| As much time as most of us spend focusing on | | | | still tight. |
| methods and strategies that lead to successful | | | | 2. Wear a safety harness. Let's face it, if you fall |
| deer hunts often we forget the most important | | | | from 30, 20, or even 10 feet you will most likely |
| part of our success. Tree stand safety is | | | | be seriously injured or killed. If you have on a |
| something that took on a whole new meaning for | | | | safety harness you'll get the crap scared out of |
| me during my time as a game warden here in | | | | you but you'll be alive. You can spend as much |
| Georgia. In my five years I witnessed a few good | | | | money on a harness as you want to but just |
| people suffer serious or life ending injuries strictly | | | | make sure you use one. Most stands now come |
| because they failed to follow a few common | | | | with one and the freebie with the stand will save |
| sense rules. At one time or another all of us lose | | | | your life. |
| focus of this most important of our hunting | | | | 3. Use a harness to pull you gun or bow into the |
| tactics. I can tell you that having to notify families | | | | stand. Obviously the less you have to deal with |
| that a loved one had been injured or killed in a | | | | when climbing the more stable you are. |
| tree stand hunting accident was probably the | | | | 4. This should be a no-brainer but unload your gun |
| toughest thing I had to do. That being said I want | | | | when pulling it up to or letting it down from the |
| to ensure that we all stay focused getting to the | | | | stand. Some people have not been so smart. |
| hunt and home safely. Here are a few common | | | | 5. If you are hunting during firearms season wear |
| sense safety tips that will help you make sure | | | | your orange vest. Yes, even in the stand. I have |
| you return from every hunt safely. | | | | seen a couple of cases where people were |
| 1. Inspect all tree stands before you use them. I | | | | actually shot up a tree in a stand. |
| suggest a thorough inspection prior to the season | | | | 6. Last but not least, stay awake. I know |
| and take a good look every time you hunt from | | | | sometimes it is easy to nod but you increase |
| a stand. You would be amazed at the number of | | | | your chances of falling one hundred fold by falling |
| injuries that are a direct result of someone | | | | asleep in the deer stand. Pinch yourself, pull your |
| hunting from a tree stand that was obviously not | | | | nose hairs, do anything that you can to stay |
| safe. If you hunt from a manufactured steel or | | | | awake or get down. |
| aluminum stand make sure to check all welds and | | | | Hopefully you already abide by all of these rules |
| bolts. If a weld is broken or a bolt is bent or | | | | and this was just a refresher. If you don't please |
| missing don't use the stand. If you hunt from a | | | | make this a part of your hunting routine so that |
| home-made wooden stand make sure that all | | | | you can continue to enjoy the outdoors for years |
| boards are not rotten and all connection points are | | | | to come. |