The Best Hunt is a Safe Hunt

In November 2017, former Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost was checking his tree stand on his property outside Atlanta.

Just before he clipped his safety harness onto the stand’s safety line system, the stand gave way, sending him 20 feet to the ground, shattering his pelvis and fracturing several ribs. He was alone but fortunately had his cellphone and, as luck would have it, cellphone reception. Bleeding internally, he was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where doctors saved his life.

He was back managing the Royals when spring training rolled around in 2018.

Yost’s tree stand accident isn’t unique. Tree stand falls now account for most hunting-related injuries.

Here in the Keystone State, hunting season is now in full swing amid dwindling daylight, changing leaves and dropping temperatures.

While safe pursuit of wild game is the norm for hundreds of thousands of hunters, hunting season can bring injuries and even deaths from things such as heart attacks, falls from tree stands, slips and falls, and in rare cases, accidental gunshots.

Hunting can require a lot of physical exertion, from climbing and walking to dragging big game from the woods. Even hunters in top physical shape can be at risk.

Kevin Roth, DO, is an emergency medicine physician with Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) and an avid hunter. His advice for safe, injury-free hunting is part medicine and part reinforcement of hunter safety principles

For Dr. Roth, it comes down to FAST.

Falls: Most tree stand falls happen as hunters get into and out of their stand. One in three hunters will fall from a tree stand in their hunting lifetime. Always wear your safety harness. Even seemingly minor injuries like ankle sprains can be a big deal if you’re deep in the woods and out of cell service range.

Activity: Practice walking in the woods in the off-season with a pack that weighs the same as the typical amount of gear you wear during the season. Get checked by your doctor if you experience symptoms such as chest pain, exertional heartburn, shortness of breath or a change in exercise tolerance. If you experience a heart attack or stroke in the field, it will likely take longer to get help, and chances of survival decrease.

Sight: Always wear the required amount of fluorescent orange clothing so you can easily be seen in the woods. If possible, hunt with a partner so you can get help if something happens. Make sure people know where you’ll be hunting and when you expect to be back at home or the hunting cabin.

Target. Trigger. Treat: Be sure of your target, and beyond. Keep your finger off the trigger until you positively identify your target and have your sights on that target. Treat every gun as if it’s loaded.

As any hunter worth their salt knows, Penn’s woods can get very cold, especially during the firearms deer season and into the new year with extended seasons.

Dr. Roth’s advice for any hunting activity is plan ahead. “You want to avoid getting into a first-aid situation or a bad situation,” he says. “Not being able to get out of the woods can open you up to other potential problems.”

Hypothermia is possible even if the temperatures don’t seem that cold. Average body temperature is 98.6, and you can become hypothermic if  your body temperature drops to just 95. Hypothermia can lead to heart and respiratory system failure and can be fatal.

When you start to shiver, it’s time to make the move to a warmer place, such as your hunting cabin or vehicle. Some hunters will start to walk to warm up, but Dr. Roth says if the shivering doesn’t stop, you need to get quickly to a warmer place.

When you get cold, you tend to urinate more and that can dehydrate you. Continued exposure to cold temperatures can bring confusion, even to a hunter who is familiar with their surroundings. Dr. Roth says making a move early is key. “If you keep standing where you are, it’s going to get worse,” he says.

Frostbite also is possible in cold conditions. Dr. Roth says if extremities such as fingers and toes start to tingle and are painful, it’s time to get out of the woods and warm up. If you become wet for some reason, Dr. Roth says to get the wet clothing off and insulate the affected area with dry clothes or a blanket. Affected fingers or toes can be placed in warm water to help with recovery, but he says don’t rub the extremities. Once color returns to the skin, dry the area and elevate it. Above all, Dr. Roth says, don’t let the affected area get exposed to cold again.

If you experienced true frostbite, Dr. Roth says blisters will appear.

Anyone experiencing suspected hypothermia or frostbite should go to the nearest hospital to be examined.

“Pennsylvania sells more than 850,000 hunting licenses each year, and we want everyone who goes afield to get back home safe and sound,” Dr. Roth says. “That means planning ahead and being prepared. Pay attention to the signals your body is giving you.”