Editor's note - September is Tree Stand Safety Awareness Month, and as a hunter, this one is personal for me. We spend countless hours thinking about the shot, scouting deer, checking cameras and preparing our equipment, but none of that matters if we don’t make it home safely. Whether you hunt from a traditional tree stand or a saddle, take the extra few minutes to check your gear, stay connected when your feet leave the ground and make safety as much a part of your hunt as your bow or rifle. I also want to congratulate and thank the TSSA Foundation for everything they do for hunters and our community. Their work keeps tree stand and saddle safety in front of us, not to take the adventure out of hunting, but to make sure we’re around for the next one. We owe it to our families, our hunting partners and ourselves to listen. This September, hunt hard, hunt smart and remember: the best hunt is always the one you come home from.
The following is from the TSSA Foundation:
September is Tree Stand and Saddle Hunting Safety Awareness Month, a time when hunters across the country are preparing to head back to the woods for another season. This year, TSSA is expanding the annual awareness campaign to include Saddle Hunting after working with manufacturers in the saddle hunting industry over the past two years. TSSA is also pleased to continue working with Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s to help promote safe tree stand and saddle hunting practices.
At its July Board of Directors meeting, the Board voted to add saddle hunting to Tree Stand Safety Awareness Month, noting that the addition of the ABCs of Saddle Hunting Safety in 2025 made the expansion a natural next step. Glen Mayhew, President of TSSA, said, “We want to ensure that anyone hunting from an elevated platform follows the ABCs to help ensure they return home safely to their family and friends.”
Helping bring these safety messages to hunters nationwide, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s have included both the ABCs of Tree Stand Safety and the ABCs of Saddle Hunting Safety in their Fall Master Hunting Catalog and will feature the materials in tree stand display areas at many store locations throughout September. Helping hunters enjoy the outdoors safely has long been an important part of Bass Pro Shops’ mission to inspire everyone to enjoy, love and conserve the great outdoors.
TSSA Foundation is a grassroots 501(c)(3) organization that serves the industry as a resource with its sole focus on significantly reducing tree stand accidents through promotion, education and best practices.
For more info on the TSSA Foundation, contact Glen Mayhew, President, at TreeStandSafe@gmail.com; 540-526-5157 or Jay Everett at jay@hssvest.com; 256-773-7732.