Is Sport Hunting Bad for Your Health? Michigan Deer Hunters' Deaths Raise Questions

The 2024 deer hunting season has proved especially dangerous for hunters in Michigan, leaving experts scratching their heads as they try to figure out why several men were found dead in the first two weeks of the season.

While doctors think they may have figured out the cause, they're still warning anyone who goes into the woods to be especially mindful of this one thing before donning their orange vest — and it's not what you think.

Keep reading to learn more about the ticking timebomb that has taken the lives of at least three men, including what experts are saying you can do to protect your health in the woods.

While we're equally curious as to why deer hunters in Michigan keep turning up dead, it's worth pointing out that Green Matters doesn't condone the act of sport hunting.

If you were thinking accidental shootings were behind a spate of deaths in the Michigan woods, you'd be mistaken. Instead, doctors say that it's heart attacks that appear to have brought down three different men in November, each of whom was found on or near nature trails as they headed home from their hunts.

According to Daily Mail, the conditions many hunters face in the forest have created a recipe for disaster for some.

Cold temperatures and prolonged sitting can create blood clots that can travel to the lungs. Additionally, hiking through the woods with the added gear — especially those with a deer, which can weigh anywhere between 100 to 300 pounds, according to the publication — can also strain a person's cardiovascular system.

Doctors are advising anyone who plans to head out to bag a deer this season to make a stop at their doctor's office beforehand to get a physical, or at the very least, to undergo a yearly checkup.

Animal cruelty of sport hunting aside, knowing that heading out in the woods to hunt a deer comes with so much potential for health risks, it's a wonder why so many people still do it.

According to some municipalities, deer hunting is thought of as a way to keep deer populations in check or to keep diseases from spreading, which may be enticing to those who feel like they're helping.

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), contrary to some beliefs, deer do not spread Lyme disease. Deer are a source of blood for ticks and helpful for tick movement, but they are not infected with Lyme bacteria.

Municipalities should learn more about wildlife management by understanding the ecosystem, which will give them a better idea of how to address the problems in a more humane fashion.