September is Tree Stand Safety Awareness Month
ROANOKE, Va.- September is Tree Stand Safety Awareness Month. It’s the month most hunters start heading back to the woods to either put up stands or begin hunting. Thanks to a concerted effort from across the outdoors and hunting industries, TSSA recently announced surpassing a major goal milestone of reducing the estimated number of tree stand falls requiring emergency care by 65%. This fall, with your help, we are poised to surpass another goal of distributing over 2 million safety messages this year alone.
We are excited about the anticipated large number of new and/or returning hunters who are heading back to the woods this fall due to the situation surrounding COVID-19. Now is not the time to lose sight of the importance that safety plays in hunting. Hunting from a tree stand is a safe and enjoyable way to hunt as long as we follow a few basic safety principles called the ABCs of Tree Stand Safety.
We want to make sure that every tree stand hunter does so in a safe manner. The A stands for “Always” remember to Remove and Inspect your stands and equipment (38% of falls are related to elements related to inspection failures). B stands for “Buckle” on your Full-body Harness every single time (83% of fall victims were not wearing a full-body harness). This includes practicing from a stand, putting up or taking down a stand, and hunting. C stands for “Connect” to the tree before your feet leave the ground (99% of fall victims were not attached).
- Always remove and inspect your equipment
- Buckle on your full-body harness
- Connect to the tree before your feet leave the ground
“By practicing these three simple steps, you can fully enjoy your tree stand hunting experience and come home safe to your family and friends,” according to TSSA President Glen Mayhew. If you don’t have your full-body harness, DON’T CLIMB and hunt from the ground.
Hunters and members of the industry alike can help spread the message of the TSSA Foundation, and September is Tree Stand Safety Awareness Month. Visit the TSSA website at www.Treestandsafetyawareness.org or on social media at www.facebook.com/Treestandsafetyawareness or www.twitter.com/treestandsafety
TSSA Foundation is a grassroots 501(c)(3) organization that serves the industry as a resource with its sole focus on significantly reducing tree stand accidents through promotion, education and best practices. For more info on the TSSA Foundation, contact Glen Mayhew, President, at [email protected]; 540-526-5157 or Jay Everett at [email protected]; 256-773-7732.