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DNR-Take A Friend When Setting Up Tree Stands

dnr.wi.gov

Statewide, three hunters have died this year after they fell out of treestands. A DNR leader says most injuries and fatalities are preventable.

Jon King is DNR Hunter Education Administrator. He says for a purchased stand, take the time to read all the directions. He says setting it up alone is not advised...

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"....we encouraging using the buddy system. Take somebody with you while you do this. When you're climbing in a tree stand and it's not attached to the tree, it could fall over on you and end up injuring you...."

Other tips include wearing a full body harness, having three points of contact when getting into and out of a stand. Hauling a loaded firearm or crossbow up the tree can be a disaster...

"....use a 'haul line', a simple rope that can be tied to the top of your tree stand and run down the side of the tree. Tie an unloaded gun to that, make sure the gun is pointed in a safe direction and use(the rope) to get the gun or bow in and out of the tree stand..."

One in every three hunters who hunt from a tree stand will fall at some point in their hunting career and of those, 75 to 80 percent occurs while ascending or descending the tree. A recent study by the International Hunter Education Association showed that nationally, 300-500 hunters are killed annually in tree stand accidents and another 6,000 will have tree stand related injuries.

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