reminder that securely storing firearms when they are not in use can help prevent accidents, theft and suicide. It also encourages firearm owners to explore the many storage options available today to find a solution that best fits their lifestyle and needs.

Take a Moment to Check Your Storage Practices

For many hunters, firearms may spend months stored between seasons or travel between home, hunting camps, lodges and hunting destinations throughout the year. Gun Storage Check Week is an opportunity to ask a simple question: Are your firearms securely stored when not in use? There are a variety of storage options available, including:

• Cable locks
• Lock boxes
• Lockable firearm cases
• Full-size safes and cabinets

The right solution may vary depending on your household, the number of firearms you own and how frequently they are used. Learn more about safe firearm storage options.

Secure Storage Helps Protect Hunting Traditions

Hunters often introduce family members and friends to the outdoors and help pass hunting traditions on to the next generation. Secure firearm storage is an important part of responsible firearm ownership and helps ensure firearms remain inaccessible to unauthorized users, including children and others who should not have access.

Get Involved During Gun Storage Check Week

Hunters can support the campaign by:

• Reviewing their current firearm storage practices
• Learning about available storage solutions
• Sharing firearm safety messages with family and hunting partners
• Talking with new hunters about responsible firearm ownership
• Visiting GunStorageCheck.org for resources and educational materials

Visitors to GunStorageCheck.org during June 1–7 can also enter the Gun Storage Check Week Sweepstakes for a chance to win a B.O.S. Lock Fusion and earn bonus entries by watching firearm safety videos. One winner will be chosen on June 8. Terms and Conditions apply. Whether you’re preparing for the upcoming season, maintaining firearms during the offseason or introducing someone new to hunting, Gun Storage Check Week is a reminder that responsible firearm ownership includes making sure firearms are secure when they’re not in use. Learn more at GunStorageCheck.org.   [caption id="attachment_95385" align="aligncenter" width="601"] Enter for a chance to win a B.O.S. Lock Fusion.[/caption]

With the fall hunting season upon us, it's an ideal time to reinforce the importance of responsible, ethical, and secure hunting practices.

NSSF^® and CarbonTV have announced a cooperative HuntSAFE partnership to promote hunting and firearm safety during the fall hunting season, starting with a new video, “Safety is Always in Season.” We are grateful to be joined by CarbonTV in spreading this critical message.

In the realm of firearm ownership and hunting safety, HuntSAFE stands as a beacon of guidance and responsibility. It's a vital component of the NSSF's Project ChildSafe^® initiative, dedicated to promoting safe firearm handling, secure storage, and preventing unauthorized access. The acronym S.A.F.E. succinctly sums up the principles: Store your firearms responsibly when not in use; Always practice firearm safety; Focus on your responsibilities as a firearm owner; and Education is key to preventing accidents.

https://youtu.be/X8z9H_cKNJ0

This video, "Safety is Always in Season," features Julie McQueen, President of CarbonTV and host of "Outdoor Weekly." She shares seven "rules to live by" when using or handling firearms at home, on the range, and especially in the field.

7 Hunting Safety Rules

  By Julie McQueen, President of Carbon TV and host of "Outdoor Weekly." For everyone who enjoys our hunting heritage, wants to share it with friends and family and wants to see participation in hunting grow, I'll be blunt: we've got to model every aspect of hunting safety. The fact is, whether in the field, at the range or in your house, firearm accidents are preventable. I want you, your friends and your kids to always be safe and responsible Hunters so Carbon TV has partnered with the National Shooting Sports Foundation's project ChildSafe program to provide these hunting safety tips. I know you and your hunting partners will keep them top of mind before, during and after the hunt. The rules of hunting safety are pretty simple, but because of that, some people can get too casual and that's when accidents can happen my advice is don't just think of these as tips but as actual rules to live by.

1. Keep the Muzzle Pointed in a Safe Direction

   Keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction is the foundation for preventing gun accidents. This means always being aware of where the muzzle is pointed and never grabbing, moving or passing a gun by the barrel.

2. Always Assume a Gun is Loaded

   Always assume a gun is loaded even if it looks like the magazine is out there may still be around in the chamber, so don't take any chances. Always check before handling a gun and keep your fingers off of the trigger.

3. "Safety On" is Not Enough

   Having the Safety on is not enough. Of course, you should always keep the safety on until you're ready to shoot, but don't rely on it as the only way to prevent a gun from going off. The safety is a mechanical device and it can fail, so remember rule number one and two and watch the muzzle and keep your finger off the trigger until it's time to take the shot.

4. Be Certain of Your Target

   Be certain of your target two things here: Firstly you want to be absolutely certain that what's in your sights is legal game, it is no fun telling a game warden that you accidentally shot a doe if you're only allowed to shoot a buck you also don't want to accidentally shoot another hunter; Secondly, you want to be certain of your target and what's behind it, centerfire bullets can travel well over a mile so make sure the area behind the target is clear of other animals other hunters, structures and vehicles.

5. Identify Yourself

   You don't want to be mistaken for game by other hunters, so wear blaze orange in the field, avoid colors or patterns that can be confused for game, use a flashlight if you need to and make sure you're easily identifiable. This is especially important if you're packing out a deer or other animal where the antlers on your pack could become a target.

6. Unload Your Firearm at Obstacles

   A trigger can get caught on just about anything, so clear the chamber or unload the gun completely before you have to climb across a stream or over a log over a fence legally, of course, or when you're passing a gun back and forth to a companion and again never pull a gun towards yourself by the muzzle.

7. Tell Someone Where You Will be

   Make sure someone knows where you're going to be and when you're supposed to be back, especially if you'll be hunting alone. Emergencies do happen and time is of the essence if you need to be rescued, make sure searchers know where to start and it can absolutely save your life.

One last thing to remember when the hunt is over: store all your guns securely, storing your guns in a locked container is the number one way to prevent them from being picked up by a child in your home or stolen from your house or car. Using a cable lock also adds another level of security to a gun safe or a lock box. Learn more about storing firearms securely in your home here. A successful hunt isn't just about harvesting game a successful hunt means that you and everyone in your party gets home safely. You can't pass on the hunting heritage if you're not here it's just that simple. Make these safe hunting rules a priority and pass them on no matter where or when you hunt. Safety is always in season. Learn more at CarbonTV.com/firearm-safety   This message was developed in partnership with CarbonTV and the National Shooting Sports Foundation^® in support of NSSF’s Project ChildSafe^® firearm safety program and HuntSAFE initiative.   You may also be interested in: https://www.letsgohunting.org/resources/articles/hunter-education/back-country-hunt-survival/ https://www.letsgohunting.org/resources/articles/hunter-education/staying-alive-out-there/

NSSF has announced an initiative designed to strengthen ties between all excise tax-paying manufacturers—firearms and ammunition, archery equipment, marine and sportfishing equipment—and the state agencies that use these funds to conserve wildlife and habitats through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This new web resource and video series will highlight industry contributions to this partnership. To help everyone get a better understanding of where these excise tax dollars are used and how they benefit all. The third video focuses on the amazing Clark County Shooting Complex on the northern outskirts of Las Vegas, Nevada, which would not be possible without excise taxes paid by manufacturers of firearms and ammunition and distributed through Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program.

https://youtu.be/xFkFD0tjVic

The Clark County Shooting Complex, located on the northern outskirts of Las Vegas, Nevada, is a partnership shooting facility between the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and Clark County and is used by the NDOW for hunter education programs and is open to the public. Since 1937 when the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act was enacted (today better known as the Pittman-Robertson Act), the manufacturers of firearms and ammunition have been part of a network consisting of sportsmen and women, state fish and wildlife agencies and USFWS to collect and distribute excise taxes—billions during this period—on their products for the benefit of wildlife conservation, hunter education and shooting ranges. Partner with a Payer is an initiative designed to strengthen ties between all excise tax-paying manufacturers—firearms and ammunition, archery equipment, marine and sportfishing equipment—and the state agencies that use these funds to conserve wildlife and habitats through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. More info and resources at https://www.nssf.org/partner-with-payer/ See other Partner with a Payer Videos: https://www.letsgohunting.org/articles/understanding-excise-taxes-wildlife-conservation-bighorn-sheep-population-management/ https://www.letsgoshooting.org/articles/how-excise-taxes-benefit-shooting-ranges-ben-avery-shooting-facility/