Remember the excitement of your first pheasant season opener—the camaraderie of family & friends? Or perhaps you can still smell the marsh as you followed your father into the predawn twilight on duck season opening day 20 years ago. If you were fortunate enough to have been introduced to hunting at an early age, you know the magic. It rests in your memories forever, and it drives a basic desire to experience the outdoors each fall. Hunting is a valued natural heritage—one that is passed on from one generation to the next. Taking a kid hunting can be the start of a lifelong pastime. Make your hunting trips successful by following these simple guidelines.

Hunting is one of the safest outdoor activities. Know the area you intend to hunt and carry a good map and compass. Know how to start a fire, build a shelter, send signals and contact the authorities. Follow the 10 Commandments of Shooting Safety:

1. Always point the muzzle in a safe direction. Do not point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot.

2. Trust every firearm with the same respect you would show a loaded gun. Every time you pick up a firearm, the first thing you do is check to see if it is loaded. If you do not understand how to determine if it is loaded, do not accept the firearm until someone has safely shown you that it is unloaded

3. Be sure of your target and what is in front of and beyond your target. Before you pull the trigger you must properly identify game animals. Until your target is fully visible and in good light, do not even raise your scope to see it. Use binoculars!

4. Unload firearms when not in use. Leave actions open, and store sporting arms in cases when traveling to and from shooting areas. Know how your equipment operates. Use gun or trigger locks and guards when not in use.

5. Handle the firearms and ammunition carefully. Avoid horseplay with firearms. Never climb a fence, a tree or a ladder with a loaded firearm or bow and arrows. Learn the proper carries.

6. Know your safe zone-of-fire and stick to it. In the field it is that mental image you draw in your mind with every step you take. Be sure you know where your companions are at all times. When hunting, wear daylight fluorescent orange so you can be seen from a distance or in heavy cover.

7. Control your emotions when it comes to safety. If you lose control of your emotions you may do something carelessly. You or someone else may be in danger once you lose control of your emotions. Show discipline and restraint and pass up shots which have the slightest chance of being unsafe.

8. Wear hearing and eye protection. Firearms are loud and can create noises which are damaging to a person's hearing. It can be a gradual loss of hearing due to outbursts of noise over many years. The damage could also be immediate, especially if your ears are next to a muzzle blast. Wear glasses to protect your eyes from escaping gases, burnt powder and other debris.

9. Don't drink alcohol or take drugs before or while handling firearms. Alcohol and drugs impair normal physical and mental body functions and mustn't be used before or while handling firearms or archery equipment.

10. Be aware of additional circumstances which require added caution or safety awareness. Just because something isn't listed under these "ten commandments of shooting safety" doesn't mean you can ignore it if it is dangerous. There may be rules posted at a shooting range which should also be followed.

Have fun. Hunting is a traditional outdoor activity where we interact with nature on a very personal level. Harvesting an animal is secondary, and many hunters come home empty handed. Learning about wildlife and their habitats, looking for tracks, being with family and friends and getting close to nature are all ways to measure success.

If you are a youth between the ages of 8 and 18, have an interest in shooting or related activities and are willing to learn, the 4-H shooting sports program wants you. For more information contact the Hutchinson County Extension Office.