A Note on Hunting Safely

A big part of enjoying the wild spaces that abound in our country is conservation. That term not only means conserving the resources and lands that we enjoy for recreation, but also the animals who call this particular ecosystem home. The strange part of conservation is that often in order to conserve a population, hunting is necessary. Yes, killing to conserve sounds oxymoronic but if it wasn't for hunters, animals such as deer or turkey would die from starvation.


However, this post is not about the morality, or immorality, of hunting. A friend recently had a frightening accident which could have been tragic. This accident also could have been prevented.

(Derek and I on graduation day at Plattsburgh)

I was on my way to a friend's house who we were throwing a going away party for when I got a call saying that my friend Derek had fallen out of his tree stand. Speculation at the time was that he had fallen asleep, fallen out of his stand, and could be paralyzed or worse. Through the night we tried to have fun but we were scared for our friend and waited for updates to come in from his mom. Finally, late in the night we found out that he was ok and was not going to be paralyzed. However, the words "broken back" created a sense of unease about the situation.

It turns out that Derek had been lucky. He had come out with 4 fractures in the thickest part of his spine. This meant that he didn't need surgery and would have no neurological damage. Of course we were all relieved, but more importantly we were all shocked into learning a lesson from this. I myself have never hunted, but many of my friends do. We all realized the importance of being prepared while hunting, but also any time that we go into the wild. Derek was not wearing a harness to hold himself to the tree, he did not have a cell phone, and many of us did not no exactly where he was.



This is a cautionary tale to anyone who ventures into the woods. Make sure that you are prepared. A cell phone may seem like a piece of technology that doesn't belong in nature, but it can save your life. Letting others know where you are, or better yet, going out with friends, is a smart move also. Finally, when hunting, use a harness if you are going to use a tree stand. It may not be the most convenient part of being in a stand, but it can also save your life. Derek was blessed and made it out of a potentially fatal situation without any permanent damage. Be smart, be safe, and have fun while hunting and enjoying the wild this season.