With several deer hunting seasons underway and coming up in Iowa, safety becomes a priority to ensure everyone has a comfortable hunt. 

According to Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer for Dallas County Dustin Eighmy, hunters should take time to map out a plan because people have a tendency to forget basic rules and regulations coming into a new hunting season. When hunting out of tree stands, Eighmy stresses that people should not be free-climbing in order to get into them.

“We recommend that you wear a safety harness at all times. Be attached to that tree going up, be attached to that tree coming down, and just a short fall can put you and your family at risk and get an injury.”

Another requirement that Eighmy advises hunters is that during any firearm season, individuals must wear at least a blaze orange vest, but he encourages wearing even more, so that you can be clearly visible to other hunters out in the field, especially at a higher distance above the ground.