Hunter education's emphasis on tree stand safety has reduced fatalities
Hunter education's emphasis on tree stand safety has reduced fatalities

By Ed Godfrey

Published: September 14, 2008

In the last five years, almost twice the number of hunters in Oklahoma have been killed by falling from a tree stand as by accidental shootings.

Featured Gallery

 

Advertisement

Since 2002, seven hunters have died by falling from tree stands.

Four hunters have been accidentally shot to death during that same time, either by another hunter or mishandling their own gun.

With most hunting seasons approaching, this is the busiest time of year for Oklahoma's 300 hunter education instructors.

Today, they emphasize tree stand safety about as much as gun safety.

"We added a section to our manual on tree stand safety just three years ago,” said Lance Meek, hunter education coordinator for the state Wildlife Department.

It got the attention of state wildlife officials in 2003 when all of the fatal hunting accidents that year were the result of falling from a tree stand.

One hunter fell while putting up a tree stand. Another hunter fell to his death just after shooting. And a third hunter fell while getting ready to shoot.

That spurred the state Wildlife Department to include tree stand safety in the hunter education curriculum.

And Meek suspects there are many tree stand accidents that result in serious or lesser injuries that never get reported.

Deer archery season opens Oct. 1, and bow hunters will be putting up their stands soon if they haven't already.

Gun hunters will be doing the same over the next few weeks for next month's youth gun season and muzzleloader season.

The most popular hunting season — the 16-day deer gun season — opens the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Meek thinks probably half of the nearly 200,000 deer hunters in Oklahoma use tree stands.

He is not suggesting that hunters should abandon them. Just use them safely.

•Always wear a full-body harness when in a stand or climbing into one. A belt harness is not sufficient. Hunters in other states have suffocated after falling from a tree stand and being trapped in a belt harness, Meek said.

•Have at least one person with you when installing the tree stand.

•Use a haul line to transport your bow or unloaded gun into the tree stand.

•Don't climb into a stand if the steps are frozen or wet. "Go ahead and hunt from the ground that day,” Meek said.

Your thoughts!