Tree Stands Improve Hunting Success, But Demand Safety

Nov 05, 2009

Frankfort, Ky. – Tree stands can give deer hunters an edge. Fifteen feet off the ground, it’s easier to see a deer and more difficult for them to see or smell you. But hunters need to take precautions whenever they use a tree stand.

“Tree stand falls are a substantial percentage of our hunting incidents every year,” said Will Connelly, a hunter training officer with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Eight hunting incidents have been reported to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife this year. Two involved falls from tree stands. Neither of the injured hunters was using a safety harness. Most falls can be avoided if hunters attach themselves to the stand with a harness, especially while they are climbing up and down.

“The number one thing hunters need to do is use that full-body harness – bottom to top and top back down again,” Connelly said. “For ladder and lock-on stands, there are methods to do that, but that’s where a lot of people take chances.”

Hunters should also observe the three-point rule: Keep three points of your body in contact with the ladder at all times. This means while climbing, move one hand or one foot at a time, but never two at once.

“Don’t carry anything up, make sure your hands are free,” Connelly said. “That means no heavy backpacks that could knock you off-balance. Use a haul line going up and down.”

Haul lines are attached to the tree stand or a sturdy nearby limb. Hunters secure their bow, pack or unloaded gun to the line, climb the stand and then pull up their equipment. Using a haul line can help prevent falls and ensure that, if a fall does occur, the hunter doesn’t fall on his or her gun or bow.

Tree stands that are put up at the beginning of the season and taken down at the end are far safer than permanent stands. Nails loosen, wood rots and time takes its toll on stands left up permanently.

“My recommendation is don’t use permanent stands at all,” said Connelly. “But if somebody’s going to get in one, they need to be very careful. Take a ladder and double-check the steps without having to actually get on them.”

Finally, tree stands aren’t the only way to hunt successfully. Hunters, especially those who are afraid of heights or have trouble physically climbing into a stand, can use a ground blind instead.

Kentucky’s modern gun deer season opens Nov. 14 statewide and closes Nov. 23 in deer zones 3 and 4, and Nov. 29 in deer zones 1 and 2. For complete hunting regulations, pick up a copy of the 2009-10 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, available online at fw.ky.gov and wherever hunting licenses are sold. Hunters who plan to hunt wildlife management areas should be sure to review public land tree stand use regulations on page 17 of the guide.