Behavior and risk probabilities of deer stand falls among Wisconsin hunters
ABSTRACT Falls from elevated hunting platforms have replaced firearm accidents as the largest source of hunting‐related injuries and deaths in the United States. Our study applied participation and behavior data from 2 statewide hunter surveys conducted in 2013, current license purchasing data, and...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2016-06-01
|
| Series: | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.634 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | ABSTRACT Falls from elevated hunting platforms have replaced firearm accidents as the largest source of hunting‐related injuries and deaths in the United States. Our study applied participation and behavior data from 2 statewide hunter surveys conducted in 2013, current license purchasing data, and an audit of medical records between 2009 and 2013 in the north‐central region of Wisconsin to generate annual and cumulative risk probabilities of being injured in a fall. Although archery hunting of deer (Odocoileus sp.) attracts fewer participants than firearm season, risk exposure is 4.5 times greater because of season length. Overall, the average risk probability for serious injury was 1 out of 71 through 25 years of hunting participation. The most avid deer hunters—those who hunt during archery and firearm seasons over a lifetime—incur a 1‐in‐20 chance of being injured falling from a deer stand. Our results support agency decisions to require safety education for new hunters. However, increased efforts are needed to get existing hunters to purchase and consistently utilize body harnesses and climbing equipment while using deer stands. © 2016 The Wildlife Society. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2328-5540 |