By Denny Quaiff for Whitetail Times
When it comes to hunting mistakes, accidental shootings tend to draw the most attention from the public. We recognize accidental shootings are of serious concern for the hunting community, as these incidents often result from failure to follow hunting safety rules and can be tragic. However, far more hunters are injured by falls from treestands than accidental gunshots. It’s unfortunate that few hunters take the necessary precautions to limit the risk and maintain a safe hunting experience.
This past year, just prior to opening day of the special early muzzleloader season, Walter Link, a very close friend of mine, was working on his elevated blind when he fell from the platform. The shooting house enclosure was built on site in 2008. My 87-year-old friend was in excellent physical condition. He had experienced some great hunter success while hunting from the stand throughout the years. On the afternoon of the accident, he had climbed the steps and was in the process of opening the windows when he reached for the railing that broke. When he realized he was falling, he had enough forethought to avoid head injuries by landing on his feet.
The 11-foot fall broke both of his legs, and he was unable to move. Hunters should always carry a cell phone when hunting and make sure someone who knows the area can be contacted in case of an emergency. My friend was alert and used his cell phone to call for help. Aid was expedited to the location by another friend, Nick Hall who took the call and directed Brian Pembelton, who was on the property cruising the timber, to the site.
Nick then called his son Nick Hall, Jr., and grandson Tyler who were at the hunt club sighting in their muzzleloaders for the season scheduled to open on Saturday. Knowing there was no time to waste, Nick Jr.’s quick thinking led him to flag down an Amelia County Sheriff’s Deputy who was working state Rt. 360. The deputy alerted the County Rescue Squad and had an ambulance and EMS directed to the property gate.
The rescue team of Brian, Nick, Jr, Tyler, and the Deputy Sheriff were all at the remote location of the accident in short order. Realizing that Walter’s legs were fractured, a stick was cut to construct a makeshift brace and emergency tape that the deputy had in his vehicle was used to stabilize his broken legs. With no stretcher on site, a horse blanket was used to pick Walter up and lay him in a pick-up truck bed that carried him out to the ambulance at the property gate. From the time of the fall to when Walter was loaded into the ambulance was estimated to be around 40 minutes. The reaction to this emergency by all of those involved sets a high standard we could all learn from.
Amelia County Rescue Squad transported our friend to Chippenham Hospital where he was admitted. After 10 days in the hospital and three operations to his legs, he was released and sent home for recovery. Today he continues the healing process, and we thank God his injuries were not worse. The circumstances that resulted from this mishap should be an eyeopener for all of us.
All elevated hunting stands can be dangerous. I’ve been hunting from treestands since the early 1970s. Many of the first treestands I hunted from were wooden ladders built on site with a homemade lock-on as the platform. Treestand hunting continued to grow in popularity and factory-built stands started coming to the forefront during this era.
I still have the Baker Climbing Stand I purchased back in the day. This old-school design is the first climber built by a manufacturer and sold to the public that I’m aware of. I am going to stick my neck out and say 75 percent of hunters today have never seen one. The first climbers that hit the market fell short of today’s safety standards. Treestand hunters were using a lap belt in those days, much like the belt cars were equipped with back in the 1960s, and we know the bodily injuries they caused. Modern-day, full-body safety harnesses for treestand hunters were unheard of.
Today, hunters have ladders, tripods, lock-ons, climbers, and elevated blinds built by noted manufacturers to choose from. Self-built stands constructed with pressure-treated lumber will deteriorate over time and must be inspected on a regular basis. According to an insurance report from a company that insures hunters and outdoor businesses, one in four serious treestand injuries are caused by mechanical error, not user error. While 39 percent of treestand failures are human error, 31 percent are caused by breaking straps, breaking stands, and failed ladders/steps. It’s common knowledge that more hunters get hurt climbing up or climbing down from their stand than any other time.
Be careful when climbing in and out of a treestand.
Manufacturers strive to build stands for hunter safety and much has been developed with lifelines and full body harnesses. If you are thinking about building your own stand, it would be my advice to give it a second thought. Research some of the name-brand manufacturers who have built their business with a reputation that follows quality workmanship.
It’s very sad to admit that there are many more similar stories like the one reported in this column and some of these have ended much worse. Thinking back to 1988 when I took the Instructor Course to start teaching Hunter Education Classes, treestand safety was a big part of the study. I remember the game warden instructor indicating that a fall of 15 feet or more could lead to paralysis or death.
About 80 percent of those injured require surgery, 60 percent have fractures, 30 percent have spinal fractures, and 10 percent have permanent disabilities or paralysis, according to Hunter & Shooting Sports Education Journal. And take note, 75 to 80 percent of falls occur while ascending or descending the stand.
Before opening day and throughout the season, do an inspection of your stands to make sure everything is in full safety compliance. Hunting is a long-standing tradition and can be a very rewarding and enjoyable experience when the proper safety precautions are carried out!
DWR Treestand Safety Guidelines
- Let other hunters in your party know where your stand is located.
- Leave a map on the dashboard and the time you will return.
- Carry a whistle, horn, strobe, two-way radio or a cell phone on your person. Make sure it is properly charged or have fresh batteries.
- Don’t move seriously injured victims; treat for shock, stop the bleeding, and go for help. Mark a trail out.
- Use a fall-arrest system including a lifeline and full-body safety harness, and maintain three points of contact at all times from the moment you leave the ground until you return to the ground.
- PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE using your treestand and fall-arrest system.
- Inspect for damage to a stand before the season begins and before and after each use.
- Securely attach stand to a straight, healthy tree.
- Read the instructions that came with the stand.
- Always use a haul line for gear.
- Tie a haul line to the belt or stand when climbing to keep hands free.
- Unload gun or bow before climbing or descending stand, and use a haul line to raise and lower the gun or bow from the ground to the stand.
- Be especially careful using tree stands during rain, snow and ice conditions.
- Don’t use treestands if you’re tired, sick, or on medications.
- Wear blaze orange in the stand. Let other hunters in the area know where you are.
