Alabama hunter injured in tree stand accident|Other Education Efforts|Forum|Bow Hunters of Alabama

Checked the local sheriff’s info
The hunter reported that he had been injured as he was getting out of a tree stand after bow hunting. The caller stated that he fell when his tree stand collapsed and he landed on an arrow. Sheriff’s deputies, Beauregard Fire Department volunteers and Emergency Transport Service medical personnel responded to the scene and found the victim with an arrow in his chest just above his heart.

So the good news is that he at least had a cell phone.

If he was on his exit, and the stand collapsed — sort of sounds like a hang on stand as opposed to being a climber. One of the more high risk times is in the transitions into or out of the stand — because that’s when most folks are completely disconnected. Tether no longer tied on, but not yet on a lineman’s belt.

The info does not indicate whether he did or did not have on a harness.

And he fell onto an arrow. Again conjecture, but it is unlikely that he was carrying the arrow down. If so, he would likely have impacted the side of the arrow not one end or the other. So it is probable that he had lowered his gear before starting his exit process.

But this incident should remind us to exercise good risk management techniques — including examining ALL of our equipment for every season and critically examining our practices to ID habits that increase risk un-necessarily.

For example, I don’t like leaving a stand in the woods that is held onto the tree using a strap. Not saying I haven’t, but I carry an extra ratchet strap that I put on before climbing into the stand and take with me post hunt. Sure the stock single strap is strong right out of the box — but how strong is it after a season of being exposed to the elements and critters? And how much stress am I putting on it when I am all geared up and standing on the edge of the stand?