Tree Stand Survey Results- you ought to know

[safetreehunt]

Tree Stand Survey Results
http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/tree-stand-safety/p3_one_in_three_hunters_will_fall

What is your age? Average, 41 years old.

What was your age at the time of your fall? Average, 34 years old

When hunting from a stand, do you use: Permanent stands, 56.5 % Homemade portable stands, 47 % Commercially made portable stands, 80 % (Many hunters use all three types of stands)

If you were in the stand at the time you fell, what kind of stand was it? Commercially made portable stand, 37 % Permanent stand, 26 % Homemade portable stand, 19 % Other (Hunting from tree limb, semi-permanent stands, etc.) 18 %

How many portable tree stands do you use? One stand, 21 % Two stands, 23 % Three stands, 17 % Four stands, 10 % Five or more stands, 22 % None, 6.5 %

If you own commercially manufactured stands, did they come with instructions for assembly and use? Yes, 81 % No, 9 % Some did, some didn’t, 10 %

If instructions were included were they: Thorough and easy to understand, 46 % Adequate, 44 % Confusing, 3 %

How do you reach your stand? Commercially manufactured steps, 52 % Self-climbing devices/other methods, 30.5 % Homemade steps, 28 % Homemade ladder, 27 % Climb the tree by using branches, 23.5 % Commercially made ladder, 19 % Other (Ladder stands, climbing spurs, shinning, etc.), 18 %

How concerned are you with elevated-stand safety? Very concerned, 68 % Somewhat concerned, 28 % Not concerned, 4.5 %

What time was it when you fell? Afternoon, 41 % Morning, 30 % Dusk, 18 % Pre-dawn, 12 %

What weather factors contributed to your fall? Weather was not a factor, 66 % Rain, 17 % Cold temperatures, 9 % Snow, 5.5 % Wind, 3 % Other (Ice, sleet, etc.), 16 %

[BigHunt]

MAN THATS A LONG READ

[safetreehunt]

The whole article is long, but the survey itself is important enough to help you understand the issues and risks.

[Uncle Lou]

MAN THATS A LONG READ

X2

Thanks for summarizing that Jim.

[safetreehunt]

Deer and Deer Hunting Magazine has been publishing these surveys since about 1993. While things have gotten better, too many hunters still fall.

Now try these numbers on:
9.5 million hunters hunt in trees
1/3 will fall or 3.1 million.
3% will have permanently crippling injuries,
That's about 900,000 hunters that will be permanently disabled in some way.

And of course, the survey cannot ask questions of those poor souls that perished. Not included here.

Just trying to make you all think. There is NO reason for any of this to ever happen if you remove the risk.

[Indianahunter]

Great post....the numbers really make you think. I highly recommend everyone to please consider adding something like a life line to their existing safety harness for their set ups. It is just not worth it.

[Edcyclopedia]

So if I go with the odds of the survey and not hunt I will be safe right:) - LOL

Or a consulation - Never hunt in the PM on rainy days while trying to climb limbs to get into my stand - got it...

Joking aside as this is no laughing matter...

I wonder if a good question would have been - "How many hunters that fall are scared of heights"?

I know I am - I have death grips on my sets, a keen eye for detail and wonder if others may take it for granted? Something to ponder...

[Stanley]

I think older hunter are at greater risk to fall also. The guys I know that have fallen were getting in and out of their stands. I see no statistic for that. I do think if you cut out the boilerplate and just give percentage chances of falling you'll get more readers to understand they must hook up to be safe. The read was too long, important but too wordy.

[safetreehunt]

Good Point, here's the skinny on this survey:

Are Hunters managing their risk?
About 50% of hunter wear a restraint device while in the stand
Only about 20% wear them while most likely to fall
Only 7% wear them while ascending or descending

So, what causes falls?
29 percent, began when the victim was actually hunting from the stand
Only 4 percent of the survey victims fell because they dozed off
20 percent of the falls occurred while hunters entered or left their stands
29 percent of the falls occurred while hunters ascended the tree
22 percent occurred while descending

Approximately 9.5 Million Hunters hunt from tree stands
3.5 Million Hunters will fall
105,000 will be permanently crippled

[Stanley]

Good Point, here's the skinny on this survey:

Are Hunters managing their risk?
About 50% of hunter wear a restraint device while in the stand
Only about 20% wear them while most likely to fall
Only 7% wear them while ascending or descending

So, what causes falls?
29 percent, began when the victim was actually hunting from the stand
Only 4 percent of the survey victims fell because they dozed off
20 percent of the falls occurred while hunters entered or left their stands
29 percent of the falls occurred while hunters ascended the tree
22 percent occurred while descending

Approximately 9.5 Million Hunters hunt from tree stands
3.5 Million Hunters will fall
105,000 will be permanently crippled

Perfect presentation.