It is safe to shoot an arrow when the target is:

• A. Be sure of the target, what is in front of it, and what is beyond it.
• B. The target is within 20 yards.
• C. You have a clear line of sight to the target.
• D. The target is brightly lit.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is to keep the line of fire completely safe by knowing exactly what could be hit along and beyond the target. Being sure of the target isn’t enough if there could be people, animals, or objects in front of it or beyond it; arrows can travel past the target or through it if there’s no safe backstop. This rule ensures there’s a clear path, no one in the danger zone, and a proper backstop to stop arrows.

Distance, line of sight, or good lighting by themselves don’t guarantee safety. An arrow could still end up hitting something behind the target or someone off to the side. So the best practice is to be certain of the target, what’s in front of it, and what’s beyond it to prevent accidents.