Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is reminding hunters of the importance of tree stand safety. LDWF Hunter Education manager Eric Shanks says a good start is inspecting the functionality of equipment before putting it to use.
“That really starts well before the season even kicks off you don’t want to wait until the day before you’re planning on going to hunt before you find out you’ve got a problem with a cable on your tree stand and you need to replace it,” says Shanks.
According to Shanks 35% of falls involve inspection elements. He adds it is important to stay connected to the tree with a proper harness from the time your feet leave the ground.
“Most of the incidents that are associated with falling from a tree stand, or almost all of them, would have been prevented if the folks would have worn a safety harness and been connected to the tree the whole time,” says Shanks.
86% of fall victims did not wear a harness. Shanks says someone may have gotten away unscathed without taking proper safety precautions, but there is no reason to test fate.
“You’re putting your life at risk for no reason whatsoever, the equipment is out there to be used and to keep you safe and to get you back to your family in one piece,” says Shanks.
For more information, go to www.treestandsafetyawareness.org
