As hunting goes into full swing, always remember safety. A deer hunter did die Saturday in Cayuga County after falling about 18 feet from a tree stand.

According to Syracuse.com, the hunter was identified as Gale Lytle of Port Byron. The incident happened in a wooded area off Center Road in Scipio.

The State Department of Environmental Conservation of New York has several safety tips to hunters who use tree stands:

Use a sturdy, portable stand. Permanent stands nailed into trees are dumb and deadly. They give away your secret hunting spots to anybody who sees them. They are difficult to move when deer change their trails a few feet. Ugly boards and spikes that ruin chain saws make landowners mad. The worst is that they rot. Weakened wooden steps and stands kill and cripple hunters. Even pressure treated wood gets a dangerous slippery growth.
Know the rules. On state lands, it is illegal to place nails or other hardware into trees, or to build permanent structures, such as tree stands, platforms and blinds. On private lands, it is illegal to cut or remove trees or other plants, or to cut limbs or damage bark (such as from putting up blinds or tree stands, or cutting shooting lanes or trails) without the landowner's permission.
Don't go too high. Remember that the higher you go, the smaller the vital zone on a deer becomes. And the likelihood of a serious injury escalates if you fall from high up. Usually, 15 to 20 feet is high enough.
Use a safety belt for climbing. Most falls happen when going up and down the tree, and in and out of the stand. Good commercial climbing belts are available.

You can read the full list of tips from their website.

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