Pennsylvania Hunter-Trapper Education Practice Test 2026: Practice test 5

Practice test 5 of 6 for the Pennsylvania Hunter-Trapper Education Practice Test: 25 more questions with answers and explanations.

Hunting
Pennsylvania
134 questions
Checked October 10, 2026

Question 1 of 25
When should you fill out and attach your tag?
- When you get home
- Only if a game warden stops you and asks to see it
- At the processor
- As soon as the animal is down, as your state's rules require
Show answer
Answer: D. As soon as the animal is down, as your state's rules require
Tag rules vary by state, and many require you to tag the animal right away, before moving it.
Question 2 of 25
A new hunter mostly wants chances to shoot, whether or not anything is hit. Which stage of hunter development is this?
- Sportsman stage
- Shooter stage
- Trophy stage
- Method stage
Show answer
Answer: B. Shooter stage
Hunter education describes five stages: shooter, limiting-out, trophy, method and sportsman.
Question 3 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 4 of 25
Two hunters reach a fence together. What is a safe way to cross?
- Unload both guns; one hunter holds them while the other crosses, then hands them over
- One covers the other with a loaded gun
- Both lean loaded guns on the fence
- Both climb over at the same time while holding their loaded guns with the safeties on
Show answer
Answer: A. Unload both guns; one hunter holds them while the other crosses, then hands them over
With actions open and guns unloaded, they can be handed across safely.
Question 5 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 6 of 25
How do white-tailed deer antlers usually grow?
- They fork, and each fork forks again
- They grow straight back from the head with no points
- Points grow up from one main beam on each side
- They are flat and wide like a shovel
Show answer
Answer: C. Points grow up from one main beam on each side
Mule deer antlers fork into branches. White-tailed deer points rise from a main beam.
Question 7 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 8 of 25
How should you help someone with mild hypothermia?
- Get them out of the wind and wet and put dry layers on them
- Have them sit in the wind
- Give them alcohol to warm them up
- Rub their arms and legs hard to get the blood moving again
Show answer
Answer: A. Get them out of the wind and wet and put dry layers on them
Warm them gently, never give alcohol, and get medical help for serious cases.
Question 9 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 10 of 25
Why should you never shoot at water or a flat, hard surface?
- The noise carries much farther and scares away all game
- The bullet or pellets can ricochet in a new direction
- It is only a problem with rifles
- It will damage your scope
Show answer
Answer: B. The bullet or pellets can ricochet in a new direction
Water, rocks and pavement can make projectiles bounce toward people.
Question 11 of 25
Who sets the standards that hunter education courses across North America are built on?
- Each hunting store
- The National Park Service
- The Federal Aviation Administration
- The International Hunter Education Association (IHEA)
Show answer
Answer: D. The International Hunter Education Association (IHEA)
State and provincial courses are developed to standards set with IHEA-USA and IHEA-Canada.
Question 12 of 25
On a hot early-season hunt, a partner is sweating heavily, dizzy and weak. What should you do?
- Make them keep walking
- Move them to shade, cool them, and have them rest and sip water
- Cover them with a heavy coat
- Give them an energy drink and leave them to rest alone in the sun
Show answer
Answer: B. Move them to shade, cool them, and have them rest and sip water
These are signs of heat exhaustion. If the person becomes confused or stops sweating, call 911.
Question 13 of 25
Which law, passed in 1918, protects migratory birds in the United States?
- The Endangered Species Act
- The Migratory Bird Treaty Act
- The Lacey Act
- The Pittman-Robertson Act
Show answer
Answer: B. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act
It put into effect a 1916 treaty with Great Britain, acting for Canada.
Question 14 of 25
You pull the trigger and nothing happens. What should you do first?
- Turn to show your partner
- Open the action right away and look inside the chamber to see what went wrong
- Look down the barrel
- Keep the muzzle in a safe direction and wait before opening the action
Show answer
Answer: D. Keep the muzzle in a safe direction and wait before opening the action
A cartridge may fire late (a hang fire). Wait with the muzzle pointed safely, then unload carefully.
Question 15 of 25
A partner has a deep cut that is bleeding heavily. What should you do first?
- Give them water and wait for it to stop on its own
- Send them to walk out alone
- Rinse it and leave it open
- Press firmly on the wound and call for help
Show answer
Answer: D. Press firmly on the wound and call for help
Firm, direct pressure is the first step to stop severe bleeding.
Question 16 of 25
Which feature helps tell a grizzly bear from a black bear?
- A black bear is always black and is never brown or blond
- A grizzly has a shoulder hump and a dished face profile
- A grizzly is always brown
- A grizzly has taller, pointed ears
Show answer
Answer: B. A grizzly has a shoulder hump and a dished face profile
Fur color is not reliable. Look at the hump, face profile, ears and claws.
Question 17 of 25
You fall into cold water. What should you do first?
- Take off your life jacket so you can swim faster to the shore
- Swim hard to shore right away
- Keep your head above water and get your breathing under control
- Shout until you are tired
Show answer
Answer: C. Keep your head above water and get your breathing under control
Cold shock causes gasping for about the first minute. Control your breathing, then act.
Question 18 of 25
What is biological surplus?
- Leftover meat that hunters give away to their friends and neighbors after the season
- Extra animals produced each year that the habitat cannot support through winter
- Animals kept on game farms
- Animals in zoos
Show answer
Answer: B. Extra animals produced each year that the habitat cannot support through winter
Regulated hunting can take part of this surplus that would otherwise be lost.
Question 19 of 25
Before hunting on private land, what should you do?
- Park out of sight
- Nothing, as long as there are no signs posted
- Get the landowner's permission, ideally in writing
- Ask a neighbor
Show answer
Answer: C. Get the landowner's permission, ideally in writing
Getting permission builds good relationships and is required by law in many places.
Question 20 of 25
In carry 2 of the diagram, a break-action shotgun is open over the forearm. Why is this a good choice when walking with others?
- It keeps the shells warm and dry
- Everyone can see the gun is open and cannot fire
- It is the only carry allowed by federal law when hunting in groups
- It is the fastest way to shoot
Show answer
Answer: B. Everyone can see the gun is open and cannot fire
The open action shows the gun is safe, and the muzzle points at the ground ahead.
Question 21 of 25
Why should you avoid long-range or running shots at big game?
- They are always illegal
- They are more likely to wound the animal than kill it quickly
- They damage your gun
- They are only a problem for bowhunters, not for hunters with rifles
Show answer
Answer: B. They are more likely to wound the animal than kill it quickly
Take only shots you are confident will hit the vital area.
Question 22 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 23 of 25
Why should turkey hunters never wear red, white, blue or black clothing?
- Those colors are illegal for hunting clothing in every state during turkey season
- Those are the colors of a wild turkey gobbler's head and body
- Those colors scare turkeys away
- Those colors fade in the sun
Show answer
Answer: B. Those are the colors of a wild turkey gobbler's head and body
Another hunter could mistake a flash of red, white or blue for a gobbler's head.
Question 24 of 25
In the TAB-K rules, what does the "K" stand for?
- Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot
- Kneel before every shot
- Know the season dates
- Keep the gun loaded in the truck so you are ready the moment you see game
Show answer
Answer: A. Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot
Resting a finger on the trigger while walking can cause an unintended shot.
Question 25 of 25
Almost all hunting incidents involve what?
- An attack by a wounded animal
- A broken firearm that fires on its own without anyone touching the trigger
- Breaking one or more of the basic TAB-K safety rules
- Bad weather and poor visibility
Show answer
Answer: C. Breaking one or more of the basic TAB-K safety rules
Wisconsin DNR notes that virtually all hunting incidents involve a violation of at least one TAB-K rule.

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