Release Date: 11/28/2017 Nov. 28, 2017 – The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA)-USA want to remind hunters of the four basic firearm safety rules that are of utmost importance. Following these rules, which should be adhered to at all times, can make for a safe hunt. They include: 1) Treat every firearm as if it were loaded. 2) Always maintain muzzle control and know where your firearm is pointed. 3) Keep your safety on and your finger out of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot. 4) Be sure of your target and what is in front of and behind it. For a video illustration of the four rules from hunter-ed.com click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEaWcaJdi8o&feature=youtu.be For more hunter safety related videos from LDWF, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting-safety-videos . ABOUT IHEA-USA The International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) - USA is the professional hunter education association affiliated with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the 50 state fish and hunter education programs. The programs employ 57,000 instructors, many of whom are volunteers, that teach hunting and shooting safety and responsibilities throughout the United States. Hunter education courses train and certify more than 700,000 students annually. Since 1949, almost 44 million students have completed hunter education courses that cover firearm safety, bowhunting, wildlife management, field care of game, responsible hunting, landowner relations, wildlife identification, and much more. For more information, go to www.ihea-usa.org .