Bow shooting safety

Before shooting a bow, you’ll want to make sure it's safe to fire.

Check that the string and cable are in good condition and aren’t rubbing or fraying at any point. Use bowstring wax regularly to keep your string in good condition and safe to shoot.
Check that the cams, limbs and riser are all in good shape. Look for cracks, dents, breaks, delaminations, peeling fiberglass, and any mechanical parts that may be defective. If any part of the bow is suspect, don’t shoot it. Fix it or take it to an archery shop to have it checked out.
Don’t wear loose fitting clothes when shooting a bow. Loose clothes can get caught up in different parts of the bow.
Wear an arm guard to protect your forearm from the bowstring when it’s released.
If you’re using a release, make sure it’s working properly. Don’t draw a compound bow with your fingers. This can rotate the string possibly making it come out of a wheel or cam, which can be very dangerous.
Store and transport your bow in a bow case – preferably a hard one – and all arrows in a sturdy case or quiver. Make sure your broadheads are safely covered.
Regularly check arrows for nicks, splits and fragments. Arrows leave the bow under very high pressure and a weakened arrow can cause serious injury. When in doubt, don't shoot a questionable arrow.
Never dry-fire a bow – drawing and releasing the string without a nocked arrow.
Make sure your arrows match the draw weight of your bow. A mismatch can result in serious injury.

In addition to making sure your bow and arrows are safe to shoot, make sure you're handling them safely in the field.

Only nock an arrow when it’s safe to shoot, and be sure to always point the arrow in a safe direction.
Take the time to make sure of your target before you shoot, and take note of what’s in front of and behind your target. Don’t shoot over a ridge if you can’t see what’s on the other side.
Never shoot into thick brush -- arrows can ricochet. Also, never shoot an arrow straight up in the air.

There are archery-related injuries every year but you can avoid them by following the rules above and using a bit of common sense.