Minnesota Firearms Safety Practice Test 2026: Practice test 4

Practice test 4 of 6 for the Minnesota Firearms Safety Practice Test: 25 more questions with answers and explanations.

Hunting
Minnesota
131 questions
Checked October 10, 2026

Question 1 of 25
A hunter enjoys the whole experience, shares it and helps teach others. Which stage is this?
- Limiting-out stage
- Sportsman stage
- Trophy stage
- Shooter stage
Show answer
Answer: B. Sportsman stage
The sportsman stage values the full outdoor experience and passing on skills.
Question 2 of 25
Why should waterfowl hunters learn to tell drakes from hens?
- It only matters for geese, since all ducks have exactly the same limits
- Drakes are only legal in spring
- Some bag limits are different for males and females of the same species
- Hens cannot be legally hunted anywhere
Show answer
Answer: C. Some bag limits are different for males and females of the same species
Learning plumage and flight patterns helps you follow species and sex limits.
Question 3 of 25
How can hunters help slow chronic wasting disease (CWD)?
- Move whole carcasses across the state to share the meat with family
- Feed deer in groups during the winter
- Ignore sick deer
- Follow carcass movement rules and have deer tested when asked
Show answer
Answer: D. Follow carcass movement rules and have deer tested when asked
CWD is a fatal disease of deer, elk and moose.
Question 4 of 25
You are hanging in your harness after a fall. Why must you act quickly?
- You will scare deer away from the area for the rest of the hunting season
- It is not urgent
- Hanging still can cut off blood flow to the legs and become life-threatening
- The harness will tear in a few seconds
Show answer
Answer: C. Hanging still can cut off blood flow to the legs and become life-threatening
Use a suspension relief strap to stand and move your legs, and call for help.
Question 5 of 25
What is the purpose of the lifeline (item 3) in the diagram?
- To mark the tree so that other hunters know the stand is already taken
- To keep you connected to the tree while you climb up and down
- To pull up your gear
- To tie your stand to the ground
Show answer
Answer: B. To keep you connected to the tree while you climb up and down
Use a lifeline from the time you leave the ground until you are back down.
Question 6 of 25
What are the basic parts of wildlife habitat?
- Food, fences, roads and towns
- Trees, sun, rocks and snow
- Water, hunters, weather, predators and roads
- Food, water, shelter (cover) and space
Show answer
Answer: D. Food, water, shelter (cover) and space
Animals need all four, arranged so they can reach them.
Question 7 of 25
Why is it dangerous to carry 20-gauge shells while hunting with a 12-gauge shotgun?
- They make the gun shoot too far
- 20-gauge shells are illegal for all types of hunting in every state and territory
- They will not fit in the magazine
- A 20-gauge shell can lodge in the 12-gauge barrel, which can burst if fired
Show answer
Answer: D. A 20-gauge shell can lodge in the 12-gauge barrel, which can burst if fired
Carry only one type of ammunition, the one marked on your barrel.
Question 8 of 25
Which animal position offers the best shot at the vitals?
- Facing toward you at long range
- Facing straight away
- Running
- Broadside or quartering away
Show answer
Answer: D. Broadside or quartering away
These angles give the clearest path to the heart and lungs.
Question 9 of 25
Where must your fingers be when you shoot a crossbow?
- Below the rail, out of the string's path
- Over the top of the rail
- In front of the bolt to help guide it
- On the string
Show answer
Answer: A. Below the rail, out of the string's path
A crossbow string can cause serious injury to fingers in its path.
Question 10 of 25
You fall and snow gets into the muzzle. What should you do before shooting again?
- Unload and check that the barrel is clear
- Fire a shot to clear it
- Shake it and keep hunting
- Blow into the muzzle to push the snow out
Show answer
Answer: A. Unload and check that the barrel is clear
A blocked barrel can burst when fired. Always check the bore after a fall.
Question 11 of 25
What should you do before you climb a steep bank, jump a ditch or get into a boat?
- Put the safety on and keep it loaded
- Unload your firearm
- Hold the barrel for balance
- Put your finger on the trigger
Show answer
Answer: B. Unload your firearm
Unload whenever there is a chance you could slip or fall.
Question 12 of 25
How should the tree strap and tether be set?
- At knee height
- Tied to the platform
- Above head height with little slack
- Loose, so you can lean out to shoot
Show answer
Answer: C. Above head height with little slack
A short tether above your head keeps any fall short so you can get back on the stand.
Question 13 of 25
Where should hunter orange be worn to be most effective?
- On the front only, where other hunters usually see you
- On the boots only
- On the head and upper body, visible from all sides
- On a pack only, so it can be removed
Show answer
Answer: C. On the head and upper body, visible from all sides
Laws such as Pennsylvania's require orange on the head, chest and back, visible from 360 degrees.
Question 14 of 25
What should you check before using a tree stand?
- The stand, straps and harness for wear, and the tree for damage or weakness
- Only the color of the stand
- Only the seat padding
- Nothing, as long as it worked last year and has stayed on the same tree since then
Show answer
Answer: A. The stand, straps and harness for wear, and the tree for damage or weakness
Make sure the tree can hold both the stand and you.
Question 15 of 25
Besides blaze orange, which bright color do some states, such as Wisconsin, now allow for hunter safety clothing?
- Dark green
- Bright red
- Fluorescent pink
- Sky blue
Show answer
Answer: C. Fluorescent pink
Wisconsin allows blaze orange or fluorescent pink during firearm seasons.
Question 16 of 25
In the TAB-K firearm safety rules, what does the "T" stand for?
- Treat every firearm as if it is loaded
- Take the safety off before you start walking
- Test-fire the gun before every hunt
- Tell your partner when you see game
Show answer
Answer: A. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded
The first rule is to treat every firearm as loaded, even if you think it is empty.
Question 17 of 25
Which field carry gives the best control of the firearm?
- The sling carry
- The one-hand trail carry
- The shoulder carry
- The two-hand (ready) carry
Show answer
Answer: D. The two-hand (ready) carry
With both hands on the gun and the muzzle up and ahead, you have full control and can raise it quickly.
Question 18 of 25
What is true about a firearm's mechanical safety?
- It only works on rifles
- It can fail, so it never replaces safe muzzle control
- It also unloads the gun
- It makes the gun completely impossible to fire by accident
Show answer
Answer: B. It can fail, so it never replaces safe muzzle control
Safeties are mechanical and can wear out or break. Always control the muzzle.
Question 19 of 25
A hunter is selective and judges success by the size of the animal. Which stage is this?
- Sportsman stage
- Trophy stage
- Shooter stage
- Limiting-out stage
Show answer
Answer: B. Trophy stage
In the trophy stage, quality matters more than quantity.
Question 20 of 25
What nearly happened to the American bison by the late 1800s?
- It was almost wiped out by unregulated killing
- It became a farm animal only
- It spread across the whole continent, from coast to coast
- Nothing changed
Show answer
Answer: A. It was almost wiped out by unregulated killing
Bison numbers fell from millions to very few. Protection helped them recover.
Question 21 of 25
What did the Dingell-Hart amendments of 1970 and 1972 add?
- A ban on all handguns
- A federal hunting license required in every state for all hunters over 16
- A tax on hunting dogs
- Excise taxes on handguns and archery gear, partly for hunter education
Show answer
Answer: D. Excise taxes on handguns and archery gear, partly for hunter education
These taxes help pay for hunter education programs and target ranges.
Question 22 of 25
A hunter focuses on doing things a certain way, such as hunting with a muzzleloader or a bow. Which stage is this?
- Method stage
- Trophy stage
- Shooter stage
- Limiting-out stage
Show answer
Answer: A. Method stage
In the method stage, how you hunt becomes more important than what you take.
Question 23 of 25
In the diagram, why is shot 1 safe and shot 2 unsafe?
- Shot 2 is safe because the house is far
- Shot 1 is closer
- Shot 1 ends in an earth bank; shot 2 is against open sky, with a house hidden beyond the ridge
- Both are safe, because the hunter is kneeling and aiming very carefully at the deer
Show answer
Answer: C. Shot 1 ends in an earth bank; shot 2 is against open sky, with a house hidden beyond the ridge
A safe shot has a backstop. Never shoot at an animal on a ridge or skyline.
Question 24 of 25
How should you get your gun or bow into a tree stand?
- Have someone toss it up
- Carry it loaded in one hand
- Pull it up unloaded with a haul line after you are secure
- Carry it on your back while you climb so your hands are free
Show answer
Answer: C. Pull it up unloaded with a haul line after you are secure
Climb with both hands free, then raise unloaded firearms and bows with a haul line.
Question 25 of 25
After unloading, how should a lone hunter get a firearm across a fence?
- Lean it against the fence with the safety on, then climb over right beside it
- Lay it on the far side, muzzle pointing away, and cross away from the muzzle
- Throw it over
- Hold it overhead as you climb
Show answer
Answer: B. Lay it on the far side, muzzle pointing away, and cross away from the muzzle
The firearm lies on the far side pointing away, so you are never in front of the muzzle while crossing.

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