Statistics indicate most falls from treestands occur when a hunter is climbing into or out of the stand. That’s asking for a fall.Ĭhoosing the right tree for safety might mean you have to compromise when it comes to the best opportunity for a shot. You never want a stand that’s pitched downward. Look for a tree that allows your stand to hang exactly perpendicular to the ground, or lean back slightly. That’s one way hunters lose their balance. If one contact point is off the tree, the stand can shift. With a few new exceptions, most stands need to be attached to a straight section of tree for all the contact points to be engaged. At the very least, pick a tree that has a straight section where you can hang the stand. In places like Missouri and Kansas, straight trees can be as rare as four-leaf clovers. But not all of us live in the Northeast, where tall, straight oaks and tulip poplars abound. The straighter the tree, the safer and easier it will be for you to hang a stand and climb into it. Yes, I’ve seen stands hung in dead trees. First, make sure you pick a tree that’s alive. Keeping safe in the stand starts with picking the right tree. I’m always improving this system as I learn new techniques, but what follows is what I do and why I do it. I’ve seen it in so many different places that it’s the inspiration for this article.īased on real-world experience, and advice from treestand safety experts, I have developed a system I believe accounts for most safety issues that arise while hanging and hunting from fixed-position stands. One of my biggest pet peeves is the way some people set fixed-position stands. If you’re going to climb, you owe it to yourself and your family to take every precaution. Even then, a fall can happen anything is possible once your feet leave the ground. What’s important is to do everything you can to avoid falling. Some, like Ron, fall because of equipment failure. That’s a sobering statistic - one out of three. There are statistics that say one of every three hunters who hunt from elevated stands will fall at some point during their hunting days. Unfortunately, this tragic story happens far too often when hunters take to the trees. A section of ladder apparently broke, authorities said. According to area authorities, he fell some 30 feet while trying to descend from his treestand. Ron never returned from the woods that day. “This could be the day I bag the big one,” he probably thought. Ron, a 49-year-old hunter, husband and father, undoubtedly went to the woods filled with anticipation. Today, businesses and schools still close their doors on the first day of deer season. Going hunting on this day is a tradition with deep roots. In Pennsylvania, emotions for the gun season opener run especially high. Try these safety precautions for hanging, and hunting from, treestands.Īnyone who has ever deer hunted knows the excitement and joy that accompanies a season opener.
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