Half of tree stand falls were fatal, 100% were preventable

[Hunter007]

Hell I have been banged up just by climbing in and out of tree stands seems like any time I  come home with scratch or bruise any time I used one .

 

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2018 by Storm914

[Doc]

It has been decades now since I realized that I am not a tree dweller....lol. It was a case of a fear of heights. Who knows maybe that affliction has saved my life. My cousin was not so fortunate, and met an early end to his young life because of a treestand fall. Sad for him and sad for his family.

[Drew2255]

I have to admit I wasn’t responsible in this capacity for a long time. I’ve been hunting for many years just like a lot of guys on this forum. I’ve  just started using a harness. I don’t know what I was thinking all those years going up the tree without one on. Guess it has to do with the “young-invincible mentality”. I wear one now but feel somewhat lucky I  never did take a fall. It should be a must every single time....

[fasteddie]

I don't hunt from a treestand without a harness . I don't want to be a statistic . I also won't hunt from a stand that require screw in steps to get to it . 

[Robhuntandfish]

I only hunt from a ladder stand.  And we put double and triple ratchet straps on each stand .   Have seen where squirrels and chewed them before.  Not cool.   So we put 4 ratchets on each one ,  and replace them often, then each stand has a shooting rail and the tree strap ready to go for a harness.  And if it is icy then it's a day to hunt on the ground. Already  3 points of contact for each climb up.

[Doc]

I remember back in the 60's and 70's when I was still hunting from treestands, there wasn't a whole lot of talk about safety harnesses. I'm not even sure there were any available, or maybe I just wasn't aware of them. But as time went on there was some talk about treestand safety and a lot of us began the very unsafe practice of simply tying a rope around our waist and then to the tree. I rigged one up that incorporated an old VW Beetle lap belt latch mechanism that had a push button latch release which was a little more safe, but still could leave you landing horizontal with a back-snapping jolt to the waist. most arrangements back then were perhaps more dangerous than the problem they were supposed to solve. I am not sure when the first full-body harness safety restraints were introduced, but I believe that regular widespread use of them is fairly new-ish (recent decades).

Today most designs are fool-proof, and there is no reason why anyone should go up in a tree without a proper harness on.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Do they cover the safety harness dangers after a fall,  using a body harness in the guide?  Hanging Harness Syndrome. A couple screw in tree steps on person come in very handy.

Edited August 19, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[Hunter007]

I know at least 2 guys around here  personally that fell from stands  one died the othe broke a few bones I think the numbers are higher then they report .

 

[First-light]

Here is a question. When you set up a new ladder stand do you wear a safety harness? I put up a 20' Muddy skybox last weekend and didn't. Probably the worst time not to wear one. Not again folks.

[Jeremy K]

I switched to the prusik knot last year on all my stands with a rock climbing harness , couldn't be happier with that set up . I still use a rock climbing harness and tree strap when using my climber. 

[left field]

Do guys use harnesses on 10' ladder stands with safety/shooting rails? I inherited a couple on my property. They are well secured to the trees with straps, but I haven't used them yet.

[Core]

Guys here still hunt without straps, you see them in threads.

I use a climber, but I've had the bottom slip out a couple times on me and been able to catch myself only just with upper body, but both times have been very glad I had a harness on. Certain trees can be very slick and the bottom part of the climber just doesn't hook up perfectly.

[Single_shot]

Fellow hunters, if you enjoy writing in this forum please at the least, learn to use a rope when climbing with your stand. We would surely enjoy your stories the following days after the opener. Don't be a stat.

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[Northcountryman]

On 8/19/2018 at 8:46 AM, landtracdeerhunter said:

Do they cover the safety harness dangers after a fall,  using a body harness in the guide?  Hanging Harness Syndrome. A couple screw in tree steps on person come in very handy.

This is a good idea if you are hanging after a fall to get back up and out . Would have to have them in your pocket or something though cuz if in your pack,  probably wouldn’t be able to grab them then 

[wolc123]

On 8/19/2018 at 11:32 AM, left field said:

Do guys use harnesses on 10' ladder stands with safety/shooting rails? I inherited a couple on my property. They are well secured to the trees with straps, but I haven't used them yet.

Most of mine are at 8 to 10 feet and fully covered below the safety/shooting rail.   I have never used a safety harness in such a stand, because it would be nearly impossible to fall out, even if I fell asleep in one.  I have used a safety harness on higher stands with rails, but seldom hunt from them any more.   I find it easier to get the drop on deer from a lower, semi-enclosed stand.  Also, the lower shot angles improve the odds of a "double lung" shot, and easy recovery.  The older I get , the more comfortable I am hunting closer to the ground and I have taken slightly more than half of my deer, over the last five years, from ground level.

As hunters gain experience and wisdom, they often develop the ability to kill deer consistently from the ground or from lower stands.   That is very fortunate, because they also loose the ability to recover as easily from a fall, as they get older.   Proper use of a safety harnesses is good, but they can increase risk due to overconfidence or improper use.   Risk of injury always increases in direct proportion to height whether a safety harness is used or not.

    

[left field]

Thanks, Wolc. Interesting points.

[Jdubs]

Didn't take long.  My local FD used their ARGO ATV to extract a hunter who fell out of his treestand.  Chief indicated that the hunter should be ok as the stand wasn't too high.  

[The_Real_TCIII]

I wonder how many falls involve climbers these days? Modern ones, not the deadly Bakers and TSS of the past. I use all kinds of stands but never feel safer than I do in my climber. Always attached of course


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[The_Real_TCIII]

Guys here still hunt without straps, you see them in threads.
I use a climber, but I've had the bottom slip out a couple times on me and been able to catch myself only just with upper body, but both times have been very glad I had a harness on. Certain trees can be very slick and the bottom part of the climber just doesn't hook up perfectly.

Are the two tethered together?? If not rectify that immediately


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[Core]

12 hours ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

Are the two tethered together?? If not rectify that immediately


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Yes, most times I don't forget to tether. I always use harness. But of course I never tether myself to the upper stand, so it occurs to me that it's entirely possible for the bottom and top to slip down together leaving me in the tree.

I always have paracord in my pack (on my back) which I could use to descend to the ground (in theory).