Keys To Preventing Tree Stand Injuries In Hunters

As fall approaches, so does hunting season. Many hunters climb trees to gain an advantage and at 15 to 30 feet in the air, fall injuries are a major risk. Foot and ankle injuries are common among these tree stand hunters. In 2010, Ohio State University reviewed two level I trauma center records to focus on hunting-related injuries.¹ The authors found that 90 percent of injuries were in males with a mean age of 41 years, ranging from ages 17 to 76. Most hunters were deer hunting and 92 percent of injuries were falls from tree stands. Alcohol and/or drugs were involved in only 4.6 percent of these cases. Additionally, only 2.3 percent of injuries involved shooting by another hunter. Orthopedic injuries proved most prevalent. Fifty-nine percent involved a spinal fracture and 47 percent involved lower extremity fractures. The remainder of these injuries were upper extremity and head trauma injuries. Eighty-one percent of all injuries required surgery. The study authors concluded that in the Midwest region of the country, tree stand falls caused most hunting accidents. In 2010, Terry and colleagues found there were an estimated 12.5 million hunters in the United States, 85 percent of whom pursued large game.² They found that 75 percent of hours spent hunting occurred in a tree stand. An estimated 10 percent of hunters who use tree stands are injured annually. An estimated 46,860 tree-stand related injuries occurred from 2000 to 2007. As physicians in our community, we can help with prevention. When you are treating patients or family of patients who hunt, remind them of the preventable injuries that commonly occur from tree stand falls. Hunters can greatly reduce fall incidence by properly utilizing a tree stand harness and fall arrest system. More information is available from Project Stand at https://www.projectstand.net . References 1. Crockett A, Stawicki SP, Thomas YM, Jarvis AM, Wang CF, Beery PR, Whitmill ML, Lindsey DE, Steinberg SM, Cook CH. Tree stands, not guns, are the Midwestern hunter’s most dangerous weapon. Am Surg. 2010; 76(9):1006-10. 2. Terry J, Griffin R, Rue LW, McGwin G. Epidemiology of tree stand-related injuries in the united states from 2000-2007. J Trauma. 2010; 68(3):712-15.