Sadly, it happens every year. Usually more than once. Reports of deer hunters injured (or worse) by falls from tree stands circulate the Internet as reminders that you can never be too safe.
One of the latest reports comes out of Georgia, where a 46-year-old deer hunter was pronounced dead at the scene after his body was found in the woods of Putnam County near a climbing tree stand.
The October incident is under investigation, but authorities told the Union-Recorder newspaper that it appeared the man had fallen from a tree when the climbing stand, he was using broke or malfunctioned.
“I’m assuming he was climbing the tree at the time because part of the stand was still in the tree and the other part was on the ground,” Putnam County Deputy Coroner Pat Welch told the paper.”
Statistics show that accidents involving tree stands are the leading cause of injury and death among deer hunters nationwide. Most accidents occur when a hunter is either ascending to, descending from or entering the stand and something happens that causes the hunter to fall.
Each year, thousands of archery and rifle hunters suffer injuries by falling from tree stands. Some recover. Others don’t. Death or serious injury are distinct possibilities when you come crashing down from 20 feet above ground.
There are precautions hunters can take while hunting aloft to avoid becoming a statistic. Following the ABCs of tree stand hunting safety established by the Tree Stand Safety Awareness Foundation is a good start.
The rules of the road are simple: A.) Always remove and inspect your equipment before you use it.
B.) Buckle your full-body harness securely each time you put it on.
C.) Connect to the tree using some sort of safety rope before your feet leave the ground.
Virginia archer Glen Mayhew had a heavy hand in founding the TSSA in 2016. He has been researching tree stand accidents and the reasons they happen for years.
Mayhew’s findings show that 35-percent of falls are related to failure to inspect stands and equipment, 86-percent due to not wearing a safety harness and 99-percent because victims are not connected to tree while climbing.
“You can pretty much eliminate the risk of falling to the ground by following those steps,” he said.