Rifle Safety Protocol

Any hunter who wishes to bring a rifle to the farm to assist in follow up will be required to sign a simple rifle safety protocol. The safety protocol will be enforced and a client in breach might be asked to either leave the farm or to put his weapon away.

Different hunting weapons have different safety features and different hunters have been brought up with various safety protocols. The protocol adopted by Rietfontein is the following:

• At the camp or the lodge, all rifles are to be stored in rifle bags or cases. No rifles to be left in vehicles, standing in corners or lying around.
• No live ammunition in magazines when rifles are in vehicles or in the lodges or camp.
• Bolts of rifles are to be ‘cracked open’ at all times whether a round is chambered or not, except when stored in rifle bag or case or when carried over the shoulder in a sling. This allows anybody to see from a distance that the rifle is safe.
• When a shot is imminent a round may be chambered but the bolt is not allowed to be closed. Only when the shot is about to be taken is the hunter allowed to close the bolt.
• When a wounded animal is followed up with the use of a vehicle, one hunter only will be nominated as the shooter and he will allowed to have ammunition in his magazine.
• When a rifle is carried by hand, the bolt must be ‘cracked’. Only when a rifle is carried in a sling over the shoulder is a rifle bolt allowed to be closed.
• Any person is free to ask any other person to show that his rifle is safe and no person shall take offense to this!