Utah's archery deer hunt season opens Saturday and the general elk archery season starts Aug. 23. The archery hunts for both species end Sept. 14.

Division of Wildlife Resources officials provide the following tips for archery hunters headed into the field this season:

* Tree stands: Before climbing a tree, make sure it's large enough to hold your weight.

* To avoid falling while climbing the tree, attach a hauling line to your bow, arrows and other equipment, and leave them on the ground. After climbing into your tree stand, attach a safety harness. Then use your hauling line to lift your gear.

* Keep arrows in a hooded quiver that covers the broadheads. One of the most common injuries to hunters comes when they cut themselves with the broadheads.

* State law requires that arrows be in a case while the arrows are in or on a vehicle. When hunters are outside their vehicles, it's up to hunters to protect themselves.

* Check your equipment. Make sure the laminations on bows are not flaking or separating, that the strings are not fraying and that the pulleys and cables on compound bows are in good working order. Make sure your equipment is matched, that an arrow's spline (the stiffness of the arrow's shaft) matches your bow's draw weight. If your bow's draw weight produces more force than your arrow is designed to handle, your arrow will probably fly off-target when you shoot.

* Practice shooting.

* Always obtain written permission from private landowners before hunting on their property or using their property to access public land.

* Know the boundaries of limited-entry units and other restricted areas.

* Never take a shot at a deer or elk that is beyond your maximum, effective range. Also, before releasing your arrow, make sure of your target and what's beyond it.

* Find access points to hunting areas well in advance.

* Before you start hunting, make sure you are well beyond the required minimum distances from roads and dwellings. If you plan on hunting in Salt Lake County, remember hunting restrictions are more restrictive than in the rest of Utah.

Read the 2007 Big Game Proclamation closely for more information.

* Remember that archers planning on hunting the Wasatch Front, Ogden, Uintah Basin and Sanpete Valley must complete the free extended archery ethics course, which is available online at www.wildlife.utah.gov/huntereducation.