Freshman Riley Cartwright knows all about how to be safe when using a gun. Photo by: Ashley Combs

By Ashley Combs

At Plymouth High School there are some students and faculty members who hunt and own guns.  At any age, owning and shooting a gun is not something to be taken lightly.  Hunting can be an enjoyable sport, but being responsible and safe is a priority of all who own a gun.

Part of being responsible is taking the time to learn gun safety.  Freshman Marcus Gunderson and sophomore Dan Samuelson both state, “I took a hunter’s education course to learn gun safety.” While some gun users take classes to learn gun safety, others such as sophomore Doug Andrews and Mr. Mike Kershner, who teaches health and physical education, learned gun safety from family members.

To own a gun there are few rules that have to be followed, but to shoot a gun there are many requirements.  Freshman Riley Cartwright explains, “You do not have to take a class to own or shoot a gun, but you have to take a class to be able to shoot an animal.”  Sophomore Trenton Pletcher says, “There are several rules set by the DNR [Department of Natural Resources], and there are also limits on the number of animals you can kill.”

Even though there are few rules on being able to own a gun, the criteria for when and how to shoot effectively and safely is strict.  Andrews says, “Make sure that your gun is not loaded until you want to shoot it and don’t point it at anyone or anything unless you want to shoot. Also, make sure that the safety is always on and for your first time shooting, make sure that you are with someone.”

While having the safety on is a good feature for protection, sophomore Gabe Vervynckt explains, “The safety is a mechanical device and it can fail, so don’t rely on it.”  He also suggests that people who own and use guns clean them regularly to prevent misfires and keep fingers outside of the trigger guard unless aiming at a target.  Mr. Kershner says that he treats every gun as if it were loaded. He also wears orange to stand out during hunting seasons and wears ear and eye protection.

Shooting can be a pleasurable sport for those who enjoy it, but knowing how to be safe needs to be first on the minds of those who use a gun.  As Pletcher says, “you can never be too safe.”