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MARQUETTE & ISHPEMING -- While tinkering with a rifle, Wilderness Sports' Ernie Lindsey explained that many hunters frequently underestimate how strenuous the activity is.

"The excitement of shooting a buck--the heart gets to racing and pumping!” the manager of the Ishpeming sporting goods store described.  “And there's a lot of force exerted when dragging a buck out of the woods, field dressing it, and taking it back to camp.  And a lot of guys aren't physically prepared for that.”

This has made heart attacks up to three times more likely to occur while hunting than a gunshot injury.  Cardiologist Dr. William Jean of Marquette General Hospital says this kind of exercise isn't healthy for hunters who aren't consistently active, have health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, or smoke, as the adrenaline rush is too much.

"We almost all have a little or a lot of plaque in our arteries,” explained Dr. Jean.  “During those times, the plaque breaks or ruptures and you suddenly have a block that causes a heart attack."

And he warns that these hunters are taking a real risk.  "People can feel okay and they might go out into the woods and hunt, but up to a third of people just suddenly have a heart attack.  They have no oncoming signs or symptoms.”

So what should hunters do?  "Exercise is always a good idea,” Lindsey said.  “Ideally, a hunter should be preparing months in advance for deer season, for example, by walking."

But with firearm deer season starting in less than two weeks, Wilderness Sports recommends hunters let their family and friends know exactly where they're hunting and for how long to stay safe this season.