Because of four serious accidents since Sept. 13, including two fatalities, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is issuing an urgent warning for hunters to exercise caution when using a tree stand.

All of the recent accidents involved falls from tree stands, with the deaths occurring in Richmond and Harnett counties. Investigations show that none of the hunters killed or injured was wearing a fall-restraint system at the time of the accident.

"The best advice I can give is to always wear a fall arrest system," said Capt. Chris Huebner, the state's hunting safety coordinator, in a commission release. "A full body harness is the best precaution anyone can use."

The number of hunters hunting deer from an elevated position has increased in recent years. The height provides distinct advantages, such as putting a hunter out of a deer's normal field of view, increasing a hunter's range of vision, angling shots to a quick backdrop, reducing scent detection and allowing closer shots.

Research by the Treestand Manufacturers Association, in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, found 82 percent of all hunters injured in tree-stand falls were not wearing a safety harness.

N.C. hunting safety instructors also recommend that hunters:

* Maintain three points of contact (hands and feet) when climbing up or down.

* Never carry anything when climbing -- use a haul line to raise and lower an unloaded gun, bow or other equipment once safely seated.

* Check all belts, chains and attachment cords before use.

* Avoid selecting a decaying or leaning tree or a slippery-surfaced or smooth-bark tree.

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