
Tree Stand Safety
November 2020By Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
This season, many deer hunters will hunt from ladder, climbing or hang-on tree stands to keep their scent above the ground, give themselves a better line of sight and remain undetected. You can stay safe when hunting from an elevated platform by following a few simple precautions. Take the quiz below to learn how much you know about tree stand safety.
1. What safety equipment should you have to hunt from a tree stand?
- Full-body safety harness
- Rope safety line
- Haul line for your gun/bow
- All of the above
2. True or false: When hunting from a ladder stand, hunters should use a rope safety line to climb up and down.
3. What is the No. 1 reason falls occur?
- The tree stand not assembled correctly
- Slip/loss of grip
- Bad weather
- Broken straps
4. True or false: It’s not necessary to check stands before the start of every hunting season.
5. In what type of tree stand is an incident most likely to occur?
- Homemade stand
- Lock-on
- Climber
- Ladder
6. True or false: When using a lock-on style tree stand, you should step up to the seating platform.
7. True or false: New hunters are more likely to fall while using a tree stand.
8. What percentage of falls occur by someone not wearing a full-body safety harness?
- 86%
- 53%
- 41%
- 25%
9. True or False: The distance of the tether that runs between your full-body safety harness and the strap on the tree should be as short as possible with no slack in the tether while you’re seated.
10. Besides wearing a full-body safety harness, what items should you have within easy reach in case you fall from your stand?
- Cellphone or signaling device and rope safety line
- Folding pocket knife and flashlight.
- Cellphone or signaling device and suspension relief device
- First-aid kit and bottled water
Answers: 1. d, 2. true, 3. b, 4. false, 5. b, 6. false, 7. false, 8. a, 9. true, 10. c
How did you do?
- 7-10 correct responses – You’re smart about safety!
- 4-6 correct responses – You have a solid understanding of tree stand safety. Raise your safety IQ by checking out huntercourse.com/treestandsafety and Tree Stand Safety Awareness Foundation videos.
- 3 or fewer correct responses – Hunting from a ground blind might be a great option until you’ve had a chance to take one of our hunter safety courses.