Iowa’s second deer bow hunting season opens today and continues through January 10.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer for Washington and Keokuk counties Wes Gould says one of the top safety precautions for bow hunters is checking that their tree stands are structurally sound, “Making sure the straps that hold it to the tree aren’t weathered, the bolts and nuts are all tight, rust is a big thing. The biggest rule on tree stands is we can’t leave them up year round. You should take them down every year to get them out of the weather. When they’re left up year round, that leads to problems.”

Gould says hunters should also be sure their safety harness is attached securely and properly to themselves before they leave the ground to climb into a tree stand. The deer muzzleloader and archery-only turkey hunting seasons also open today with both running through January 10. The Holiday Anterless-Only deer hunting season opens this Thursday (Dec. 24) and runs through January 2.