Safety Tips for Outdoor Recreation

10 tips to help you enjoy NH's recreation opportunities.

  1. 3 woman hiking along dirt wooded roadAlways bring a reliable headlamp when you go hiking; visit www.hikesafe.com for 10 essential items to bring on a hike.
  2. Before heading out on a hike, leave an itinerary with a friend or family member.
  3. While hiking, fishing, or hunting, do not leave valuables behind in your car, or they may become an easy target for thieves. Read more about hiking safety...
  4. While smartphones are useful devices, do not rely on them to call for help or serve as a flashlight.  Have a backup plan.
  5. Use caution around flowing waterways; remember that water levels on rivers and streams may rise suddenly.
  6. Do not venture out onto the ice before personally testing it to make sure it is safe. Read more about ice safety...
  7. Always wear an approved flotation device when venturing out in a canoe, kayak, or boat.  (Although it is not mandated by law for adults to wear one, it is a good safety practice and all our CO’s do whenever on the water.)
  8. Everyone should wear a helmet and eye protection when riding any Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle (OHRV), even UTV (Utility Terrain Vehicle)/side-by-sides. Learn more about OHRV safety...
  9. Big game and small game hunters should always wear an article of blaze orange clothing. Turkey hunters should wear hunter orange when moving from one location to another and when set up at a calling location. See more tips on hunting safely...
  10. Store firearms and ammunition separately and securely, and always fully unload your firearm when in a car, OHRV, boat or snowmobile.