Hunting season is underway, and with hikers and hunters sharing the forest, there are precautions people can take to stay safe and visible while enjoying the outdoors.
James Newsom is the land protection specialist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock and has been hunting since he was 12. His father was a hunter, and going hunting together was a bonding experience for the two of them. Newsom was also a Boy Scout, and he went to a school in Scotland where he experienced many hiking expeditions.
“Certainly as a hunter, safety is the No. 1 priority,” Newsom said. “Always identify the target and what’s beyond it.”
This involves scouting out the terrain to thoroughly get to know the location, which Newsom explained is taught in a hunter education course.
According to the New Hampshire Fish and Game website, New Hampshire requires all hunters 16 and older to purchase a license to hunt. In order to be eligible for a license, hunters have to complete a hunter education course. This course teaches skills such as firearm safety, state game laws, how to use a map and compass and wildlife management principles.
For people worried about hiking during hunting season, Newsom suggests staying on marked trails. He said deer aren’t usually on trails and hunters generally aren’t close to trails, either. He added that hunters often will go out during dawn and dusk when deer are most active, so it’s smart to hike closer to the middle of the day.
There is also land in the region where hunting isn’t allowed, and seeking out trails in those woods can feel safer. Hikers can talk and make noise to let any nearby hunters know they are sharing space as well.
Newsom said the Harris Center encourages people to wear fluorescent orange when walking or hiking in the forest from September to at least mid-December.
As for dogs, “I would certainly recommend an orange bandana and an orange vest,” Newsom said, and “keeping a dog under control with a leash is preferable.”
Newsom believes there’s space for hunters and hikers in the forest year-round.
“There’s a lot of woods out there to share. Enough to share the woods with everybody,” he said.
Capt. Michael Eastman of New Hampshire Fish and Game said that in the last five years, there have been nine hunting-related shootings. All were self-inflicted injuries or injuries within the hunting party, except for one non-fatal accident in which a bullet fragment hit a mountain biker.
“You’re more likely to get in a car accident on the way to where you’re hiking than get in a hunting accident,” Eastman said, but he emphasized that it is still important to wear orange and follow safety precautions during hunting season.
Hunting seasons vary for different species. Black bear season started Sept. 1. Deer-hunting season starts with bow hunting from Sept. 15 to Dec. 15, followed by muzzleloader from Oct. 29 to Nov. 8 and regular firearm hunting from Nov. 9 to Dec. 4. Pheasants can be hunted from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, and turkeys can be bow-hunted Sept. 15 through Dec. 15.
The full list, including specifications and restrictions, can be found on the New Hampshire Fish And Game website, wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/hunt-dates.html.