Assemblyman Jones: Safety is Top Priority as Hunting Seasons Get Underway
Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Plattsburgh) hosted a tree stand safety demonstration and discussion with Scott Thurber, a state-licensed guide from Irish Raider Outfitters, and Bob Brown, Franklin County Fish & Game Club on Thursday, Sept. 26, in honor of Tree Stand Safety Awareness Month.
“With bowhunting season opening tomorrow and many others beginning soon, now is the time to brush up safety measures,” Jones said. “Tree stand falls happen every year, but these injuries, and sometimes tragedies, can be prevented by making responsible choices – always wear a full-body harness that is buckled in when you are in your stand. I want to thank Scott Thurber & Bob Brown for sharing their expertise and wish all North Country hunters a safe and successful season.”
Hunters in New York are seriously injured, or worse, by tree stand falls each year. According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), while firearm deaths during hunting season have decreased partly due to increased safety courses, injuries related to tree stand falls have increased. In 2017 and 2018, a total of 17 hunters fell from their stands, including six accidents that resulted in fatalities. The majority of those incidents involved hunters not wearing safety harnesses.[1]
Jones encourages hunters to take proper precautions with tree stands, wear a full-body harness and follow the DEC’s “ABCs of Tree Stand Safety”:
- Always remove and inspect your tree stand before use;
- Buckle on your full-body harness securely every time; and
- Connect to the tree before your feet leave the ground.[2]
Jones also encourages hunters to follow the rules of firearm safety by always wearing hunter orange or pink while out in the field and always being sure of your target and what is in front of it and behind it. Hunters who wear hunter orange or pink are seven times less likely to be shot.[3]
For more information on hunting safety basics, go to www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9186.html.
_________________________________________________________[1] dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/tsri18.pdf
[2] Ibid.