Division of Wildlife

Handle, Store Guns Safely After Hunting Seasons

As hunters put away their shotguns and rifles for the year, the Colorado Division of Wildlife reminds all gun owners to handle and store firearms and ammunition safely.
 
Any guns used during hunting season – whether they were fired or not - should be thoroughly cleaned and inspected before being placed in storage. Moisture can cause rusting and dirt and oil can impede mechanisms and possibly affect accuracy.
 
“All hunting gear should be cleaned before storing it,” said Mark Cousins, hunter education coordinator for the DOW. “That includes guns, bows, arrows, clothing and camping gear. If it’s cleaned now it will be ready for use next season.”
 
All guns should be unloaded and stored in a locked safe or security cabinet. Ammunition should also be stored in a separate and locked container.
 
“Basic firearm safety rules dictate that firearms be unloaded and stored in a safe manner to prevent accidents,” Cousins said.
 
When removing guns from storage, always check to make sure they are unloaded.
 
“Never, ever assume that a gun is unloaded,” said Patt Dorsey, area wildlife manager in Durango. “Always check and double check.”  
 
Parents should talk seriously about gun safety with their children. At Christmas time many youngsters receive guns as presents.
 
“Even if a youngster gets a BB gun or a toy gun, parents should talk about safety rules,” Dorsey said. “Children must be taught how to check if a gun is loaded, to never point a gun at anything they don’t want to shoot. And they should be taught to never point a gun at another person under any circumstance.”
 
The DOW recommends that all gun owners enroll in a Hunter Education course. Besides learning about how to handle guns safely, those enrolled learn about wildlife, hunting ethics, basic outdoor survival skills and how to put together a personal survival kit.
 
“Even if you never hunt you will learn valuable information about how not to get lost in the wild and what to do if you’re forced to spend a night in the woods,” Dorsey said.
 
Anyone who completes the class also earns a Hunter Safety Card which is required to buy a hunting license.
 
Finally, the DOW recommends that hunters and gun owners go to establish ranges to practice their gun handling and shooting skills throughout the year.
 
“Practice really does help make perfect and the more familiar and skilled hunters are with their hunting equipment the more likely it is that they will have a positive, enjoyable hunting experience,” Cousins said. “If more hunters spent a little more time practicing at the range, there would be even fewer accidents out in the field.”
 
Information about Hunter Education courses and locations of shooting ranges throughout Colorado can be found at the DOW website: http://www.wildlife.state.co.us.
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The Colorado Division of Wildlife is the state agency responsible for managing wildlife and its habitat, as well as providing wildlife related recreation. The Division is funded through hunting and fishing license fees, federal grants and Colorado Lottery proceeds through Great Outdoors Colorado.