Tree Stand Safety Study

A study of Vermont and North Carolina bowhunters revealed the following:

• 74% of the accidents occurred when climbing up or down or when installing or removing a stand.
• 7% of tree stand hunters surveyed had an accident in the last 10 years.
• 73% said poor judgment and carelessness caused their fall.
• 80% said safety was a concern but actually believed that a fall “wouldn’t happen to me.”
• Type of stand used:
  • 43% self-climbing
  • 34% fixed-position
  • 18% ladder
• 58% of the hunters who fell were not wearing a fall-arrest system.
• 34% of the hunters surveyed now wear a fall-arrest system because of an accident.
• 39% of the accidents occurred at less than 10 feet.
• 21% of the accidents were related to structural failure.