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 In the
province
of
Ontario
, you must complete the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and the Hunter Education Program prior to becoming a legal hunter. The Canadian Firearms course, in particular, uses the acronym A.C.T.S. to encourage safe firearm handling.
A ssume every firearm is loaded
C ontrol the muzzle direction at all times
T rigger finger must be kept off the trigger and out of the trigger guard
S ee that the firearm is unloaded – PROVE it safe
On my first pheasant hunt, I realized the importance of following the four vital ACTS of firearm safety.
My dad organized a morning of pheasant hunting at a game farm located in
Southern Ontario
. Overall, the morning was a success, as it was the first time my dad, my brother, and I had been hunting together. Although we all were amateurs to the sport of pheasant hunting, we still managed to bag a few birds.
Towards lunchtime, the action had died down. But, we decided to try one more field before heading back to the truck. To reach the new field, we had to cross a bridge that connected the two fields from a dividing stream. A rainstorm hit early morning and had continued to fall in a light mist causing the mud-covered bridge to become quite slippery. During what I thought would be the most difficult path to cross, I managed to maintain my footing. But entering the next field, I tripped on a root and landed face first in a mud puddle. The first thoughts that ran through my head as I plunged to the ground were:
1) Could my firearm accidentally discharge?
2) Was my firearm was pointed in a safe direction?
As for possibility of accidental discharge, I had removed the shells from my gun before exiting the previous field. Knowing that I tend to lose my balance easily in slippery conditions, I decided to unload my gun before I crossed the bridge, hoping to reload upon entering the next field. As my body plunged into the mud, I also was able to maintain a safe muzzle direction. Unfortunately, this direction was not the most desirable position because my shotgun landed barrel-first into the mud puddle.
The possibility of a firearms accident was slim, but this incident reminds me of the importance of firearms safety. Through taking the Firearms Safety Course, I learned the necessity of maintaining safe muzzle direction and unloading the chamber when going over obstacles. Attending the course engrained the steps into my head so that they almost became subconscious acts.
Because I have only been handling firearms for about two years, I still get nervous when I am placed in a new hunting situation. Derrick tells me that I tend to be overly cautious with my firearm, but I would rather be safe than sorry. Besides a few scrapes and bruises, the only thing damaged from my fall was my pride. But then again, I am proud to say that I took the valuable lessons from the safety course and actually applied them to the field.
For an amateur hunter, developing a sense of comfort in the field and becoming accustomed to the power of a firearm are essential steps of accomplishment. All hunters should aim to eliminate the possibility of unnecessary accidents. The Firearms Safety Course teaches the necessary lessons to prevent unwanted injury and ensure a safe hunting experience.
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