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Hunters have been out in the woods, fields and marshes in recent weeks while archery, waterfowl, turkey and other hunting seasons have been underway.

This weekend, hundreds of thousands of deer hunters will set out as the firearms deer season begins.

It’s a cherished tradition for many people as they look forward to the camaraderie and excitement of the hunt.

But every year there are also tragedies, including gun accidents, falls from deer stands and other mishaps.

Two Minnesota men have already been injured in separate hunting accidents when they were accidentally shot by young, inexperienced hunters during the state’s youth firearms deer season.

Both men survived but had to be hospitalized. One was accidentally shot by his 13-year-old daughter while the other was struck by a 10-year-old hunter the man was supervising.

While young hunters obviously need more attention and training, hunting accidents happen to those with plenty of experience and skills.

There are basic safety rules to review before deer hunting, starting with the requirement for a proper amount of blaze orange or pink clothing to make hunters easily visible to other hunters, but not to whitetail who don’t distinguish colors like we do.

Hunters should also make sure that someone knows where they are going to be hunting and when they plan to return. Having a first aid kit and wearing proper clothing for conditions is also on the list of precautions.

Cleaning and inspecting guns or other hunting gear to make sure they are operating properly before you go hunting is important as is keeping the safety mechanism on guns until you are about to fire the gun.

And making absolutely sure you know what you’re shooting at is vital.

Hunting always involves some level of risk, but risk can be greatly reduced by taking common sense precautions.

— Mankato Free Press, Oct. 31