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North Central Pennsylvania Branch QDMA |
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Better Deer - Better Deer Hunting |
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NC Branch Launches Collaborative Tree Stand Safety Outreach and Fundraising Raffle Tree stand incidents and deaths
are an all too familiar occurrence within the hunting community. A 1993 Deer and Deer Hunting survey revealed that nearly
90% of hunters hunt from elevated stands. National studies indicate that approximately
1 in every 3 hunters who hunt from tree stands will have an incident sometime in their hunting career. Some will not live
to tell their story; others will tell it from a hospital bed or wheel chair. Many accident victims will never hunt again.
Some states report higher fatality rates associated with tree stand incidents than with firearm incidents. Over the past two decades there has been tremendous improvement in the technology and materials used in
just about every kind of hunting equipment, including tree stands and fall restraint devices.
Unfortunately, a little more than one-half of tree stand hunters continue to not wear a safety device of any kind. Of those who do use “safety straps”, a high percentage are unknowingly
using outdated waist bands that can cause serious injury or even death. Sportsmen
groups and associations have long promoted hunter safety, although their efforts have fallen short in terms of significantly reducing
the number
of tree stand related incidents. As a result, a more strategic and comprehensive approach
is being orchestrated by The National Bowhunters Education Foundation (NBEF). The NBEF has
recently launched
Project Stand (Stop Tree Stand Accidents’n Deaths) which will deliver hard hitting messages through various media platforms and education programs
to significantly reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by tree stand accidents. With hunter management being one of the
four cornerstones of quality deer management, the North Central Branch of the QDMA has elected to launch
a localized Tree Stand Safety Outreach and Fundraising Raffle that aligns with the National Bowhunter Education Foundation’s Project Stand. Through
the collaborative efforts of local businesses, conservation organizations, sportsmen groups, and individuals of varying backgrounds, this project
will deliver
important, life-saving, hunter safety messages while raising funds to benefit a local boy whose father tragically died this past |
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