RD’s Safety Tips

After sometimes learning the RUGGEDLY HARD way, I've been lucky a few times. So, I am more than happy to share some of my safety tips with you! Hunting and fishing are the coolest and "ruggedest" hobbies in the world, but lets face it... screw up and you could be seriously hurt or - killed. Read on. Many more of my Safety Tips will be added weekly.

Safety Tip - What’s Beyond Your Target?

- It scares the crap out of me when I think that a high powered rifle like say, a 30-06 or a .270 can travel an easy three miles and still kill someone.

Safety Tip – Captain of the Camp

- I’m not much on going to the hunting camp for two weeks with about five or six guys anymore. Been there, do it… I’m more of a solitary hunter these days. But, spending a week or two with a bunch of friends or family is a tradition that is hard to break for many people.

Safety Tip – Wading Staff

- I do a fair amount of walking through and across creeks and streams every year. And, I can recall a few times when I was young and crazy that I ended up going for a swim. Luckily, I’m still here to tell you about it.

Safety Tip – Walk Don’t Run!

- Something I see a lot on hunting TV shows these days is hunters running with a loaded gun in their hands. Holy shit! On TV shows?

Safety Tip - Tree Stand Safety

- As more and more deer and bear hunters enter the woods each
season, especially bow hunters, tree stand accidents are becoming more
common. In the very least, you’ll be embarrassed and bruised after a
fall. In the worst case scenario...

Safety Tip – Stay Away From the Trigger Guard

- Here’s a really, really bad habit that I see often, even on
hunting shows on TV, where you’d think they’d have their shit together.
When you’re walking around, (or at any time, really) keep your trigger
finger OUT of the trigger guard. If you ever fell...

Safety Tip - Waders or Rubber Boots

- I still can’t believe that when I was kid, I used to get into a
canoe or small boat wearing a pair of hip boots or chest waders and no
floatation vest! Then I’d paddle off into the swamp, shotgun in hand,
to look for ducks or to get to my duck blind. If I ever ended up in the
water...

Safety Tip – Chamber Free

- If you’re walking through very thick bush, one that is so thick
that you wouldn’t be able to see far enough to shoot anyway, unload
your rifle. Especially in the thick stuff, there’s too much chance of
falling, so unload your rifle and reload only when...

Safety Tip - Fishermen (and, of course fisher-chicks!)

- One of the most common, “brain dead” things I see, yes, even with
experienced fishermen - is when someone is either tying a hook onto the
end of their line, or lifting a fish out of the water with just the rod
and not a net – while there is pressure on the rod and line. All it
takes is...