if you’re using the climbing stand but somehow connecting yourself to the tree so you won’t fall,” said Carter. Before using a tree stand, Carter advises hunters to inspect their equipment ...

I THOUGHT it would be a thrill to have a black bear climb into my tree stand with me ... would shinny and fumble a bit while climbing a slick tree trunk, but the sow simply put one paw in front ...

and icy conditions can make climbing and positioning on a stand dangerous. Warren Goodson, a W.Va. DNR Natural Resources Police Captain, insists hunters use a fall-arrest system when in a tree ...