Study: Young hunters risk injury most

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Younger hunters are more likely than older hunters to suffer serious injuries in tree-stand accidents, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers said.

The higher injury rates among hunters age 15 to 34 are tied to a greater willingness to take risks, less exposure to safety information and more time spent hunting than older hunters, said Gerald McGwin Jr., associate director for research at the university's Center for Injury Sciences.

Hunters 15 to 24 had injury rates of 55.7 per 100,000 and those age 25 to 34 averaged 61 injuries per 100,000, said McGwin's study, published in the Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care.

By contrast, Hunters older than 65 had injury rates of only 22.4 per 100,000, the study found.

Men were twice as likely as women to be injured.

The most common injuries were hip and leg fractures, followed by injuries to the trunk, shoulder and upper extremities.

Head and spinal cord injuries were less common, but still significant, the study found.

The study said tree-stand manufacturers could help prevent injuries "by providing more support for the hunters, particularly for the minimalistic stands such as climbing or ladder stands."

An estimated 46,860 hunters were injured using tree stands from 2000 to 2007, the study found.

Some 12.5 million people hunt in the United States.