Tree stand broke

[wooly]

Dang man, that's some story.

If the ol' lady ever finds out you got those scratches on your chest from the titty bar, you'll be jumping out of your stand on purpose,lol

Glad you escaped with only a bruised ego. Scary stuff!

[dave6x6]

It's not up side down!!

[erussell]

Cheap stand and 30 ft up a tree are always a bad combo.IMO, Glad to see your ok!!

[Ford]

Ouch!

Glad to hear you were not seriously injured. I would contact the company that manufactured that stand, maybe they will send you a new one. That may happen to try to avoid liability. Stay safe.

[Elmo]

Elmo. I would certainly not write off climbers because of this episode. They can be a very valuable hunting tool that you will come to appreciate some day if you keep it in your bag of tricks. Climbers simply require a different level of concentration and skill. The same way using a hang on with screw-ins requires different skills and concentration then a ladder stand. And please don't write off climbing sticks either. They work great. Remember All, We are hunting. There's some risk.

It isn't exactly this incidence that has me turned off from climbers. I find that with climbers, you have to be very selective of which trees you can climb. Straight tree without low lying branches. I find that the ideal tree for a climber might not be the tree that gives you the best angle. Of course this isn't from practical experience. This is purely based on observation.

[Elmo]

Is this a scrape? Is it too early to find scrapes?

In the middle of the dirt pile are a couple of deer prints but I didn't really get a strong urine smell. Of course I don't even actually know what deer piss really smell like anyway.

[sits in trees]

Hey Elmo, your story is no doubt one that gets a man thinking, holy CRAP! Anyway replace that climber with a good quality heavy duty climber, spend 250+ plus bucks. Also you have to pick good straight trees without branches that are so thick that you just cant cut them with a little folding saw, and never put your feet/weight too close to the tree....

And i know this may sound cleyshay but you must get right back up on that horse that threw you, there is so so much truth to that. Not meaning the same stand of course but get hold of another good quality unit and do a few practice climbs in daylight to get your confidence back..

And yes those could very well be the start of some early scraping in the photos, not always easy to smell the pee as it absorbs into the dirt quickly with rain and dew.

[Geno C]

man sure glad your ok bud

[dave6x6]

Could very well be scrapes. They are definetly working the dirt on my hunting turf.

[Kot2B]

Could be a scrape or turkeys/squirrels, any overhead branches?

[burmjohn]

Glad your OK Elmo, those climbers always worried me. I like the stability of the ladder, however I know thats not an option really on pub land. Not to sure how those hangon's are, if they are any better.

[Guns&ReligionCop]

I did the same thing with my mine when I was new to climbers and uncomfortable. Climbing tree stands use your mass as the the weight and the strap as the fulcrum and the teeth are the load. The further out you stand the increase pressure on the load/teeth. When you got to close to the tree you decreased the pressure need to sustain your weight. Regardless of what climber you use it will be increasing unstable the closer you get to the tree. I wouldn't give up on them yet, its just the learning curve. Unfortunately for you it was a painful one at that. I'm glad your ok

[Elmo]

Could be a scrape or turkeys/squirrels, any overhead branches?

Didn't check but tons of rubs a few feet away.

[kzcycle]

So I read this thread a few weeks ago and was a little uneasy because I have the same F&S climber. I've never had any issues from a stability perspective but did upgrade the seat to a Summit surround seat. Now I can sit all day comfortably. I finally got out to my spot in 9m last weekend and used my same F&S climber. Problem was, I couldn't get this thread out of my head. I'm pretty good about using my harness and just got that HSS Lifeline but was still nervous. Anyway, I just sprung for the summit titan. It's huge, rated to 350lbs, and the cable system is far superior to the pins used on my old climber. Haven't actually hunted from it yet but did climb a tree near the house. The new titan is rock solid stable.

[arrow nocker]

What does that titan weigh?My summit open shooter with the straps off a hiking bag i put on it, i can carry it for ever with my rain gear straped to it and my jacket slung over top that has all my gear n the pockets.

[Elmo]

It's only 21 lbs. The weight isn't so much of an issue. It's just so big on your back which makes it cumbersome while trying to maneuver through brush.

[kzcycle]

The titan is actually 25lbs but it's wider and deeper than the viper models. I could see where it could be difficult to carry through thick stuff. Most of the areas I hunt are mature hardwoods so it's o.k. for me.

[Elmo]

Oh...I thought he was referring to the tree stand I had. I thought he was calling it "titan".

[arrow nocker]

I actually hove one like you have Elmo.But the steel model.Got it on sale from dicks for like 80 bucks.Ya,it is a tank.The aluminum one is about same size just lighter.I leave mine in the woods all season at the bottom of a tree so if i get off work and want a quick hunt i can sneak in and climb it up.No one has stole it cause i think they dont want to carry it out.Haha.

[mark3885]

The stand was Ameristep. Forgot the name of the model. I don't think they sell it anymore. Bought it for like $120 or something like that. Will have to hunt on the ground for the rest of the season. Might go with steps and hang on or saddle next year but money is tight this year.

The bottom platform as you well know should be completely straight. It bent where that white part is at. The white is due to the paint cracking off due to the bend. Fortunately it dropped right when I was hugging the tree as I was trying to get the harness around the trunk. Also fortunate that I was only 12 to 15 feet up.

Holy crap ...........I use 2 of those stands. I bought them from Dick's. Mine are Field and Stream brand. Probably made in China.

[Elmo]

Holy crap ...........I use 2 of those stands. I bought them from Dick's. Mine are Field and Stream brand. Probably made in China.

Mine's were the Field and Stream also. I made a mistake and thought it was Ameristep when I made that posting.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I will not buy any of those Field and Stream stands anymore. The 2 man ladder I put up this year is a Field and Stream, and it was a pain to put up, the ladder sections were weak enough to bow when we lifted it, and is now permanently bent. I had to use 4x4 and 2x4 filler pieces to get the second strap on and solid. What a piece of junk. If it wasnt such a heavy pain in the butt to move, Id pull it out and return it. From here on out, the Big Game ladders are as inexpensive as I will buy. Dicks is losing out carrying those Field and Stream stands, as I know others that feel the same way I do.

[First-light]

Glad your OK Elmo. As the season wears on don't let down your guard about safety first. (not that Elmo did)