Crossing Obstacles
When hunting in the West, you are likely to come to a barbed-wire fence that needs to be crossed.
Getting to the other side can be a chore when you need to strip off a pack and bino harness, not to mention your rifle or bow. It may be surprising, but crossing a fence just might be the most dangerous thing you do all day. In fact, fence crossing is the No. 2 cause of hunting incidents in the state of Arizona.
Many hunters will approach a fence and look for a way to cross that doesn’t involve shedding gear and wriggling in the dirt to crawl under (spoiler alert: wriggling under is the best way). It is possible to hold on to the metal fence post and step up on each strand in order to cross. Unfortunately, the strands are capable of slipping (and so are hunters) resulting in a hunter being impaled upon a metal T post, miles from help. Sounds terrible? It is. And it can be fatal.
Add fence-crossing to the list of activities that demand a bit more of your attention and take the time to cross safely.
Slide your gear under the fence. Take off your bino harness. Wriggle under the fence and get some dust on those new hunting pants.
Good things to remember when crossing a fence:
- ALWAYS unload your firearm before crossing any obstacle.
- Cross near a fence post to help prevent damage to the fence.
- Place your gun and other equipment on the ground on the other side of the fence with the muzzle pointed way from you. Even better, place your equipment one or more fence segments away from where you intend to cross.
- If you need to pull your gun toward you from under a fence, do so from the butt of the gun and never the muzzle.
- Even when crossing with a partner, unload the firearms before handing them over or through the fence to the other hunter.