LITTLE ROCK — Hunters pursuing their passions on private and public land throughout the 2023-24 hunting seasons reported a scant 19 incidents, and, for the first time since 2018, had no fatalities as a result of hunting accidents in the woods and waters of The Natural State.
Top photo: Wearing a full-body safety harness is the number one thing a hunter can do to protect against treestand fall injuries. Photo by Mike Wintroath. Photo submitted by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
In addition to the welcome lack of fatalities, the report indicates only two hunting incidents involving a firearm from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
“That is the lowest number of accidents involving firearms I have seen since I’ve been at the AGFC,” Joe Huggins, AGFC Hunter Education Program coordinator, said. “We had one incident involving a crossbow, but really only two were the result of a firearm discharge.”
The record is far from perfect as Arkansas actually saw a small increase in hunting incidents requiring hospitalization from 16 the previous year.
As usual, the number one cause of hunting incidents involving a visit to the hospital was falling from a treestand. Fourteen of the 19 incidents involved falls, and in each of those cases a safety harness was not being used at the time of the fall.
“It’s just like life jackets with boating,” Huggins said. “It’s not going to help you if you’re not wearing it and connecting it to the tree. Take a minute to learn how to put it on before you leave the ground. Even falls from a few feet can cause major damage or death if you land wrong.”
Huggins says the peak time for treestand falls is when hunters are climbing into or exiting the stand, and this is also a time when many are not wearing their harness.
“There are lifeline devices available to attach your harness that will keep you secure during the climb,” Huggins said. “With these devices, there’s really no excuse not to be attached from the time you leave the ground until the time you get back down.”
Last year also marked the first in which hunting incidents were recorded from hunters using hunting tree saddles. Many hunters see hunting saddles as a safer alternative to hang-on stands and climbing stands because the hunter is always tethered to the tree and all slack is taken up, reducing the chance of a sudden drop. The saddle, however, should not be relied upon as a safety harness. Two hunting incidents were recorded last year from hunting saddle users. In both cases, a separate safety harness was not worn.
“The saddle itself didn’t break or fail,” Huggins said. “Both cases appeared to be the result of an improperly tied knot or using the equipment improperly.”
In addition to wearing and using a safety harness, hunters should always check their equipment before and after every use.
“Some people may leave a stand up throughout the year, then go climb in it on opening morning, but you’re asking for trouble,” Huggins said. “The straps holding the stand to the tree can rot or have been chewed on by squirrels and other rodents, causing a catastrophic failure. Even the welds of some treestands may become rusted and weak after sitting in the elements all year. If you left a stand up all year, take it down and thoroughly inspect it. Replace any straps and don’t take any chances with any stand in poor condition. And if you’re walking through the woods and see a stand in an area, don’t climb into it without knowing anything about it. We’ve had people do that and get hurt as well.”
Huggins also points out that the statistics only count the number of reported incidents requiring a hospital visit that took place during the act of hunting. Accidents occurring outside of hunting season that may have been in preparation for the hunt, such as clearing shooting lanes, planting food plots and hanging or taking down stands, are not included.
Still, with only 19 incidents reported throughout the entire state last year, hunting is still one of the safest sports available. With an estimated 320,000 hunters in the woods last year, that equates to an injury rate of 0.006 percent, far below many other outdoor sports such as soccer, swimming and even golf.
