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Hunting is one of the safest sports, with only a small fraction of participants ever involved in a hunting incident.

Even with minor chances for issues, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) still encourages hunters to review the ‘Four Primary Rules of Firearms Safety’ before heading to the woods.

Out of almost 652,000 hunters afield last year, Georgia reported only 33 hunting incidents, with two fatalities. Over half of all incidents (20) were tree stand use related.

The following checklist, comprised of only four items, is covered in all hunter education courses and easily can be remembered with the acronym ACTT:

A – Always treat every firearm as if it were loaded.

C – Control the muzzle of the firearm at all times.

T – Be certain of the Target and what is in front of it and beyond it.

T – Keep your finger outside of the Trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.

For more information on firearms safety, visit http://georgiawildlife.com/hunting/huntersafetytips or contact the Wildlife Resources Division Hunter Education office at 706-557-3355.