What are the four primary firearm safety rules that hunters must follow every time they handle a firearm?

• A. Treat every firearm as loaded; always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction; keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot; and know your target and what lies beyond it.
• B. Always keep a firearm unloaded; never point at anything you do not intend to shoot; keep your finger on the trigger at all times; and identify the target after you shoot.
• C. Handle firearms only when accompanied by a supervisor; store them in a locked cabinet; keep the muzzle down; and use camouflage clothing.
• D. Load the firearm before entering the field; never check the target; and point the muzzle at the ground.

Answer: (A)

The four guiding practices focus on safe handling every time a firearm is in use: treat every firearm as if it is loaded, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot, and know exactly what your target is and what lies beyond it. Treating a firearm as loaded removes doubt about its readiness, since you can’t assume it’s unloaded even if you think it is. Keeping the muzzle in a safe direction minimizes the risk of injury if the gun were to discharge accidentally. Trigger discipline—keeping your finger off the trigger until you intend to shoot—prevents unintended discharges from body movements or jerks. And knowing the target plus what lies beyond ensures you don’t shoot something unsafe or miss the possibility of bullets traveling beyond your intended target.

The other options include practices that aren’t correct safety rules, such as claiming you must always unload the firearm, keeping your finger on the trigger at all times, or only identifying targets after you shoot. They also introduce irrelevant or unsafe ideas like needing a supervisor to handle firearms or wearing camouflage as a safety measure. These do not align with the essential, universal safety habits hunters should follow whenever handling a firearm.