Deer Hunters in Michigan Keep Turning Up Dead, but What Is Killing Them?

Hunting can be a perilous sport. You're firing guns, and while deer are typically not aggressive, they're not the only animals you can encounter in the wild. In Michigan, though, deer hunters are dying for reasons that don't seem to have much to do with their recreational hobby of choice.

Firearm hunting season just started on Nov. 15, but the AP is reporting that three people have already turned up dead. Here's what we know about their deaths and what is killing them.

According to the report, at least three people have died of heart attacks since the season started. Two of the men died of heart attacks while trying to haul away their heavy kills. The ages of the three men were 57, 65 and 83.

“I’ve never seen three people die in 48 hours from heart attacks while deer hunting before,” Dr. William Morrone, chief medical examiner for Bay, Midland, Tuscola, Arena and loco counties told the AP.

According to Dr. Morrone, the deaths might be partially attributed to whether the men were truly prepared for the rigors that come with hunting. It can be incredibly taxing on the body, and not just because of the weight of the animals you have to haul away if you're successful.

And, while it may seem like a sport filled with hours of waiting, that comes with unique issues for the body all by itself.

“The act of deer hunting typically involves hiking to a tree stand or blind, waiting in the cold for hours and then dealing with a sudden surge of adrenaline when a deer is spotted,” cardiologist Dr. Bradley Serwer told Fox News.

Prolonged exposure to the cold can raise blood pressure, and it also leads to increased risk for abnormal heart rhythms. The adrenaline rush that comes with spotting a deer can also be taxing on the heart, and increases the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

It doesn't seem like there's any great conspiracy at work that explains why Michigan hunters are dying. It's a fluke of timing more than anything else.

What does seem clear, though, is that plenty of people who hunt recreationally are not as physically capable of it as they might believe themselves to be.

It's worth being aware of how taxing hunting can be on the body, and also of considering bringing someone with you when you go hunting so that if you do have a heart attack, there's someone around who can do something about it.

It can be hard to know your own limits, but there are risks associated with hunting that you may not even be considering.

The deaths of these men is undoubtedly a tragedy, especially because they were all doing something they probably enjoyed doing. All we know for sure is that they died of heart attacks doing something that increases your risk of a cardiac event. The circumstances were likely different for each man, but those circumstances are constant.