About Exposing the Big Game

WAGONER COUNTY, Okla. — The Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office said a 10-year-old was seriously injured after falling around 20 feet from a deer stand while he was hunting.

According to the sheriff’s office, they received a call reporting a 10-year-old boy had fallen from a deer stand in a wooded area near Redbird and suffered serious injuries on Nov. 22.

After hearing about the situation, the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office, Wagoner EMS, Wagoner County Emergency Management, the Porter Fire Department and the Tullahassee Fire Department responded to the area.

When deputies arrived, members of the boy’s family told them the boy’s father was waiting in the woods where his son had fallen.

Deputies and other emergency personnel entered the woods and located the child in a ravine.

The boy was quickly given medical care by first responders and carefully transported out of the woods and into an ambulance.

He was then rushed to a hospital in Tulsa for evaluation and treatment.

The Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office released the following safety tips for hunters to follow to avoid similar incidents and other common hunting accidents:

“1. Always use a full-body safety harness – A harness should be worn from the moment your feet leave the ground until you are back down.

2. Inspect tree stands before every use – Check for structural damage, loose bolts, worn straps, or signs of weathering that may compromise stability.

3. Maintain three points of contact when climbing – Hands and feet should always maintain a secure hold on ladders or climbing sticks.

4. Never climb or hunt alone – Ensure someone knows your exact location and hunt with a partner when possible, especially with young hunters.

5. Use a haul line – Never climb with firearms or gear in your hands. Use a rope to raise and lower equipment once safely secured in the stand.

6. Choose an appropriate stand height – Higher is not always better. Lower heights reduce fall risks while still providing an effective vantage point.

7. Practice stand use at ground level – For youth and new hunters, practice mounting, sitting and dismounting the stand before using it at height.”

For more information and access to outdoor safety and hunter education courses, you can visit the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s website here.

Florida bear hunt begins Saturday, despite pushback

Posted on December 7, 2025 by Exposing the Big Game

Bear advocates have attempted to soften the blow from the hunt by collecting 52 of the available 172 permits given in the hotly contested hunt.

PauseUnmute

Remaining Time -2:32CaptionsPicture-in-PictureFullscreen

WESH logo

Updated: 11:35 PM EST Dec 6, 2025

Editorial Standards ⓘ

David Jones

https://www.wesh.com/article/florida-bear-hunt-begins-saturday-despite-pushback/69652864

Reporter

, Fla. —

For the first time in more than a decade, hunters took to Florida’s forests in search of black bears as part of the 2025 Florida black bear hunt.

The hunt has been hotly contested, pitting animal advocates and significant public outcry against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and hunting groups.

Starting Saturday and running through December 28, a total of 172 permits were given to would-be hunters to cull the population of black bears in the state.

Florida’s black bear advocates challenge the FWC’s decision to conduct hunt

Of those 172 permits, bear advocates claim to have secured 52 in the lottery system in an attempt to reduce the number of bears killed.

“The people who approved the hunt were political appointees, that’s why we were calling on Governor DeSantis to step in and stop the hunt,” said Susannah Randolph, Chapter Director of the Sierra Club Florida.

Randolph said her group, which has partnered with other advocacy groups like Seminole County-based Bear Warriors United, is hopeful FWC will enforce the laws and ensure no extra black bears are taken during the hunt.

Florida bear hunt opponents secure dozens of permits in hopes of sparing animals

She said they have noticed online chatter from hunters talking of “settling the score” after dozens of permits were secured by non-hunters.

“The FWC political appointees have really taken away a lot of the tools for the scientists to actually follow the science and do right for what this species needs to survive for future generations,” Randolph said.

WESH 2 spoke with one hunter by phone Saturday who said he didn’t have any luck Saturday. We spoke with him previously in November.

“I don’t trophy hunt. When I deer hunt, I don’t hunt for antlers. It’s for meat,” said Jason Howard. “I enjoy deer meat, wild hog meat, turkey meat and I hope to enjoy bear meat as well.”

Randolph said she’s worried about future years, when the FWC has said it will allow bear hunting.

“It’s extremely cruel, not just to the bears but to the dogs, you lose dogs in the course of bear hunting,” she said. “Even our US Attorney General Pam Bondi prosecuted dog hunters when she was the attorney general for Florida.”