Tree Stands, Not Guns, are the Midwestern Hunter's Most Dangerous Weapon

Abstract

Although the prevailing stereotype is that most hunting injuries are gunshot wounds inflicted by intoxicated hunting buddies, our experience led us to hypothesize that falls comprise a significant proportion of hunting related injuries. Trauma databases of two Level I trauma centers in central Ohio were queried for all hunting related injuries during a 10-year period. One hundred and thirty patients were identified (90% male, mean age 41.0 years, range 17-76). Fifty per cent of injuries resulted from falls, whereas gunshot wounds accounted for 29 per cent. Most hunters were hunting deer and 92 per cent of falls were from tree stands. Alcohol was involved in only 2.3 per cent, and drugs of abuse in 4.6 per cent. Of gunshots, 58 per cent were self-inflicted, and 42 per cent were shot by another hunter. Tree stand falls were highly morbid, with 59 per cent of fall victims suffering spinal fractures, 47 per cent lower extremity fractures, 18 per cent upper extremity fractures, and 18 per cent closed head injuries. Surgery was required for 81 per cent of fall-related injuries, and 8.2 per cent of fall victims had permanent neurological deficits. In contrast to prevailing beliefs, in our geographic area tree-stand falls are the most common mechanism of hunting related injury requiring admission to a Level 1 trauma center.

If Hunters End Up in the Emergency Room: A Retrospective Analysis of Hunting Injuries in a Swiss Emergency Department

“…The results of this study are largely consistent with the limited existing international data on nonfatal hunting accidents. We found that most nonfatal hunting accidents involved men with a mean age of 50 years, which is similar to the results of studies from Denmark, Germany, and the USA [ 5 – 8 ].…”

“…In terms of hunter demographics, studies of hunting-related accidents from Denmark, Germany, and the USA have discovered that those involved tend to be males with hunting experience and with a mean age of 40–50 years old [ 5 – 8 ]. Younger hunters appear to be involved in fewer accidents, despite evidence that they engage in more risky hunting behaviors, such as use of camouflage [ 5 , 9 ].…”

Electrocardiographic Responses to Deer Hunting in Men and Women

“…During the past decade, the number of women who hunt has risen dramatically, and now accounts for approximately 10% of all hunters. 1 Various physical hazards are associated with hunting activities, including falls from tree stands [2][3][4] and gunshot wounds. [5][6][7] However, acute cardiovascular events are often overlooked as a serious danger while hunting.…”

“…Specifically, 4 died in the emergency department and 3 while hunting in the field. 6 It is understood that deer hunting involves both strenuous physical activities 3,6,[8][9][10] and psychological stimuli. 11 Haapaniemi et al 8 provided evidence that the high-intensity nature of deer hunting results in dangerous cardiac stresses and suggested fitness may influence a person's relative risk.…”

Behavior and risk probabilities of deer stand falls among Wisconsin hunters

“…Falls from elevated blinds (e.g., tree stands) have now replaced shooting accidents as the next serious public‐health challenge related to deer hunting (Crockett et al ). Falls from deer‐hunting stands are often associated with serious injuries (e.g., fractures and paralysis) and can even result in fatalities (Halanski and Corden , Wood ).…”