4-H Safety Programs

4-H Shooting Sports

The goal of the 4-H Shooting Sports program is youth development. Through participation in firearm safety training and shooting sports activities, young men and women are given the opportunity to learn responsibility, sportsmanship, self-discipline, and other qualities critical to the development of productive citizens.

4-H Shooting Sports is a national program with 428,020 young people taking part, making it one of the largest shooting education programs in the United States. Here in Mississippi, 4-H Shooting Sports involves thousands of kids and continues to grow annually. An established core of over 700 adult volunteer instructors and 4-H agents provide training and leadership for our program throughout the state.

All-Terrain Vehicles 4-H (ATV) Safety Education

The goal of the MSU Extension 4-H ATV Safety program is to reduce ATV-related accidents and fatalities in Mississippi. The objectives of the safety program are

to increase the number of 4th- to 6th-grade participants by 1,000 in the 2-hour ATV Safety program using the ATV Safety Leader’s Guide,
to increase the number of participants by 500 in the age-specific ATV Safety Institute (ASI) online E-Course ATV Safety Training,
to increase the number of participants by 500 in the ATV Safety Tread-Sylvania online ATV safety game found at www.atv-youth.org,
to develop ATV Safety public service announcements (PSA) involving ATV Safety program participants (statewide),
to increase the number of certified ATV safety instructors by 10, and
to increase the number of participants by 100 completing the 4.5-hour hands-on ATV RiderCourse training per year.

Publications

Publication Number: IS1944

Hunting for Life: An Introduction to the Hunting Discipline

Publication Number: P2752

4-H SAFETY Event Handbook

Publication Number: IS1919

4-H SAFETY Safety Officer Reference Guide

Publication Number: IS1920

Building Your Own Backstop

Publication Number: IS1602

Ten Steps to a Successful Mississippi 4-H Shooting Sports Program

Three young people drive ATVs on a marked course in a field during a safety training.

4-H Contest Raises ATV Safety Awareness

September 18, 2018 - Filed Under: ATV Safety

Abbye Buchanan, of Florence, is the 2018 winner of the Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H ATV Safety PSA Contest. Buchanan is 11 years old and has been a member of 4-H for 3 years. (File photo/MSU Extension Service)

A teenage boy in a blue and white long-sleeved shirt and protective gear, including a red and black helmet and black gloves, rides a red ATV around orange cones during a safety class. (Kevin Hudson)

ATV Safety Week June 2-10, 2018

June 5, 2018 - Filed Under: 4-H, 4-H Safety Programs, ATV Safety

It's ATV Safety Week! (Photo by Kevin Hudson)

A young rider in full safety gear navigates a turn on an all-terrain vehicle.

Extension, 4-H offer ATV safety training

May 18, 2018 - Filed Under: ATV Safety

June 2-10 is ATV Safety Week

WEST POINT, Miss. -- Many Mississippians enjoy the usefulness and thrill of riding all-terrain vehicles, but the dangerous nature of these machines is highlighted in the June 2-10 4-H ATV Safety Week.

Mississippi ranks 15th in the nation in ATV-related deaths. In 2017, nine youngsters died after suffering traumatic injuries in ATV accidents.

Hunter wearing camouflage secures a portable platform to the side of a tree.

Take extra precautions when using tree stands

December 1, 2017 - Filed Under: 4-H Safety Programs, White-Tailed Deer

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Although they are beneficial as a hunting tool to increase visibility, elevated tree stands come with many safety concerns.

Fortunately, it is easier than ever to hunt safely from trees. When using a tree stand, design choice and placement location are your most important decisions. Finding a healthy, large tree with no visible signs of damage or rot is essential when using fixed, permanent or ladder-style tree stands. These stands require a sturdy base to mount and climbing gear to reach ideal hunting height.

A hunter in camouflage and an orange vest places his rifle into storage on the back of an ATV in the woods.

Precautions can safely combine hunting, ATVs

November 30, 2017 - Filed Under: ATV Safety

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Hunting and driving all-terrain vehicles are so linked in Mississippi that many people forget safety precautions when using these powerful machines.

Bradley Staton, Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H ATV associate, offered a few tips to increase the chances that people will have a safe time in the woods on ATVs.

"Always wear protective gear," Staton said. "That means a helmet to protect the head if you lose control and flip the ATV, and appropriate clothing, including long sleeves, a jacket and boots. And, since it's hunting season, always wear an orange vest so others hunters in the same area can see you."

A blonde woman in a white shirt and ponytail stands in front of a wooden wall and holds a brown, black, and white baby goat.

Doing the “Heart” Work

4-H, 4-H Livestock Program, 4-H Safety Programs, SAFETY – Safe Archery and Firearms Education and Training for Youth, Join 4-H, Volunteers
Volume 4 Number 3

After working all day, Deidra Rollins knew the last thing she wanted to do was spend every evening and weekend at the ball field. But she wanted something she and her daughter, Tory, could do together. So she stopped by the local Mississippi State University Extension Service office.

A 4-H volunteer leader with two 4-H members at a 4-H Shooting Sports event.

Doing the "Heart" Work

SAFETY – Safe Archery and Firearms Education and Training for Youth, Health and Wellness, Volunteers
Volume 3 Number 3

Until recently, the Clover Dawgs 4-H Robotics team in Oktibbeha County needed a bigger robot. Club volunteer leader Robert Rice secured the first donation toward purchasing the machine from his employer.