Family Health and Safety Prevent a tree stand accident By Lisa Foust Prater Lisa Foust Prater Lisa Foust Prater is the Family & Farmstead Editor for Successful Farming, sharing interesting family features, heartfelt editorial columns, and important health and safety information. Her favorite thing about her job is meeting interesting people, learning their stories, and sharing them with our readers.Lisa started her career with Successful Farming magazine in 1999, working primarily for the web team and writing product reviews for the magazine. She later wrote for the Living the Country Life magazine and website and has written and edited several cookbooks and other books for Successful Farming and Living the Country Life. Successful Farming's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 5, 2022 Close When you think about hunting accidents, firearm injuries probably come immediately to mind. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, however, tree stand accidents are actually the leading cause of injury to hunters every season. READ MORE: Prevent injury or death in less than a minute Here are some tips for avoiding a tree stand accident: Always use a full-body safety harness when hunting from a tree stand, as well as when climbing. A safety strap should be attached to the tree to prevent falling more than 12 inches. READ MORE: Be mindful of your movement to prevent injuries Inspect the safety harness for signs of wear and tear or damage before each use. Make sure a helper is present when installing a hanging or ladder tree stand. Always inspect trees to make sure they are healthy with no dead branches or trunks before climbing or installing stands. Use the three-point method of contact. Two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot should always be in contact with steps. READ MORE: Don't let secondary injuries keep you on the sidelines Remember that rain, frost, ice, or snow can cause steps to become extremely slippery. Always use a haul line to raise or lower gear and to unloaded firearms or bows to your stand. Do not carry items while climbing. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit