HUNTER SAFETY IS SO MUCH MORE THAN GUN SAFETY
Friday, November 20th, 2009 -- 10:17 AM
When most people think of hunting-related accidents, firearm incidents come to mind.Certainly, that?s a big concern, but emergency room personnel know there are plenty of other ways to get hurt this time of year.
"We see a number of folks come in," says Randy Magnus, the Emergency Room supervisor at Memorial Medical Center in Neillsville. "Probably the number one thing we see are knife lacerations, the second thing is falls."
Many hunters don?t get a lot of physical activity during the year, and then get a lot of it during the hunting season. This can cause problems as well.
"A lot of folks have more of a desk-type job. If you're out in the woods moving from stand to stand, you're going to be using a lot of muscle groups and energy that you normally don't use," he warns, "so, you want to do a lot of stretching exercises before and after."
And then there?s the heart. The combination of physical exertion and the excitement of the hunt can cause problems.
"Take a few minutes just to sit and relax. Take a few minutes just to calm yourself down and take a couple of deep breaths," Magnus encourages.
Other things that often get overlooked:
*Make sure you have a blaze orange under-layer. Magnus says it?s going to be warm this weekend, and many people only put on blaze orange winter clothing, that could lead to overheating.
*Deer ticks will be out in full force until the snow flies, hunters should take special care to remove them completely and you should always cut away from your body when using knives.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.