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Earlier this week, the National Park Service (NPS) issued a final rule that will now provide archery hunters with better access to public lands that surround the National Park System.

Prior to the rule change, hunters could only transport archery equipment through National Parks if their bow or crossbow remained in a motor vehicle or other form of mechanical transport. As a result, bowhunters have been limited in their ability to cross National Parks (where hunting is generally not allowed) on foot or horseback to gain access to adjacent lands where hunting is legal – such as those managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS).

Concerns about traversing NPS lands have been particularly relevant since Congress passed the law to allow individuals to carry firearms in National Parks in 2009. While these expanded allowances gave firearm hunters the opportunity to cross NPS properties to access adjacent huntable lands, the same privileges were not afforded to bowhunters. Due to the misguided interpretation of the law, access to certain parcels of BLM, USFS and even private land was made available to one type of hunter but not another.

In a press release announcing the rule change, NPS also noted that, “Some roads maintained by the National Park Service bisect private property, making it necessary to enter park land in order to cross the street from one section of private land to another. When other means of approach are otherwise impractical or impossible, those transporting bows and crossbows across national park lands will now have equal access.”

While the rule change provides much needed relief for archery hunters, those crossing NPS lands should remember that possessing bows and crossbows on Park Service property is subject to applicable state laws and is not allowed if the individual is otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a bow or crossbow. In addition, bows and crossbows carried across National Parks may not be “ready for immediate use.”

RALEIGH, N.C. – As deer season ramps up, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission reminds hunters to follow safety guidelines when hunting from a tree stand.

“Tree stand accidents are the leading cause of injury to hunters every year,” said Chet Clark, the Commission’s eastern outreach manager. “Most of these accidents are avoidable. Always remember to wear a fall-arrest system and use it properly. Also, follow your tree stand manufacturer’s recommended safety procedures. This little bit of precaution can mean all the difference when out in the field.”

The Commission’s hunter safety education campaign, Home From the Hunt, offers these tree stand safety recommendations: Read more

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Summit Stands today released a short film about Tim Crawford, an Alabama hunter who, in 2008, fell 25 feet from a treestand as a result of not using proper safety equipment. Crawford’s story serves as a cautionary tale as America’s hunters head back to the woods this month. September also happens to be Treestand Safety Awareness Month.

“At Summit, safety has always been our number-one priority,” said Martin Hill, director of marketing at PRADCO Outdoor Brands, Summit’s parent company. “With hunting seasons opening across the country, we wanted to take this opportunity to tell Tim’s powerful story with the hope that it might resonate with hunters as they climb back into their stands this month.”

After his fall, Crawford lay paralyzed at the base of his tree for eight hours before help arrived. He was told he’d never walk again. He defied the odds, however, and has regained full mobility, but it’s not lost on him just how fortunate he is. He wants as many people as possible to hear his story so that it might save even more lives. Read more