Just a few things to remember while you’re out on your South Carolina hunting land:
One of the most common, injury-related accidents for hunters is falling from tree stands. This can happen for a number of reasons, but usually they happen if the deer stand is of poor quality or too old, the hunter falls asleep and loses balance, or if safety harnesses aren’t secured. Be sure to pay attention to these important factors. If your stand is getting old, invest in a new one!
If you made your treestand with plywood flooring, check and test the structure well before sitting on it up in a tree. A simple repair could potentially save your life. If the stand stays in the tree year-round, pay special attention to the flooring since falling limbs throughout the year could’ve fallen on it and weakened it significantly. The elements throughout the year, including wind, rain, heat, freezing temperatures, etc. can cause possibly unseen damage as well.
Safety harnesses are also incredibly important while up in a tree stand. More hunters are injured each year from falls than any other hunting related incidents. Check out www.huntersafetysystem.com to learn more about safety harnesses.
Don’t forget to wear your hunter orange. Wear it the whole time you’re out on your hunting property, even if you own the property and no one else should be hunting on it. Keep it on the whole day, from walking to your stand, sitting up in your stand, eating lunch, and walking back to your truck.
Remember, safety is the most important part of deer hunting. A trophy whitetail means nothing if you got hurt or hurt someone else taking him!