Vaccines for the novel coronavirus that has caused mass lockdowns have only started slowly rolling out all over the world, and it’s going to take a while for them to take effect. Not only that, not all countries will be able to have access to these vaccines, so it’ll take even longer for them to be effective worldwide.
Still, it’s a step in the right direction, but that doesn’t mean you should become complacent over personal and public safety.
Hunting is a sport that isn’t too dangerous, while still being a good way to get a lot of exercise while also getting a chance to breathe in the air from outdoors. For people who have no choice but to stay cooped inside their homes and are getting cabin fever, this is activity is godsend.
But like all outdoor activities, safety precautions must be taken to protect yourself and the people around you. Here are some safety measures that you should take for your next hunting trip.
Ensure that you are healthy before going out
You want to ensure that you don’t have the coronavirus or any other sickness before going out. If you are sick, you risk either spreading your sickness or being more vulnerable to attacks from other diseases, most especially the coronavirus itself.
If you don’t feel well, it might be better to call off the hunt for a little while, rather than risk your (and the people around you’s) health.
Bring a mask…. or five.
Depending on where you live, mask-wearing may be mandatory when heading outside for any reason, but even if it’s not required in your specific place, it’s better to wear them nonetheless, to protect both you and the people surrounding you. Sure, you won’t be running into people all that often in the forest while hunting, but you never know who may be secretly carrying it until it’s too late.
Oh, and don’t bring just one mask too. Bring extras, just in case the one you’re currently wearing might become problematic or destroyed while you’re out and about. Masks tearing apart from being caught by a hidden unnoticeable branch isn’t an uncommon occurrence.
Hunt close to home if possible
The coronavirus’ best way of spreading as far as it can is through travel, whether it’s by people who have it or objects that are brought through different places.
The best way to minimize this is to hunt close to home and look for hunting area that can be driven or even walked towards without much effort.
Limit the amount of people in your hunting party
Coronavirus spreads very easy among crowds and having a lot of people in your party greatly increases the chances that you catch it too.
The best way to go about this is to not have too many people in your hunting party, but if you really must have more, then split up into smaller groups to minimize potential transmission with the entire group.
Do not share accommodation with people outside your immediate household.
If you are paying for lodging or a hotel room, you only want people in your household at most to be in your room. You can’t be too sure about the people who don’t live with you, as they may potentially have COVID-19 and transmit it by way of touching objects all around the room without you realizing, so to be safe, it would be better for them to be in a different room instead.
If you can, pay with a debit or credit card instead. Online payments are encouraged.
Cashless payments are becoming more prominent these days as most people are making the switch to paying online or with their credit or debit cards.
This is because money can be very dirty, and you don’t actually know where it came from and who was handling it and how.
Yes, that also means that it is possible to get coronavirus from the money you touch, which is why washing your hands after coming into contact with it is vital.
Pack individual meals
As with the accommodation part earlier, the less you have to come into contact with things that other people have touched, the better.
In that sense, meals are better off packed for a single person, rather than having a large amount of something brought and shared with everyone.
Bring lots of water – water fountains will be closed
If you’re someone used to drinking from public water fountains instead of bringing your own, then you may want to change your style and bring bottles of water instead.
Thanks to the pandemic, public water fountains all over are being closed, as people infected with COVID-19 may spread the infection by the faucet by which people drink.
Plus, it’s much more convenient to have bottles of water on you anyways than having to find a public fountain every time you get thirsty, especially while hunting, which may make you become quite active.
Share your bagged trophies online
It can be quite tempting to approach and show your fellow hunters that amazing buck you bagged, but it might be safer to just post it online or share it with them from your phone to minimize contact with other people.
It’s not like pictures of your hunt aren’t as valid a thing to show off. You can even strike a cool pose too!
Bring sanitizing supplies
No matter where you’re going, it’s always a good idea to have sanitizing supplies that will help keep your hands and the rest of your exposed body clean, especially when you have to touch a lot of things outdoors. Always bring hand sanitizer.