The Mountain Safety Council is warning hunters ahead of the annual start to the deer season - known as the roar - that safety comes first.
Speaking this morning to TVNZ 1's Breakfast programme, CEO Mike Daisley said 100 per cent of firearms-related accidents are avoidable.
"The roar is a really busy time for hunters - you do get a concentration of hunters all at once," Mr Daisley said.
"I'm sure they are full with a bit of enthusiasm."
Mr Daisley said it is important for hunters to remember the "basic firearms safety rules and really sticking to them so everyone can come home".
He also reminded hunters that rivers can be especially dangerous, with hunters often operating in isolated areas.
"When you come up approaching bridges you've always got to make sure that the river isn't in flood, that the river is crossable," he said.
"If things are making a lot of noises and rumbling and running fast ... make decisions to maybe cross somewhere else or find somewhere else to go."
A personal locator device is a must-have item for any hunter, Mr Daisley said, as hunters take falls and break legs just like other bush users do, and they sometimes need help.
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