AhaBulbStuff Everyone Should Know

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Stuff Every Hunter Should Know

Firearm safety, ethics and game ID from hunter education, in quick practice cards.

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Free to start, no sign-up. 161 cards so far. One Knowledge Score and day streak across all your courses.

⏱ Timed practice exam

AhaBulb practice exam: 50 questions, no time limit, pass with 40 right (80%).

Set by each state; check your state's course for its exact pass mark.

Take it like the real thing: the real number of questions, no hints until you finish, then your score by topic, every miss explained, and a readiness score from your last 3 exams.

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About the real test: Hunter education course and exam

Rules change: always check the official source before test day.

Try 3 cards

  1. Under the primary rules of firearm safety, how should you treat every firearm?
    Show the answer

    As if it were loaded. Treating every firearm as loaded is one of the four primary rules taught in hunter education. People get hurt by guns they were sure were empty. The habit protects you even when you are wrong.

  2. When carrying a firearm, where should your trigger finger be?
    Show the answer

    Outside the trigger guard. Keeping your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot is one of the four primary rules. A slip, stumble or branch can make a finger squeeze without meaning to. Outside the guard, it cannot.

  3. What is the right way to think about the safety on a gun?
    Show the answer

    A mechanical device that can fail. A safety is a mechanical part, and parts can wear out or be left partly on by mistake. Hunter education teaches it is a backup, not a substitute for muzzle control. You are the gun's main safety.

All 161 practice questions

The first 50 are free, with the answer, why it's right and the official sources. The other 111 (🔒) are for AhaBulb members. Or play them as a game and track what you've learned.

Show all 161 questions
  1. Under the primary rules of firearm safety, how should you treat every firearm?
  2. When carrying a firearm, where should your trigger finger be?
  3. What is the right way to think about the safety on a gun?
  4. When can you be absolutely certain a gun cannot fire?
  5. Why should you never shoot at an animal standing on top of a ridge?
  6. You hear something moving in the brush that might be game. What should you do?
  7. Why should you never shoot at water, rocks or other flat, hard surfaces?
  8. According to the NSSF, how far can even a small .22 short bullet travel?
  9. According to the NSSF, how far can shotgun pellets travel?
  10. Which field carry gives you the best control of the muzzle?
  11. Which carry rests the gun across your forearm and elbow to reduce arm fatigue?
  12. The elbow or side carry is especially comfortable with which kind of firearm?
  13. The shoulder carry is a poor choice when other hunters are where?
  14. Which carry holds the gun in one hand, leaving the other hand free for balance?
  15. Where is the sling carry a good choice?
  16. Three hunters walk side by side. Where should the middle hunter point the muzzle?
  17. When crossing a fence while hunting, what is the first thing to do?
  18. Two hunters reach a fence. After both unload, what happens next?
  19. You slip and fall while carrying your shotgun. What should you check before shooting again?
  20. Mud is stuck in your barrel and you cannot get it all out. What should you do?
  21. What can happen if a 20-gauge shell is loaded into a 12-gauge shotgun?
  22. You pull the trigger and the gun does not fire. What should you do?
  23. How does hunter education say firearms and ammunition should be stored at home?
  24. How should a firearm be carried in a vehicle on the way to hunt?
  25. Which type of rifle action is generally the most accurate?
  26. Why is an open break-action shotgun easy for others to inspect?
  27. What works the action of a semi-automatic firearm after each shot?
  28. What does the 'action' of a firearm do?
  29. What is the rifling inside a rifle barrel?
  30. What does the '12' in a 12-gauge shotgun measure?
  31. Which common shotgun is named by its actual bore measurement, not by gauge?
  32. What is a shotgun shell that fires one single projectile called?
  33. What does the choke on a shotgun barrel do?
  34. What kind of powder should never go in a traditional muzzleloader?
  35. When loading a muzzleloader, how should powder go into the barrel?
  36. What is the safe way to tell if a muzzleloader is loaded?
  37. Is it safe to walk around with a primed muzzleloader on half cock?
  38. What does it mean to 'dry fire' a bow, and is it okay?
  39. How should arrows with broadheads be carried in the field?
  40. What kind of fall protection does the Treestand Manufacturers Association say to use?
  41. How should you get your firearm up into a tree stand?
  42. What does 'three points of contact' mean when climbing to a stand?
  43. Hunter education warns that which of these is a leading cause of hunting injuries?
  44. When do most tree stand falls happen?
  45. Which color should hunters wear to be seen from a distance or in heavy cover?
  46. Does wearing blaze orange make deer spot you more easily?
  47. When is it okay to drink alcohol while handling firearms or bows?
  48. In hunter education, what is your 'zone of fire'?
  49. In a line of three hunters, who has the narrowest zone of fire?
  50. In hunter education, what does fair chase balance?
  51. According to hunter education, what is the greatest threat to hunting in North America? 🔒
  52. You reach your hunting spot and another hunter is already set up there. What's the ethical move? 🔒
  53. What should decide the longest shot you will take at game? 🔒
  54. What's the respectful way to bring a harvested deer home through town? 🔒
  55. A hunting situation turns confrontational with another person. What does hunter education say to do? 🔒
  56. Which is a good way to thank a landowner who lets you hunt? 🔒
  57. A deer runs off after a firearm shot. About how long should you wait before following it? 🔒
  58. Why do hunters mark sign with flagging tape or tissue while trailing a wounded animal? 🔒
  59. In what year did Congress pass the Pittman-Robertson Act to fund wildlife restoration? 🔒
  60. What federal excise tax rate applies to sporting rifles, shotguns, ammo and archery gear for wildlife funding? 🔒
  61. For a typical Pittman-Robertson wildlife project, how is the cost usually split? 🔒
  62. At what age must a migratory waterfowl hunter buy and carry a Federal Duck Stamp? 🔒
  63. About how much of the money from Federal Duck Stamp sales goes to buying or protecting wetlands? 🔒
  64. What's unusual about how the Federal Duck Stamp's artwork is chosen? 🔒
  65. Under the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, who owns wild animals? 🔒
  66. Which is a principle of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation? 🔒
  67. Unregulated market hunting in the 1800s helped drive which bird to extinction? 🔒
  68. In wildlife management, what is carrying capacity? 🔒
  69. Hunter education lists four basic habitat needs for wildlife: food, water, cover and what? 🔒
  70. What do wildlife managers call the extra animals beyond what a habitat can support? 🔒
  71. If a deer population is too high, which hunting rule do managers often use to lower it? 🔒
  72. Songbirds are an example of which kind of wildlife? 🔒
  73. The Lacey Act, the first far-reaching federal wildlife protection law, was signed in what year? 🔒
  74. What does the Lacey Act mainly make illegal? 🔒
  75. In 1916, the US signed a migratory bird treaty with Great Britain on behalf of which country? 🔒
  76. When must a hunter carry their license, tags and stamps? 🔒
  77. Why should you read your state's hunting regulations every single year? 🔒
  78. Wildlife managers set seasons and bag limits mainly to protect what? 🔒
  79. Hunters aim for the vital zone on big game. Which organs are the main target? 🔒
  80. Which shot angle does hunter education call the most effective on deer and other large game? 🔒
  81. An animal is angled away from you but hasn't fully turned. What is this position called? 🔒
  82. Why does hunter education say not to take a head-on shot at big game? 🔒
  83. A buck is running across a field. What does hunter education say to do? 🔒
  84. When hunting wild turkey with a shotgun, where does hunter education say to aim? 🔒
  85. Hunter education names three things that cause game meat to spoil. Heat, moisture and what? 🔒
  86. Why should hunters wear latex or rubber gloves when field dressing game? 🔒
  87. When should you fill out and attach a tag to a deer or turkey that requires one? 🔒
  88. What's the widely recognized distress signal if you're lost in the woods? 🔒
  89. Before leaving for a hunt, what should you always do with your hunt plan? 🔒
  90. You realize you're lost on a hunt. According to hunter education, what's the very first thing to do? 🔒
  91. Stranded overnight with one bottle of water, what does hunter education say to do with it? 🔒
  92. Hunter education teaches the 'umbles' as warning signs of what? 🔒
  93. Can you get hypothermia when it's above 40 degrees Fahrenheit? 🔒
  94. In areas with chronic wasting disease, what does the CDC recommend before eating your deer or elk? 🔒
  95. Which product does the CDC recommend treating hunting clothes and gear with to repel ticks? 🔒
  96. What three qualities should a basic hunter education course develop? 🔒
  97. Why is hunter education important for physical safety? 🔒
  98. What lawful behavior does hunter education promote? 🔒
  99. Who does IHEA-USA call a primary funding source benefiting all wildlife species? 🔒
  100. Besides funding conservation, how can hunters protect wildlife resources? 🔒
  101. How can hunters directly help wildlife agencies? 🔒
  102. Who scientifically manages wildlife populations under the North American Model? 🔒
  103. Who may pursue public fish and wildlife within legal limits? 🔒
  104. Which state revenue helps fund wildlife management? 🔒
  105. What is the most important factor affecting wildlife survival? 🔒
  106. How does habitat naturally change over time? 🔒
  107. Besides food, water, cover, and space, what habitat component does IHEA-USA list? 🔒
  108. What do wildlife managers call conditions that restrict population growth? 🔒
  109. How many main shooting-incident types does IHEA-USA teach? 🔒
  110. What is the main purpose of a firearm's stock? 🔒
  111. What is the trigger guard designed to protect against? 🔒
  112. Why do handguns require extra care with muzzle control? 🔒
  113. Which four parts make up a rifle or pistol cartridge? 🔒
  114. Which component is listed for shotshells but not rifle cartridges? 🔒
  115. What does the firing pin strike to begin ammunition ignition? 🔒
  116. How closely must ammunition markings match the firearm? 🔒
  117. Which way should you face while unloading a firearm before handing it over? 🔒
  118. Who should verify an open firearm is empty during a handoff? 🔒
  119. When should the giver release a firearm during a handoff? 🔒
  120. Which eye should a shooter determine and use? 🔒
  121. Which breathing skill is a rifle marksmanship fundamental? 🔒
  122. What shotgun skill accounts for a moving target's travel? 🔒
  123. Why should shooters wear hearing protection? 🔒
  124. What firing debris can eye protection block? 🔒
  125. Where should ammunition be while you clean a firearm? 🔒
  126. How should a firearm be prepared before entering a ground blind? 🔒
  127. Compared with rifles, how are shotguns typically directed at moving targets? 🔒
  128. When hunting with partners, how wide is each hunter's zone of fire in front of them? 🔒
  129. You're on a group hunt. What must you do before leaving your established stand location? 🔒
  130. What does hunter education say must NOT be within range in a safe zone of fire? 🔒
  131. Before taking a shot, you must be sure of your target, what's beyond it, and what else? 🔒
  132. After unloading and finding an obstruction in the barrel, what does hunter education say to clear it with? 🔒
  133. Besides climbing errors, what does hunter education name as a main cause of falls from elevated stands? 🔒
  134. Where should you practice with a new tree stand and harness before using it to hunt? 🔒
  135. How often should you inspect your tree stand and its accessories? 🔒
  136. What does a full body harness tether have built in to soften a fall? 🔒
  137. You slip from your stand and are hanging in your harness. What should you do? 🔒
  138. Hanging in your harness and can't get back on the stand fast. How do you use the suspension relief strap? 🔒
  139. You're hanging in a harness with no suspension relief strap. What should you keep doing? 🔒
  140. Hunting alone, you unload to cross a fence. Where do you put your firearm? 🔒
  141. Two hunters are about to cross an obstacle together. How should they stand while unloading? 🔒
  142. Do most US states require hunters to wear blaze orange for certain kinds of hunting? 🔒
  143. In an outdoor emergency, hunters follow the STOP principle. What does STOP stand for? 🔒
  144. Which item does hunter education list as standard survival kit equipment? 🔒
  145. Why should a group of hunters make and follow a plan together? 🔒
  146. Which sign does IHEA list for early-stage hypothermia? 🔒
  147. Which skin sign does IHEA list for heat exhaustion? 🔒
  148. Besides keeping you afloat, what does a life jacket do for a hunter who falls into cold water? 🔒
  149. Which of these is one reason hunting laws and regulations exist? 🔒
  150. Besides preventing people from being mistaken for game, what does correct wildlife identification prevent? 🔒
  151. Where should you look up current season dates, bag limits and tagging rules? 🔒
  152. In hunter education, what makes a species a "game animal"? 🔒
  153. How much game does hunter education say a responsible hunter takes? 🔒
  154. According to hunter education, who mainly defines fair chase? 🔒
  155. For a quick kill on flying birds, where should the shot hit? 🔒
  156. You find a downed deer. From which direction should you approach it? 🔒
  157. According to hunter education, are a dead big game animal's eyes normally open or closed? 🔒
  158. Which early-morning sign does IHEA say to look for when tracking a hit animal? 🔒
  159. Which trail direction does IHEA say to look for when tracking wounded big game? 🔒
  160. When should you field dress harvested game? 🔒
  161. Which firearm measurements does IHEA say may have minimum legal requirements for hunting? 🔒