|
Deer
hunter safety stressed
Send a link to a friend
[October 15, 2008]
As nighttime temperatures drop and leaves begin
to fall, hundreds of Logan County residents will start planning for
the upcoming deer hunting season. While this will be an enjoyable
recreational activity for many, there are inherent dangers with a
day in the deer woods. Three specific concerns come to mind: gun
safety, tree-stand safety and heart health issues.
|
 Both the Illinois Department
of Natural Resources and the
National Rifle
Association provide valuable gun and hunter safety tips online.
According to the Department of Natural Resources, 28 hunting
accidents were reported during 2007. Twelve of those accidents
involved falls from tree stands. A recent addition to the
department's Web pages is an online tree-stand safety course based
upon the latest tree-stand safety standards and guidelines of the
Tree Stand Manufacturers Association. The course is fully
interactive and takes just 15 minutes to complete. (See
safety course.)
A research article in the July 2007 issue of American Journal of
Cardiology says: "Deer hunting can be a dangerous endeavor for men
with heart disease or risk factors for it. In a study of 25
middle-aged male deer hunters, researchers found that the activities
inherent to hunting -- like walking over rough terrain, shooting an
animal and dragging its carcass -- sent the men's heart rates up
significantly. In some cases this led to potentially dangerous
heart-rhythm disturbances or diminished oxygen supply to the heart."
[to top of second column] |
 Prairie State
Outdoors also contains information about hunter heart concerns.
The primary function of the coroner's office is to investigate
and document deaths within Logan County. However, the coroner's
staff feels it equally important to provide information that
addresses safety and has potential to save lives and avoid injury.
Thus, as hunting season approaches, we encourage all hunters to keep
their safety and health a priority when venturing out into the
woods.
[Text from file received from
Robert Thomas, Logan County coroner]
 |
