please be careful in the trees!!!!

Similar story near me last year. No harness and fell out of his stand. Legs paralyzed but doing OK. Be careful.

Link doesn't work on my iPhone, but being old, fat and gimped up.....I can't even fathom the thought of getting myself up in a tree for any reason! And sitting in one for hours, freezing my tail, legs going numb, ain't gonna happen.

Ground blind, maybe. If there's a chair and coffee.....

I read that earlier. Sad

At work we are required to replace the lanyard on our safety harness every two years or sooner if damaged in any way. I spoke with the safety man and now have access to the ones which are still undamaged but are simply replaced due to dates.

Each one of my ladder stands now have a lanyard which can be installed when in use. I take usually them in each time when done hunting to keep the tree rats from rendering them unsafe.

When I hunt them I shake them and make sure they are still secured to the tree before climbing. I also try to make sure that before I even step foot up to the last few steps to sit I am hooked up. I also make sure on my farm that my wife usually drops me off and is there until I give the OK sign The last thing I would want is for her to come find me in a crumpled heap. I also keep a cell phone on my person, as well as a very sharp knife attached to my harness in case I fall and need to free myself. I hope that in the worst case if I fell I would be able to climb back onto the ladder. However if the ladder is on the ground for whatever reason, I want to be able to call someone and let them know I am in trouble before I cut myself free.

One thing usually not mentioned is the fact that some of the harnesses will in fact endanger your life do to cutting off the circulation. This is the reason for the knife. The fall still might hurt, but at least I have the chance to ready myself and hopefully plan on the impact should this be the case.

The bad part is that most who hunt ladder type stands do not think that the 10 or 15 or so feet will be an issue nor that they will fall. This is what gets you in the end. Falling 6 feet can kill you falling even less can render you seriously and permanently handicapped depending on how you land.

It is extremely rare for hunters to be involved in an accdental shooting while hunting. The vast majority of hunting accidents involve falls. Either from trees or other types.

jmr40 said:

It is extremely rare for hunters to be involved in an accdental shooting while hunting. The vast majority of hunting accidents involve falls. Either from trees or other types.

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When I taught Hunter Ed we received annual accident reports from the Arkansas Game & Fish Comm. The accidents ranged from accidental shooting to falls. At least half were treestand related.

Very sad. Especially hits home when its someone in your own state or community. Even worse if it was your family. We always want to believe that it can't be us.

Very sad. I am truly sorry for this guys family. It choked me up a little read this.

I use a climbing rope. This way you are attached when you go up and down. It may be a little more of a hassle, but it adds an element of safety. Also...make sure you use a pull rope for your gear. No need to try and carry stuff up and down...just not worth the risk.

Well, I've hunted in trees and off tripods and never used a harness, but I've never used one of those climbing stands. They kind of scare me. I wouldn't trust one.

I kinda prefer sitting in my box blind (not for bow hunting) and snoozing in my office chair. Open an eye once in a while to check for game. If I fall out of the chair, ain't very far to fall.

he fell going from a ladder to the stand....as said by a personal friend on another site...

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That is always the most tenuous part of a tripod, getting my butt around in the seat after climbing up to it. I'm always VERY careful there.

I got a ladder stand this season and used it during bow season. It came with a harness. I really need to start using that harness. While I'm not real worried about climbing it safely, I could doze off in the stand. It HAS happened. My other spot has a tent blind, on the ground. I really do prefer being on the ground, but for bow hunting, getting elevated gets you closer, usually. Down on my other place, I've always used tripods. It's low brush and high grass and you need to get up and over that. Mine are 10-12 ft tripods and both need to be replaced. They're rusty and not real safe anymore. But, I'm not hunting down there this season since we got the new place in the woods.

Hell, I fell trying to get out of the back of my pickup back in 2005, and snapped the ACL in my r. knee. And it's a regular height 2wd truck! For me to go up above ground level for hunting, it would have to be a large and very secure platform/treehouse, with a staircase going up there! The thought of treestands and the typical flimsy climbing rigamarole just terrifies me.

How about buying a surplus electric company truck with one of those man lifts.

I've been using elevated stands since the first Baker model in the 70s. I still have that climbing stand although all of the wood has been replaced. You needed to do a pull-up to climb in it and you had better be in shape. It slipped on bark in cedars and cypress trees. It was/is a dangerous stand.
However, in my opinion, the most dangerous stand is a tall ladder when you erect it the first time. You have to climb it to secure the top portion and they frequently fall over backwards .. VERY DANGEROUS.

The modern 'stand-sit' climbers are very safe when you compare them to the others.

Patocazador said:

The modern 'stand-sit' climbers are very safe when you compare them to the others.

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This is very true. I hunt out of a Summit Titan and after adding the Third Hand Archery stabilizers it has to be the most comfortable, secure, and stable stand that I have ever hunted in.
I would also recommend using a rock climbing harness instead of a hunting type harness as they allow for an easier self rescue and the chances of suspension trauma is greatly reduced in the event that you have to wait for help. Just get some experience wearing and rigging them before you go into the woods, but that really goes for either type. Also as an added bonus, and I know this shouldn't be a factor when safety is involved, the climbing harnesses are much cheaper and to me more comfortable.

The rock climbing harness is a pretty good idea. I will mention it to my Hunter Safety class students next year.

My solution is that I use a ground blind. Saw too many guys, and read too many accident reports, involving in an out of tree stands, so as of right now I don't use oa tree stand.. my hunting area it's not needed. Can't say that won't change if I hunt other areas in my state.

LD

LD heres a couple of threads over on archerytalk for you to look into and maybe give your students a little more information.

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1340803
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1871492

I'm 6 foot five weighing in at a feathery 350. After buckling the ladder ona stand years ago iv been a strict ground hunter. Be safe guys.

Sad story. I understand his decision though. I think I would do the same thing. There's a big difference in being alive and living.