Hunting Season 2024 is Here: Tips to Hunt Smart and Safely

Hunting Season is here! Hunt smart and aim for safety with PHI Care’s hunting prep tips and safety recommendations.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced hunter, having the right gear and knowledge is crucial for making your hunting trip both safe and enjoyable. As you prepare for quiet mornings in the woods and being immersed in the great outdoors, being prepared for an emergency is more than essential. Safety should always be your top priority when hunting, as the remote nature of many hunting locations can make emergency situations particularly dangerous.

The Importance of Being Prepared for Emergencies during Outdoor Adventures

Common hunting injuries range from heart-related events, firearm-related events, lacerations, environmental risks, and muscle strains and sprains. Even the most experienced hunters are at risk of an emergency. Because most hunting occurs in rural areas, it is essential to make sure that you have immediate access to help, these scenarios can develop swiftly into serious issues.

To protect what matters most when seconds count. Consider the following when heading out on your next hunting trip:

• Slip and Fall Prevention
• Firearms Safety
• Preparing for the Unexpected
• Enrolling in PHI Cares at least five days before your hunt

Hunting Safety Precautions – Beyond the Gun

From the outside looking in, when you think of hunting accidents, the first thought is firearms. Although firearm safety is a cornerstone of hunting, there are many other potential risks, with a main one being falls. Whether you are hunting in the forest, mountains and hills, or wetlands – falls are going to happen, especially in rural terrain.

• Clothing: Wearing the proper footwear for the right environment is crucial to ensure fall prevention, blaze orange clothing and reflective gear to remain identifiable, and a hunting backpack.
• First-Aid Kits: Slipping can result in lacerations, sprains, and even broken bones. Having supplies ready at moment’s notice is important when it comes to risk-aversion. Here are a few items we recommend every hunter has ready and accessible in a moment’s notice: Adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipes, gauze, tape, tourniquets, emergency blankets, and elastic bandages for sprains and strains. (Remember – these can only provide short term help, be prepared to make emergency contact if necessary.)
• Other Equipment: Bring safety harnesses when using tree stands, do not forget eye and ear protection, multi-tools, water and food, personal locator beacon (PLB), and multiple forms of navigation.

Hunting Safety Recommendations – Firearms

Hunting makes up between 25% and 33% of all unintentional firearm injuries. Whether it occurs during hunting, cleaning the firearm, or transporting the firearm, each scenario can become very serious in a matter of seconds. Below are some gun safety tips that should be implemented to help prevent firearm injuries – related to hunting.

• Firearms: Treat every firearm as a loaded weapon and maintain basic safety by keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and keeping fingers outside the trigger guard until it is time to take the shot.
• Traveling: Maintain safe firearm traveling, make sure all firearms are unloaded and secured in its correct case.
• Stay Alert: Don’t just identify the target but stay alert to what’s beyond it to prevent high-risk accidents, additionally stay sober, it is important to never hunt under the influence.
• Educate: Constantly enhance your knowledge by taking hunter safety courses, talking to other hunters, and understanding the saftest practices. (Do not be scared to educate others as safety is essential).

Rural Hunting Safety: Preparing for the Unexpected

When medical assistance is needed it is important to make sure that you are prepared for an emergency. When hunting in rural areas, it is almost certain that this assistance will be provided through the transportation of an air medical lift. Making sure you know where you are and where you can be found is crucial in case of emergency.

• Geographical Barriers: When hunting in rural areas, the difficult terrain can lead to challenges for ground ambulances, additionally, the response time may also likely require an air-lift due to the large distance from your position of need.
• Communications and Itinerary: Be sure to carry a fully charged cellphone and a portable charger, preferably one with access to satellite network connectivity to ensure you can call for emergency assistance should an accident or injury occur. Rather you are deep into the woods or up on the mountain, if you are not able to make the call for help it is crucial that you have pre-shared your itinerary with family and/or friends.
• Flight Costs: The highly skilled pilots, paramedics, nurses, and state-of-the-art aircraft—equipped with lifesaving tools such as pumps, ventilators, and whole blood for inflight transfusions—are crucial for delivering care in rural and remote areas. These essential lifesaving resources come at a significant expense. An air medical membership can operate as secondary or backup coverage to your medical insurance plan.

A Note on PHI Air Medical

PHI Air Medical is not a rescue service however we play a crucial role in patient care during medical emergencies in rural and remote areas. PHI Air Medical emergency air evacuation services are called to the scene by qualified emergency personnel. PHI Air Medical provides quick medical attention and emergency flight transportation when needed, ensuring patients receive high-quality care en-route to medical facilities.

Phi Cares Always Cares

PHI Cares is approaching 20 years of serving both households and communities. From coast to coast, our air ambulance memberships have provided families with peace of mind, protecting them from out-of-pocket expenses or the “patient responsibility” portion of air medical bills, including co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurance. This protection ensures that families aren’t left facing unexpected costs after a lifesaving air medical transportation.

When it comes to hunting or spending time in rural areas, it’s crucial that you and your family are prepared, given the increased risk of needing lifesaving air medical transport in these remote locations.

PHI Cares is here to serve you because we truly care. While our air medical membership is not air medical insurance, it covers the portion of your air medical flight that isn’t paid by standard health insurance. With one membership covering your entire household for just pennies a day, you can have peace of mind knowing you’re covered when every second counts. PHI Cares always cares!

Join PHI Cares – An Air Ambulance Membership Program

Consider joining PHI Cares, the air ambulance membership program of PHI Air Medical. For a small, annual fee, PHI Cares protects your entire household from incurring out-of-pocket costs if flown by PHI Air Medical during a medical emergency. Our air ambulance membership program offers peace of mind, knowing that you and your loved ones are covered in critical situations. Be safe while hunting and know you are protected from out-of-pocket costs should the need to be flown from rural areas arise.

Whether planning a hunting trip, staying safe and prepared is key. Equip yourself with the right gear, practice firearm safety, watch out for slips and falls, and consider the benefits of PHI Cares membership for comprehensive emergency medical protection. Remember to always aim for safety!

Learn more and enroll at www.phicares.com