Swaying Treestands

[DTG3k]

So I am sitting in a freestanding this morning. And whenever a breeze comes in, the tree I am in starts to sway a little. It's starting to freak me out a bit. Is this a legitimate concern, or am I just being a baby?

[Paula]

Not a baby

[jr.deerslayer]

Man up you big baby......unless there are dead trees around you, then you may have a cause for legitimate concern.

[RobC]

We call it treestand surfing.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

So I am sitting in a freestanding this morning. And whenever a breeze comes in, the tree I am in starts to sway a little. It's starting to freak me out a bit. Is this a legitimate concern, or am I just being a baby?

All depends how much you value you life? Hope you are belted in. I know i would not be in one today with the wind we are getting up here. You might not see to many today sitting in a tree.

[First-light]

Take a look at this picture. This is my tree stand 3 weeks ago after some wind. The top of the tree broke off and slammed the stand. Thank God no one was in the stand at the time. The top of the tree is at the base. Tree looked healthy to me at the time I set it up. There must of been some heavy duty wind come through because there are other trees that this happened to. Maybe Sandy, this is in the Finger Lakes.

[DTG3k]

There are a lot of downed trees because of sandy. If this tree fell it does not matter if I'm belted, id be going with it.

[bubba]

i would be on the ground today for sure

[tughillhunter]

get out of the tree. Its safer to sit on the ground.

[DTG3k]

I am on ground now. I can watch tree fall from here. Thanks for the input.

[wdswtr]

I stay on ground in high winds. To an untrained eye and even a trained one you never know if the tree your in ins rotting from the inside out and the outside perimeter of the tree is still healthy that carries the water to the limbs making an unhealthy tree internally look healthy. Also setting up in pines, popple and other softwoods in high winds is not a good idea either. No deer hunt is worth your life why chance it.

[hunterjohn]

lol puts me asleep

[landtracdeerhunter]

I stay on ground in high winds. To an untrained eye and even a trained one you never know if the tree your in ins rotting from the inside out and the outside perimeter of the tree is still healthy that carries the water to the limbs making an unhealthy tree internally look healthy. Also setting up in pines, popple and other softwoods in high winds is not a good idea either. No deer hunt is worth your life why chance it.

Agree.

[First-light]

I stay on ground in high winds. To an untrained eye and even a trained one you never know if the tree your in ins rotting from the inside out and the outside perimeter of the tree is still healthy that carries the water to the limbs making an unhealthy tree internally look healthy. Also setting up in pines, popple and other softwoods in high winds is not a good idea either. No deer hunt is worth your life why chance it.

If you look at most of the trees that came down from Sandy they all looked healthy on the outside. Most of them were hollow at the base causing their demise. Soft woods and pine will snap-good point to stay out of these.

[the blur]

when you fall and die, the deer use you as a salt lick. Then the coyotes finish off your remains.

[HuntOrBeHunted]

Being a baby about not wanting to fall out of a tree in the middle of the woods.. Ofcourse not.

At first glance I had to laugh..{ Just because of the tittle }.. But I have never really felt a sway in my treestand. But I also use a nice thick live tree. Idk man switch spots I would hate to read about it in the paper.

[arrow nocker]

Make sure on the ground you don't have a bad limb or tree above ya.Might be better in a tree if so.LOL.

[Guns&ReligionCop]

Dear ground hunters, beware that falling trees are a danger to you as well. Everyone ground or tree becareful when its windy and pay special attentiopn to widow makers!!

[covert]

Depends on how much it's swaying I guess. If you can just feel the tree moving back and forth slightly is might not be much to worry about. If your idea of slightly swaying is 18" of movement in either direction, that's a different story.

[tughillhunter]

depends on the tree as well. hemlock, locust, poplar, cherry, maple, ash....... no matter how big, and how whatever, they still break in the wind. See it every day. safer on the ground. not every tree will fall, but you never know if the one you are in will fall.

[bkln]

I hear ya, if its swaying more than 6 inches I get out of dodge in NY minute, some soft breeze is OK but I can't say I like it :-) Walking around has its benefits too, you stay warm and cover more ground so, why risk it...common sense to me.

[tughillhunter]

exactly. one deer is not worth your family struggling the rest of their life, and losing ur own.

[Guns&ReligionCop]

Not just wind to worry about a lot of people get killed every year by trees weighted down by snow and ice. Notice I said people because it is a presents a threat to everyone not just hunters

[Doc]

Dear ground hunters, beware that falling trees are a danger to you as well. Everyone ground or tree becareful when its windy and pay special attentiopn to widow makers!!

Next time I go by it, I will take a picture of my crushed ground stand where a tree (about 24" in diameter) mangled the whole thing. Thankfully, I was not in it. But hunting from the ground offers up no guarantees that you can't still get squashed.

Lesson learned .... Even in ground blinds, or even just still hunting, be aware of the condition of trees that you are near (especially on windy days).

[tughillhunter]

Next time I go by it, I will take a picture of my crushed ground stand where a tree (about 24" in diameter) mangled the whole thing. Thankfully, I was not in it. But hunting from the ground offers up no guarantees that you can't still get squashed.

Lesson learned .... Even in ground blinds, or even just still hunting, be aware of the condition of trees that you are near (especially on windy days).

agreed