Saturday, Oct. 1, marks the state wide opening of the archery bow hunting season for antlered and antlerless deer. The season typically follows the early opener in WMU units 2B, 5C and 5D where the Pennsylvania Game Commission allows a longer hunt to cull the overabundance of deer in those populated areas.

Come Saturday, most hunters will be climbing into treestands as they hold the most advantageous vantage point to see deer farther into the woods while having unaware deer come closer to the hunter for clean arrow shot.

But every season it seems some hunters have treestand accidents. Statistics have it that one in every three hunters who hunt from a treestand will fall at some point in their hunting career. And of those, 75 to 80 percent occur while ascending or descending the tree, with a smaller percentage while falling after falling asleep in the stand and not being harnessed in.

Nationally, 300-500 hunters are killed annually in treestand accidents and another 6,000 will have treestand related injuries.

Shockingly, many hunters are not attached to the tree from the time they leave the ground until they get back down. Even when using a fall-arrest device like a full-body harness as they attach it once they’re in the tree.

The solution. Hunt from a ground blind as your movement is concealed and your scent, for the most part, is concentrated within the blind. Ground blinds have evolved and are a safe alternative to climbing a tree.

Elder hunters in particular, would be the perfect candidate for a ground blind as they may have medical or physical issues that prevent them from climbing a tree.

And let’s face it, if you’re a 3D target shooter or practice standing and shooting at a backyard target, it’s not the same as shooting from a treestand. But it is from a ground blind where you may standing - if you purchase a tall commercially made blind that will allow shooting flat-footed and in perfect archery form. But if sitting, you must practice from there as you’ll likely be using different muscles and body position says the National Bowhunter Education Foundation.

If using a commercial blind, the foundation recommends camouflaging it even if it has a camo pattern. And that is done by “brushing it in,” by adding branches or brush to it or around it.

Bowhunters looking for a local place to hunt may want to keep in mind the open areas of the Trexler Zoo (Trexler Lehigh County Game Preserve) in Schnecksville, SGL # 217 in upper Lehigh County and SGL # 168 in Northampton County. Then there’s the small tract of woods on Lehnert Road off Scheresville Road in South Whitehall Township where there are “Bowhunting Only” signs posted to show the allowed area.

The bowhunting season for deer runs until Nov. 12 then starts up again Dec. 26 until Jan. 14, 2017. And if the weatherman is correct, bowhunters will be treated to more seasonal weather that’s more conducive to hunting. But before going afield during the opener, it may be wise to spray your clothing and boots for ticks.