Making Safety Part Of Your Hunting Experience

Making Safety Part Of Your Hunting Experience.
By: Derek Mallard

As we are planning our hunting trips and excursions one of the things all of us take for granted is that we will return without problems. But, that does not always happen like we plan. Being a paramedic for 15 plus years I have responded to many various types of accidents and one thing I want to stress is we must be prepared when disaster strikes. No one ever plans to have an accident especially when we are doing something we love such as hunting.

As I am writing this article I am reminded of a cool Saturday morning in mid October about 1993. My partner and I had just completed checking off the ambulance ensuring our truck was stocked properly for that shift and we began discussing the need for a trauma bag designed for deep woods rescue. A bag that would have our most essential supplies so we would not have to drag so much equipment in with us if we had any hunting related accidents. So we made our list, found a bag in the supply room that was designed with backpack carrying straps and proceeded to fill it with all the critical items. Just as we finished putting it on the truck the tones went off for us to respond to a hunting accident. The dispatcher told us we would get details while we were in route, that the injury type was unknown at the time but we were needed signal 18 (which means to hurry faster than usual).

As we pulled up the address we were being called to we saw it was about a 25-30 mile trip one way. So at this point we realize that time is very critical. While we were in route to the location we were radioed and told that the patient was about 1 mile back in the woods and had suffered a severe fall from a tree stand. From this information my partner and I knew that our preparations with the trauma bag were going to come in very handy! We were also relieved to know that we were dealing with just a severe fall. We knew we could handle this without a lot of trouble.

About half way to the call the dispatcher called us back and gave us the update we did not want to hear. We were advised that the patient was unconscious and bleeding very badly. It was unclear whether he had been shot or whether the fall had caused the bleeding. Well by this time things are getting pretty tense, my partner and I started discussing how we wanted to deal with this and what extra equipment we should carry with us without knowing the full extent of the injuries. We made a gut call and decided it would be best to carry just the minimal amount of equipment along with our trauma bag. Just as we were arriving to the scene we were advised that the only way to get to the patient was by ATV and the parties at the residence had two for us to use.

As we arrived some of the volunteers had arrived and started walking in. They had decided to leave us the ATV’s so we could get in quicker. So we grabbed our supplies and headed in. The guy that was driving me in was the one who found his buddy and needless to say he was a little freaked out. I was able to gain some needed info from him on what seemed like 10-mile ride in. As we arrived at the patient one of the volunteer firefighters had just reached the patient and was beginning to do some basic patient care.

When I saw the patient I knew we had to get on the move. In a matter of less than five minutes we were able to get the patient packaged for the move out, start two IVs, establish a good airway, splint a fractured leg and arm, and control his bleeding which had been caused from a gunshot. We later found out the gun went off after he hit the ground. That during the fall he tossed it and when the gun hit the ground it went off and hit him in the leg. Due to our being prepared that morning we were able to give the best patient care without having to jeopardize this patients life by having to decide what we should carry with us. As we loaded the patient in the ambulance for the transport to the hospital he opened his eyes for the first time and could respond to us by squeezing my hand and by the time we arrived to the hospital his blood pressure was stable, his breathing was much better and his bleeding had been completely stopped.

This patient fully recovered a few months later and as far as I know still-hunts every chance he gets. But he and all his hunting friends have made big changes to the way they hunt. They all put safety first. Not long after he got out of the hospital he stopped in to see us and discuss safety issues with us. He assured us that from that point on he would always be prepared for the worst and be thankful for every trip without problems.

The above is a true-life event and could happen to any of us if we do not make safety and being prepared part of planning our hunting trips. Let me give you some of my ideas and tips on what I do to be prepared before I set out to hunt.

Safety Preparations Before The Hunt:

1. Always have a first aid kit in your truck and ATV. Keep an eye on anything in your first aid kit that has expiration date on it. If it is expired change it out.

2. Let someone know the general area you are hunting and a close time you should be out of the woods. I know hunters are funny about reveling their exact hunting stands, me included, but you can tell some one the general area you are going to be in.

3. With today’s technology as it is, carry your cell phone with you. You can put it on silent. It may be your lifeline to getting help to you.

4. Learn basic first aid. If you do not know where to go for a short class contact your local ambulance service. They can tell you where to go for a class. If you are in a hunting club it may be a good idea to require all members to get first aid certified. Everyone could set a date on a Saturday and be done by mid afternoon. If you don’t want to go through a full class call your local ambulance service and see when would be a good time to stop by and learn a few things from the paramedics on staff.

5. When climbing use the latest safety devices to keep you from falling and make sure your stands are properly secured to the tree. Check all your batteries and flashlights before heading out. A good light when you need it can be a lifesaver.

6. Never shoot at something in the bushes, always have a clear view of what you are shooting at. I know of a case in which a guy shot his best friend. The friend was trying to pull a joke on him. Because he did not identify what he was shooting at for sure, a major accident occurred. We all like pulling jokes but safety has to come first. We all want to return home to our families.

My first aid kit consists of:
• Box of Band-aids®
• 2- rolls of 4-inch gauze
• 2- rolls of tape 3-inch width
• 1-package of 4x4’s approximately 50-100
• Bottle of over the counter pain relievers
• Small bottle of rubbing alcohol
• Small bottle of Peroxide
• Package of latex gloves
• Small trauma dressing
• A few different size air splints
• Box of over the counter Bendryl® and a bottle of liquid Bendryl®.

I also carry some advanced supplies with me since I have been a paramedic for many years. The above kit is a good general kit to make up if you want to stock your own kit. You can always buy a good first aid kit from most any pharmacy. Keep in mind don’t just buy the small one it is better to spend a few extra dollars and get the kit that is stocked properly.

One thing I must stress if you are allergic to any type of stings, get an Epi-pen and keep it with you at all times. If you were to be stung and you did not have it, you may not have time to get help before you have a severe reaction. These pens are by prescription only. Visit your local doctor and tell him you need to get one. He will gladly prescribe one for you if you have past allergies to bee stings. If you are not sure if you have allergies consult your doctor and discuss this with him, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Some tips on handling an emergency if you or a friend gets injured.

1. Stay calm, use common sense.
2. Control bleeding with direct pressure.
3. If someone has fallen do not move them. Assure they are breathing fine and call 911.
4. If you suspect a broken bone you can use a limb as a splint.
5. Always remember your ABC’s first. Check for a clear airway first, and then control bleeding, and then check for pulses. Take time to learn first aid and CPR. This will give you a better understanding on what to do.

I hope these tips and ideas have helped you be better prepared for your hunting trips. We never plan for anything bad to happen and chances are you will never face a bad accident while hunting, but being prepared could make the difference on whether you, a friend or a loved one gets to hunt again. Please put safety top on your priority list.