Hunters Reminded to Check Tree Stands, Harnesses Before Hunting

By Ammoland Editor Joe Evans

USA -(Ammoland.com)- Twenty feet doesn’t sound like a terribly high point to fall from in the case of an accident, but that’s the height at which many fatal tree stand falls occur. Many more falls from that height result in paralysis and broken bones each year as well.

Joe Huggins, hunter education coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, says distance of the fall only plays a part in the severity of an injury.

“What you land on and how you land can cause an injury from just about any height,” Huggins said. “We’ve had people fall from as little as 4 feet, break a rib and end up with a punctured spleen. It’s not common, but it does happen.”

Last year, of 28 total reported hunting accidents requiring medical attention, 16 were falls from tree stands, and one of those was a fatality. In reality, those 16 are likely a fraction of the actual number of people who fell from a stand during the last hunting season who escaped with only a few cuts and bruises.

“Our report only includes falls while in the act of hunting,” said Joe Huggins, hunter …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand