Hunting season is now in full swing in Pennsylvania, which can bring injuries and even deaths from heart attacks, falls from tree stands, slips and falls, and in rare cases, accidental gunshots.

Advice from an LVHN doctor-hunter

Kevin Roth, DO, is an emergency medicine physician with Lehigh Valley Health Network and an avid hunter. His advice for safe, injury-free hunting is part medicine and part reinforcement of hunter safety principles.

For Roth, it comes down to FAST.

Falls: Most tree stand falls happen as hunters get into and out of their stand. One in three hunters will fall from a tree stand in their hunting lifetime. Always wear your safety harness. Minor injuries like ankle sprains can be a big deal if you’re deep in the woods and out of cell service range.

Activity: Practice walking in the woods in the off-season with a weighted pack. Get checked by your doctor if you experience chest pain, exertional heartburn, shortness of breath or a change in exercise tolerance. If you experience a heart attack or stroke in the field, it will likely take longer to get help, and chances of survival decrease.

Sight: Always wear the required amount of fluorescent orange clothing so you can easily be seen. If possible, hunt with a partner. Make sure people know where you’ll be hunting and when you expect to be back.

Target. Trigger. Treat: Be sure of your target, and beyond. Keep your finger off the trigger until you positively identify your target and have your sights on that target. Treat every gun as if it’s loaded.

Baby, it can get cold outside

Hypothermia is possible even if temperatures don’t seem that cold. Average body temperature is 98.6, and you can become hypothermic at 95.

Hypothermia can lead to heart and respiratory system failure and can be fatal.

When you start to shiver, move to a warmer place, like your hunting cabin or vehicle. When you get cold, you tend to urinate more, which can dehydrate you, leading to confusion. “If you keep standing where you are, it’s going to get worse,” Roth says.

Frostbite also is possible. Roth says if fingers and toes start to tingle and are painful, it’s time to get out of the woods and warm up. If you become wet, get the wet clothing off and insulate affected areas with dry clothes or a blanket. Affected fingers or toes can be placed in warm water, but don’t rub them. Once color returns to the skin, dry the area and elevate it. Above all, don’t let affected areas get exposed to cold again. If you experienced true frostbite, blisters will appear.

Anyone experiencing suspected hypothermia or frostbite should go to the nearest hospital to be examined.

“Pennsylvania sells more than 850,000 hunting licenses each year, and we want everyone who goes afield to get back home safe and sound,” Roth says. “That means planning ahead and being prepared. Pay attention to the signals your body is giving you.”

If you have been in an accident or think you are experiencing hypothermia, go to the nearest emergency room. The emergency room at LVH–Carbon, located at 2128 Blakeslee Blvd. East in Lehighton, is open 24/7.