Safety Rules
GUN HUNTING & SAFETY
FISHING/GENERAL SAFETY
- Loaded guns are not allowed on Club property. Handguns are not allowed on Club property, unless they are unloaded and locked in a vehicle.
- Guns are not to be loaded until after arrival in the shooting blind.
- Following a hunt, be certain all guns are unloaded before placing them in a gun case or in any boat. All hunters must present the unloaded breech of each gun to Club boat or air boat driver before boarding any boat. Members are responsible for insuring their guests’ compliance with this procedure.
- No alcoholic beverages are to be taken to the blinds, or consumed prior to or during a hunt.
- Treat all guns at all times as if they were loaded with muzzle pointed to the ground or to the sky.
- Eye and ear protection must be worn at all times.
- Know your target and what is before and beyond it. Shooting over someone who is out of the blind is strictly forbidden.
- Guns should be placed in gun racks in the cabin so as to minimize the likelihood of falling accidentally.
- Guests must hunt with a member or a guide, except that a member’s immediate family can hunt without a member or guide if the manager allows it in his sole discretion.
- All hunters must watch the Club’s duck identification video tape at least once prior to participating in a Club hunt.
- Care should be taken when moving to and from the boats to other boats or to the blinds. Surfaces are slippery and the boats may be unsteady. Boats and air boats may collide with each other when being loaded or unloaded. You must be careful not to let your hands or limbs get caught between the boats and air boats or serious injury may result.
- Gun cleaning should be done in the gun room. Guns should not be cleaned in the cabins, so as to minimize oil and grease damage to the furnishings. Do not place oily guns on the beds.
- Only Duck can be harvested. NO GEESE OR SANDHILL CRANES.
FISHING/GENERAL SAFETY
- No child under the age of fifteen (15) is allowed to cross the road or to be on the pier without adult supervision. On the pier there is always the danger of a fall, drowning, fish hooks, splinters, nails and, in certain areas, alligators.
- You are responsible for water safety for yourself and your children. This includes wearing life preservers (as required by law) and ensuring you know the location of the life preservers and are confident in your ability to don a life preserver as needed. It is recommended that all parties wear life preservers at all times.
- Alligators and various poisonous snakes are indigenous to the area, including Club property and the area around our pier. Stingrays and jellyfish are present in our bays. Care should be taken to avoid these animals, all of which can cause serious injury or death. While wade fishing, care should be taken to avoid sting rays and “Walk-N-Wades” or similar protective products are recommended.
- Oyster reefs, and debris are commonly encountered in all of our hunting and fishing areas. Special care and attention should be taken by members and their guests to avoid these bay features, all of which can inflict serious pain and injury.
- Saltwater bays and marshes contain bacteria, including vibrio vulnificus. These bacteria can be extremely dangerous, and can result in serious injury or death. Members and guests are urged to take appropriate precautions, including the use of waders. Members and guests who have an open sore or wound are further urged to avoid contact with bay waters. Children, the elderly, and those in poor health or with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable. Should any unusual symptoms develop following a hunting or fishing excursion, the Club urges that immediate medical attention be sought.
- Ultimate responsibility for compliance with Club rules lies with the member. Failure to comply will bring about action by the Board.
- Members are responsible for any damage to motors or skiffs used by themselves or their guests. The Club takes no responsibility for any personal injury or loss of property associated with use of club blinds or boats.