As hunters head out for the second shotgun deer hunting season this Saturday, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters of safe practices.

Iowa DNR requires that any deer must be tagged before it is moved or within 15 minutes of being shot, which can have a potential for danger for hunters as they move closer to or across their friends on a drive. That’s why wearing solid blaze orange is mandatory. DNR State Officer Wes Gould gives safety precautions for the shotgun deer season, “You must wear your blaze orange: coat, vest, coveralls, 100% blaze orange. A hat alone is not enough. Another thing I would encourage people to do is to ask permission before they go on grounds that they don’t have permission to be on. That seems to be popping up a lot lately.”

Wearing blaze orange may not make sense to some while hunters camouflage themselves, but what’s noticeable to humans isn’t to deer. Bright orange looks more like white or gray as deer see most colors poorly. In the low-light conditions of dusk and dawn, deer do notice shades of blue and ultraviolet wavelengths, so avoid jeans and laundry detergents that use optical brighteners. Gould reminds hunters to be sure of their target and what’s beyond it, and the importance of wearing a harness in tree stands.