Gun safety around gun dogs

This is a topic that is talked about a lot but many times there are no details. Here’s a few things you should know.

• When walking up to shoot over a pointed gun dog, your barrel should be up! Safety reasons!
• When walking up with another shooter to shoot over a pointed gun dog, stay evenly abreast. No hunter should be shooting behind the other gunner!
• Remember your shooting lanes and do not shoot across your friends lanes!
• Do not shoot anything flying low! If in hilly terrain, pay attention to high flyers that are actually low based on position of the other dog and hunters.
• Birds flushing from a thicket surrounded by hunters is dangerous. Just remember, never shoot at these birds on the rise, rather let them go away from you which is away from the other hunters before making a shot.
• Hunter orange!
• If the dog is dark colored in areas with dead vegetation and no snow, put a hi-viz collar on that dog!
• When hunting over pointing dogs and if carrying a single shot or double barrel, carry it with the breach open. It is easy to snap it shut in time to shoot over a pointing dog. You may not have time on a wild flush but then you’re out there for the dogs not the meat, right?
• If carrying a machine gun, uh..err, I mean an autoloader or pump, carry it with muzzle up all the time.  Use that safety switch!
• Pay attention to your other hunters even though they have experience. Everyone, no matter how experienced, makes a mistake.
• Never, never shoot a bird on the ground so you don’t accidentally shoot your dog! If it is crippled, that’s the DOGS JOB to chase, catch and retrieve.

That’s about it for now. If you think of one I forgot, please add it in the comments!

Hope your Christmas was Merry and I wish the best in the upcoming New Year!

Dave