Iowa’s busiest hunting season of the year opens tomorrow as some 100,000 shotgun-wielding deer hunters will hit the woods and fields over the next few weeks.
Megan Anderson, a trauma injury prevention coordinator at Gundersen Health System, says if it’s been a while since you’ve been hunting, you would likely benefit from brushing up on your safety skills.
Megan Anderson (Gundersen photo)
“Young hunters or new hunters have recently probably been through a hunter safety course, so it’s always a good idea to talk to them about what they learned, and it might be a good refresher for us as parents as well, to hear those things again,” Anderson says, “and then just keeping in mind, supervision and thinking about the way in which we are modeling safe practices.”
All hunters should know rules like: When firearms aren’t in use, be sure they’re stored safely, locked and UN-loaded. Anderson says you should always know where other members of your party are located, and to let someone not with the group know where you are and when you’ll be back.
“It’s important to be prepared in case there is an emergency when you’re in the woods, thinking about, can you carry a first aid kit with you, potentially knowing hands-only CPR if that’s needed,” Anderson says. “Lots of areas, the cell service might not work, so how are you going to get help and stay connected if there is an emergency?”
Especially during December, when the weather can quickly turn very cold and unpleasant, Anderson says proper clothing is vital.
“Sometimes, we think about hunting related to the blaze orange, lots of people know about that, but also thinking about making sure you’re warm enough, have an extra pair of clothing, just in case things get wet, if it’s wet out there,” she says, “making sure you have eye protection, ear protection, things like that as well.”
Iowa has two deer shotgun seasons coming up. The first runs tomorrow through December 11th, while the second season runs December 14th through the 22nd.
Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.