(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s busiest hunting season of the year opens Saturday (Dec. 7),  as some 100-thousand shotgun-wielding deer hunters will hit the woods and fields over the next few weeks. Megan Anderson, a trauma injury prevention coordinator at Gundersen Health System, says if it’s been a while since you’ve been hunting, you would likely benefit from brushing up on your safety skills.

All hunters should know rules like: When firearms aren’t in use, be sure they’re stored safely, locked and UN-loaded. Anderson says you should always know where other members of your party are located, and to let someone not with the group know where you are and when you’ll be back.

Especially during December, when the weather can quickly turn very cold and unpleasant, Anderson says proper clothing is vital.

Iowa has two deer shotgun seasons coming up. The first runs tomorrow through December 11th, while the second season runs December 14th through the 22nd. Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.