Disturbing reason why deer hunters are being found dead in Michigan
Doctors have some life-saving advice for hunters this season: Don’t adjust until you’ve had your checkup.
At least three Michigan hunters, ages 57, 65 and 83, have been found dead on nature trails just days after suffering serious heart attacks since the state’s deer hunting season began less than two weeks ago.
Dr. William Morrone, the medical examiner for the counties where the dead hunters were found, said, “I have never before seen three people die of a heart attack in 48 hours while deer hunting.”
Hunters may not view their hobby as particularly taxing and thousands love it as a way to relax and connect with nature.
But exposure to cold — the average high temperature in November in this area ranges from 44 to 48 degrees — increases the risk of developing a dangerous blood clot in the leg that can break off and migrate to the lungs.
The mix of adrenaline created when making the injection when exposed to cold also increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms that can cause sudden cardiac arrest.
A strenuous walk back to the car dragging or carrying a 100- to 300-pound deer can add to an already stressed cardiovascular system.
Heart health experts urge hunters to get a health check before the season because cold exposure, adrenaline and strenuous activities, such as carrying a deer, can increase the risk of blood clots, abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac arrest.
The official two-week deer hunting season began Nov. 15, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
About 600,000 Michiganders are certified deer hunters and look forward to November every year.
Dr. Morrone suggested that for some people, personal safety and fitness may be less of a priority than winning souvenir antlers.
He said, “Deer season comes along and bam: I’ve got a gun, I’ve got a backpack and I’m trudging through the woods.”
The DNR uses hunting as a tool to control the state’s growing deer population. Prey animals such as deer may be abundant in an area where most of their natural predators – wolves, bears, etc. – have moved or become extinct, mainly due to human expansion.
With excess deer numbers comes fewer food and habitat areas for other animals, which must compete with greater forces for the same amount of resources.
Suppressing the deer population aims to keep the ecosystem in balance.
Hunting is also a tool used to limit the spread of animal-borne diseases that can affect other animals in the food chain. Deer are susceptible to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which causes fatal brain damage.
There is no confirmed evidence that CWD can spread to humans. But it is linked to other prion diseases that have had the potential to infect humans, raising concerns about possible risks even though the evidence for human infection with CWD is inconclusive.
Dr. Morrone noted that hunters, of which there are thousands in the state, would have to meet a physical fitness requirement to obtain their hunting license in Michigan.
Hunting typically involves heading out in the cold early hours near wooded areas, looking for hoof prints or scratches on the ground where bucks have marked their territory.
The hunter must then find a spot, probably in the shade under tree cover, and wait for hours in chilly silence for a target to appear, blood vessels constricting to retain heat.
When a buck or doe does appear, the hunter feels a rush of adrenaline and takes the shot, raising heart rate and blood pressure.
Three Michigan hunters, ages 57, 65 and 83, have been found dead on nature trails, just days after suffering fatal heart attacks since the state’s deer hunting season began less than two weeks ago
Dr. Bradley Serwer, a cardiologist from Cincinnati, explained Fox: ‘Once a hunter has hit the deer, they must follow the deer, often for a long distance over rugged terrain.’
Trudging across difficult terrain in the cold also requires more oxygen than the body needs at rest, and the body has to work harder to maintain core temperature, increasing the risk that the heart won’t get the oxygen it needs to function.
Dr. Serwer added: “If the deer is found it will need to be transported back to a vehicle. Typically this involves dragging a 100- to 200-pound animal over varied terrain.”
The combined strain on the heart can disrupt the regular rhythm with which the heart beats, controlled by electrical pulses.
When these heartbeats are disrupted, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or in an irregular pattern, known as an arrhythmia.
The increase in blood pressure and oxygen consumption can also cause fatty deposits in the arteries to rupture, leading to clots in the coronary arteries, resulting in a heart attack.
Dr. Eric Lavonas, an emergency medicine physician with the Denver Health and American Heart Association volunteer, said: ‘Every year – and as we’ve seen in the headlines recently – some hunters suffer heart attacks or strokes while in the woods.
‘Heart attacks and strokes can occur even in people who appear to be in good physical condition. Listen to your body, take breaks if necessary, and have a plan for emergencies.”
He added that hunters should never venture out alone and, if cell service is not available, should use walkie-talkies to stay in touch with others in their party.
“Although hunting can be a very strenuous activity, taking a few precautions and being prepared can make a difference in the safety of the experience.”