The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation reminds hunters that September is Tree Stand Awareness Month.

September is the month many hunters, especially bowhunters, start heading back to the woods to put up stands and get ready for upcoming hunting seasons.

Hunters are seriously injured, paralyzed, or killed falling out of tree stands every year. Falls from tree stands have become a major cause of hunting related injuries and fatalities in New York.

Fortunately, there is something hunters can do to prevent severe injuries if they fall from a tree stand or elevated platform – wear and properly use a fall-arrest system (FAS). A FAS will keep you attached to the tree from the time you leave the ground until you get back down. A harness alone does not protect you if it isn’t attached to the tree the entire time you are off the ground.

A FAS includes a vest style full-body harness (FBH) with shoulder, chest, and leg straps, a strap that attaches to the tree when in the stand, a tether strap that attaches the harness to the tree strap, a “lifeline” to keep a hunter safe while climbing and descending, and a suspension relief strap to be used in the event of a fall.