And unload your damn guns guys.

During the 1979-1989 hunting seasons, 594 deer hunting-related injuries (including 85 fatal injuries) were reported in Georgia--a mean rate of 24.9 deer hunter injuries per 100,000 hunting licenses sold per year (range: 11.2-32.4) (Figure 1). Of these, 214 (36%) were tree stand-related (8.9 tree stand-related injuries per 100,000 hunting licenses sold per year (range: 2.4-13.7)) (Figure 1); 17 (8%) of these were fatal.

All the tree stand-related injuries occurred during hunting season. Tree stand-related injuries occurred in 89 (56%) of the 159 counties in Georgia; however, 24 (11%) injured hunters were residents of one of the five bordering states. The median age of injured hunters was 38 years (range: 8-72 years). Of nine who were less than 16 years of age, four were hunting without the supervision of an adult greater than or equal to 21 years of age.

The type of hunting weapon was known for 178 tree stand-related injured hunters: 139 (78%) were hunting with a rifle; 23 (13%), with a bow and arrow; and 16 (9%), with a shotgun. Fractures and strains or sprains were the most commonly reported injuries (Table 1). Cervical spine fractures accounted for 16 (10%) of the fractures. Injuries to the trunk and extremities included fractures of the lumbar vertebrae, ribs, wrists, and ankles.

Unintentional discharges of firearms caused 27 tree stand-related injuries and eight (47%) of the 17 fatalities. The firearm discharges occurred while the hunters were carrying their firearms up to or down from a tree stand or on impact after a fall.

One hundred eleven (52%) hunters were injured by falling from a tree stand, 49 (23%) fell while descending from a tree stand, and 40 (19%) fell while climbing to a tree stand; for 14 (7%), this information was unknown. Mechanical failure (i.e., collapse of the tree stand or its steps) occurred in 68 (32%) of the incidents. Eleven (5%) hunters reported they had fallen asleep in their tree stand immediately before falling, and eight (4%) either admitted to or were suspected of being intoxicated at the time of their incident.