ELKTON, Md. (September 21, 2010) – The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is investigating the death of a hunter that occurred on September 20 in the 2600 block of Barksdale Road in Elkton. The investigation revealed that Dennis Arthur Siler, 44 of Port Deposit, Md., was bow hunting for deer when his 14-year-old son found him unconscious at the base of a tree at 10:00 a.m.
Siler was hunting from an elevated portable climbing stand located 30 feet from the ground. Siler and his son were bow hunting separately on the Barksdale Road hunting property and were communicating by text messages. Siler’s son found him after he failed to answer text messages. Paramedics took Siler to Christiana Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Preliminary autopsy revealed death from trauma received from the fall. The investigation revealed that Siler was not using a safety harness.
This accident is the second fatal tree stand hunting accident since the beginning of bow season for deer that started on September 15.
Source: Maryland Natural Resources Police