Deer season without the back pain: tips for West Virginia hunters

By Dr. Stephen G. Toth, DC · November 5, 2026 · 6 min read

In West Virginia, buck firearms season traditionally opens the Monday before Thanksgiving, and around Morgantown a lot of people spend the weeks before it scouting, hanging stands and hauling gear up the hill. Check the WVDNR regulations summary for this year’s exact dates and rules.

Hunting asks a lot of your body all at once: a low back can lock up during the drag, a shoulder can strain hauling up a climber, and hours of sitting still in the cold stiffen your neck. Here’s how Dr. Stephen G. Toth suggests you avoid that.

Fell from a stand? Don’t walk it off. Any fall from height, especially with neck or back pain, numbness, tingling or weakness, needs emergency care first. Call 911 or go to the emergency room.

Wear a harness every time you leave the ground

Falls from tree stands are one of the most common serious hunting injuries, and spinal injuries are common among them. Trauma surgeons at the University of Rochester Medical Center reviewed hunters treated after falls and concluded that most of those accidents could have been prevented with a safety harness.

• Wear a full-body harness and stay connected from the moment you leave the ground until you’re back down. A lifeline lets you clip in before you climb.
• Check straps, steps and the stand itself before the season. Sun and weather wear them out.
• Use a haul line for your gun or bow and your pack. Never climb with them in your hands.
• Tell someone where you’re hunting and when you’ll be back.

Get your body ready before opening day

Hunting season shows up all at once after months of desk work or yard work. Two or three weeks of walking hills around Morgantown, with a loaded pack once you’re used to it, prepares your legs and back for the real thing. Add some simple core work, like planks or bird dogs, if you already do them comfortably.

Long, cold sits

Sitting still for hours in the cold is hard on your neck and lower back. Muscles tighten to keep you warm, and a hunched posture makes it worse.

• Use a seat cushion and a back support if your stand allows it.
• Every 20 to 30 minutes, quietly shift your position, roll your shoulders and tuck your chin back.
• Dress in layers so you aren’t clenched against the cold.
• Before you climb down, take a minute to stretch and get moving. Stiff legs on a ladder are a risk of their own.

Dragging a deer out without hurting your back

The drag is where most hunting backs give out. You’re tired, cold, often going uphill, and pulling a lot of weight from a bent-over position.

• Use a sled or a game cart when you can. They take much of the load off your back.
• Bring a partner. Splitting the drag is easier on everyone.
• Keep your back straight and pull with your legs, with the rope close to your body rather than out to the side.
• Don’t twist while you pull. Turn by moving your feet.
• Take breaks every few minutes, stand up straight and catch your breath.
• Lift into the truck with help, and with your knees bent, not by bending at the waist.

If you tweak something anyway

Most strains from hunting settle down with time. For the first couple of days, stay gently active with short walks, try ice for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, then heat if it feels better, and avoid heavy lifting. MedlinePlus has a clear overview of sprains and strains.

If your back or shoulder isn’t clearly improving after a few days, or pain runs down your leg or arm, get it checked. Dr. Toth looks at how each joint in your spine, hips and shoulders is moving before he treats, and his care can include gentle adjustments, traction and exercises to do at home. He played college football and took graduate courses in athletic training at WVU, so getting people back to what they love doing is familiar ground. See our low back pain and sports chiropractic pages.

Go to the emergency room for back pain with loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or sudden leg weakness.

Back in the woods sooner

We’re at 3461 University Ave in Morgantown, open until 7pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and same-week appointments are often available. Call (304) 599-8228.

About the author

Dr. Stephen G. Toth, DC earned his Doctor of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic and has run Toth Chiropractic and Wellness in Morgantown since 1980.

This article is general information, not medical advice for your situation. If you’re hurt or unsure, call (304) 599-8228 or see a doctor.