Preceding a major hunt – big game, waterfowl, pheasant, or whatnot – it’s customary to warn would-be nimrods of the hazards and urge they exercise every safety precaution. Certainly the warning. is appropriate. Everybody w 0 takes gun in hand and goes hunting isn’t a hunter insofar as experience and skills are concerned. Many of the accidents of the hunting seasons happen because simple errors are made or somebody didn’t heed safety practices. But outlining safety procedures isn’t the purpose of this editorial. Rather, we’d like to endorse some good advice made by the Bureau of Land Management relative to hunters respecting property rights. Jack Reed, spokesman for the BLM, said 42 percent of Utah’s land is administered by the agency – although the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources makes decisions on seasons and limits, even on federal land. Mr. Reed warned hunters that they need to be aware of private propertg rights when hunting even w en they’re on public territory. “Just because the BLMadministered public lands are open to hunting and fishing, it does not necessarily mean there ls ready access to a particular tract,” he said. Hunters, the BLM man cautioned, should secure permission from property owners before traveling across Erivate land to get to public s ooting areas. “Sportsmen should remember to close all livestock gates and keep their vehicles on established roads.” He also said littering and building hazardous campfires could result in citations from game officials. Mr. Reed’s warning is timely, in anticipation of this fall’s hunting seasons. We support his comments and, prompted by sad experiences by a few gun-happy people in the past, we would add this further suggestion: Take time to study what a deer or elk looks like…in contrast to a cow, horse, or mule.