10 Commandments of Shooting Safety

1. Control the direction of your firearm's muzzle. Carry your firearm safely, keeping the safety on until ready to shoot. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

2. Identify your target and what is beyond it. Know the identifying features of the game you hunt.

3. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.

4. Be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions and that you have only ammunition of the proper size for the firearm you are carrying.

5. Unload firearms when not in use. Leave the actions open. Firearms should be carried unloaded, and in cases while in a vehicle traveling to and from shooting areas.

6. Never point a firearm at anything you do not want to shoot. Avoid all horseplay with a firearm.

7. Never climb a fence or tree, or jump a ditch or log, with a loaded firearm. Never pull a firearm toward you by the muzzle.

8. Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface or water. During target practice, be sure your backstop is adequate.

9. Store firearms and ammunition separately in locked spaces beyond the reach of children and careless adults.

10. Avoid alcoholic beverages and drugs before or during shooting.

Oregon Hunting Association MEMBER PLEDGE

I pledge to:
* Respect the environment and wildlife;
* Respect property and landowners;
* Improve my outdoor skills and understanding of wildlife;
* Support wildlife and habitat conservation;
* Know and obey the law;
* Hunt safely;
* Show consideration of non-hunters;
* Abide by the rules of fair chase;
* Hunt only with ethical hunters; and
* Pass on an ethical hunting tradition.
* Adapted from the Hunter's Pledge of the Izaak Walton League of America

Think Before You Drink

Picture yourself in the great outdoors. You're thirsty, and there's a stream just ahead. There are no livestock around and the water looks clean. It's probably safe to drink, right? WRONG! It's likely NOT safe to drink! Hidden in the water there could be bacteria such as e coli, parasites like giardia, or simply enough animal wastes to cause beaver fever. Drinking water from an unknown source is not worth the chance you take of getting sick. Hopefully you brought drinking water. Even if you didn't, you could make the water safe to drink, either by filtering or by boiling it.
 

DON’T SHOOT SIGNS!

     
Have you ever seen a sign with bullet holes in it along a road? When you see that, you know that someone has not only damaged property that doesn’t belong to them, but they have also shot from a road or across a road, which is very dangerous.
Along some roads, you can see signs with bullet holes in them that are posted on corners, where the shooter could not possibly have seen if there were any vehicles coming around the corner.
Don’t shoot signs, don’t let your friends shoot signs, and if you see anyone shooting signs, report them on the State Police hotline:
1-800-452-7888.

chops or a chunk of skunk. Although the meat of most varmints isn't worth eating, the hides - called pelts - are prized by some people. Some folks even sell them. Landowners often are very willing to allow you to hunt varmints on their property, because they do so much damage to the land and crops, and some even harm farm animals and pets.
Most varmints are unprotected, meaning you can hunt them as much as you want. Examples of varmints are coyotes, badgers, jackrabbits, rock chucks and some ground squirrels. For a list of unprotected mammals and birds, see the Oregon hunting regulations.