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It is essential that you should keep safe in the hunting tree stands. The Tree stand Manufactures Association lists the use of a full-body fall-arrest system as its No. 1 safety tip for hunters. In fact, four of the top six safety guidelines include tips for wearing, practicing with and inspecting fall-arrest systems.

Several manufactures produce full-body harnesses, which have straps that wrap around both legs, both shoulders and the waist. Newer models add ease of use by incorporating a vest into the design. These models can carry a hefty price tag, but Tom Rancher, one of Foote’s hunting partners who has also taken a fall, says they’re worth the expense.

One way to protect yourself from falls while climbing up a tree is to tie a rope above the tree-stand height when you set the stand. Use a Prussic hitch, or a friction knot that loops around and slides along the rope, while climbing up or down on subsequent trips.

Preventing falls is the No. 1 way to stay safe while hunting, but having a partner nearby who knows how to get where you are quickly should you need help can save your life. If you’re going it alone, file a hunt plan with someone you could contact in case of emergency.

A hunt plan should include a map of where you will be hunting, a time you expect to return and emergency contact phone numbers.

Forcing yourself to be steadfast in following safety guidelines will likely keep you in the tree stands, even if you’re dozing off because you stayed up all night thinking about that bruiser buck you spotted in the area a month ago.