The Maine Warden Service has released a public service announcement ad that encourages safe hunting and proper gun handling.

There have been two hunting accidents so far this season. In one case, a Phippsburg man was carrying his rifle when the butt-end struck the pavement and went off. The bullet passed through several fingers and his forearm. And, in an unrelated case, a 12-year-old boy shot himself in the foot. He was hunting with his father when he accidentally rested the barrel on his foot and pulled the trigger.

Warden Corporal John MacDonald appears in the PSA, urging hunters to always be aware of their firearm and to handle it safely. It can be a very safe season, with only four accidents in 2015, compared to six in the previous two years. In addition, The Press Herald reported last year that there have been no hunting fatalities since 2012. But to maintain those kinds of statistics will require hunters who are careful with their guns and conscious of where and what they're shooting.

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