Youth hunting season opens this weekend & HUNTER'S SAFETY should be at the top over everyone's list.

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November 5th is marked on a lot of calendars in many Mississippi homes. This weekend is the opening of youth hunting season and soon adult season will be following. We spoke with Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks Sergeant Major Marshall McCraw on some suggestions that might give us a better and safer hunting season.

SGT. MAJ. McCraw tells us that hunter's safety is important to him, and should also be important to you and your family. we want to encourage everyone to take an education course.

McCraw says that some of the safety fundamentals taught in that course are firearm safety principles and also always wearing your hunter's orange vest. Not just any orange vest will do though. It has to be 500 square inches of unbroken fluorescent orange. He also tells us that

the two main causes of hunting incidents are tree stand falls and firearm incidents. So safety is very important in those two topics. The easiest way to avoid falling from an elevated hunting position is to invest in a good harness that has all the recommended safety protocols.

We also spoke with local hunter-safety enthusiast Ross Belk who co-owns Rockhouse Gun & Pawn. He tells us that even though he doesn't have any kids of his own he does have nieces and nephews, and knowing his loved ones will be participating he will take every opportunity to teach them the proper way to handle firearms.

SGT. MAJ. Marshall McCraw says he encourages everyone to take the hunters safety course. You can go to their website at mdwfp.com. and sign up for a class. They offer classes in-person and online.