Here in the Keystone State, hunting season is now in full swing amid dwindling daylight, changing leaves and dropping temperatures.

While safe pursuit of wild game is the norm for hundreds of thousands of hunters, hunting season can bring injuries and even deaths from things such as 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 (LVHN) and an avid hunter.

His advice for safe, injury-free hunting is part medicine and part reinforcement of hunter safety principles.

For Dr. Roth, it comes down to FAST.

Falls: Most tree stand falls happen as hunters get into and out of their stand. One in 3 hunters will fall from a tree stand in their hunting lifetime. Always wear your safety harness.

Activity: Practice walking in the woods in the off-season with a pack that weighs the same as the typical amount of gear you wear during the season.

Sight: Always wear the required amount of fluorescent orange clothing so you can easily be seen in the woods.

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

Roth’s advice for any hunting activity is plan ahead.

“You want to avoid getting into a first-aid situation or a bad situation,” he says. “Not being able to get out of the woods can open you up to other potential problems.”

Hypothermia is possible even if the temperatures don’t seem that cold. Average body temperature is 98.6, and you can become hypothermic if your body temperature drops to just 95. Hypothermia can lead to heart and respiratory system failure and can be fatal.

When you start to shiver, it’s time to make the move to a warmer place. Some hunters will start to walk to warm up, but Dr. Roth says if the shivering doesn’t stop, you need to get quickly to a warmer place.

Frostbite also is possible in cold conditions. Dr. Roth says if extremities such as fingers and toes start to tingle and are painful, it’s time to get out of the woods and warm up. Affected fingers or toes can be placed in warm water to help with recovery, but he says don’t rub the extremities. Once color returns to the skin, dry the area and elevate it.

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

In the event of a hunting emergency, call 911. The emergency room at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Carbon is located at 2128 Blakeslee Blvd. Drive E., Lehighton, Pa.