The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is reminding Lawrence County and other area hunters to take important safety precautions as they head out into the fields Friday for the start of the firearm deer hunting season. 20 hunting accidents were reported across the state last year with half of those involving tree stands. Hunters should check their stand and ladder to make sure they are secure and use a fall arrest harness. Firearms should be checked to make sure they are safe and operational. Hunters should also make sure that they tell someone where they will be hunting and also an expected arrival time back in case of an emergency and wear color appropriate hunting gear.