Treestand Accident

[sierracharlie338]

Well this made for an interesting read for the past little while... I read slow .

I had a close call several years ago where I actually fell out of a ladder stand but was able to catch the platform and keep myself from hitting the ground.

I dont hunt much in ladderstands anymore but on the chance that I do, I will wear a harness. Mostly ground blinds and pop ups for me these days.


Sierracharlie out...

[Skinny]

Happened to the guy that owns Midway USA as well.

http://www.wideopenspaces.com/midway...-breaking-leg/

Wow! You just never freaking know! I’m not sure how often this sort of thing happens and to what severity the injuries are, but I’d be willing to bet it happens a lot and we just don’t hear about it.




Skinny

[RangerRick2012]

Happened to me once. I was wearing a harness and very thankful for it. It still hurt like !*#!!. I'll never hunt in the tree without one. A real learning experience (don't tell the wife).

[lovemylegacy]

I tried to read further but couldn't get past this post without saying something...


Ask your family if they would want you to wear a harness.... Remember, you not are 100% in control of everything around you. How old is your ladder stand? Are the bolts holding it together rusted? Have the welds been certified? What about the chain/binder or ratchet strap? Ever seen a ratchet strap fail? I have, and it was brand new straight out of the package. And before you say something, yes I know how to use a ratchet strap AND inspect them.

So, let's say this "ladder stand" stays up year after year... The last time I checked, trees grow and when they grow things "attached" to them move... This is unless your ladder tree is attached to a dead tree which it may as well be if you don't wear a harness...

What happens when you climb that ladder stand and you have some gumbo mud stuck on the bottom of your boot that you don't realize is there... Make it 8' up and "oops".... Something above and beyond your control

Do yourself AND MOST IMPORTANTLY your family a favor and use a harness while climbing up, climbing down and while sitting on stand... You may not give two ****s about yourself but I'm sure there's someone somewhere out there that does...


I know what I just said will probably fall on deaf ears but I couldn't not say something....


Best wishes

**edited to add...

I don't hunt off the ground anymore... I'm just not that mad at them and I do 99% of my hunting in west Texas and I haven't seen a mesquite out there tall enough or big enough for me

With that being said, yes, I used to hunt out of climbers, lock ons and ladder stands. Yes, I've hunted without a harness. I told myself one year that I needed to get one. One cool afternoon, I was 10' up in a tree in a ladder stand harnessed in. The air was cool, the breeze was nice and the sun was shining. I felt like a cat in a windowsill... well, if you've ever seen a cat in a windowsill, you know that they like to sleep there. Yup, I dozed off... I woke up when my harness caught me leaning forward looking straight down the ladder. If I hadn't had my harness on, I would have fallen straight forward and my face would have hit every rung on that 10' ladder all the way to the ground. I'm sure I'll get the "well, that was your fault I'm a better and more alert person than you" (which is the way some of the posts appear to read)....


To each their own...

He dunnin been told, he aint listening, things like that don't happen to him.

[WCB]

I teach Bow Ed and I'm also a Certified Treestand Safety Instructor. Guess that makes me an expert...

If you don't want to wear one, then don't. I do and stay attached from first step up till last step down. And I wear my seatbelt, smoke, drink, cuss and chase ugly married women!!

I will die but not from falling out of my treestand. I hope...

[CRM_95]

Ok so I always wear a harness. Attach it at the base of the tree as soon as I step on a climber. In a ladder stand I tie off when I climb up. Can somebody post a link or explain what y'all are talking about attaching to a lifeline at the bottom of a ladder or hang on?

[Skinny]

Ok so I always wear a harness. Attach it at the base of the tree as soon as I step on a climber. In a ladder stand I tie off when I climb up. Can somebody post a link or explain what y'all are talking about attaching to a lifeline at the bottom of a ladder or hang on?

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/hunter-safety-system-tree-stand-life-line?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2aGP__n41wIVF73sCh2Fowh2EAAYAyAAEgJ2k_D_BwE

Skinny

[bloodstick]

Ok so I always wear a harness. Attach it at the base of the tree as soon as I step on a climber. In a ladder stand I tie off when I climb up. Can somebody post a link or explain what y'all are talking about attaching to a lifeline at the bottom of a ladder or hang on?

The lifeline ties off at base of tree, and ties off above your stand. There is a prussic knot on the line with a carabiner. As you climb, slide the prussic knot up the rope as you go. In the event of a fall, the knot cinches down stopping the fall. This keeps you tied off at all times from the ground and back

[CRM_95]

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/hun...yAAEgJ2k_D_BwE


Skinny

Thanks!! I'll pick one up. I don't care if anybody else would miss me or not. I love me.

[CRM_95]

The lifeline ties off at base of tree, and ties off above your stand. There is a prussic knot on the line with a carabiner. As you climb, slide the prussic knot up the rope as you go. In the event of a fall, the knot cinches down stopping the fall. This keeps you tied off at all times from the ground and back

Gotcha. Watching a youtube video now.

[Ironman]

Gotcha. Watching a youtube video now.

[Jeremy7306]

I have several tripods that aren't close enough to a tree to tie off so I added a seat belt. It doesn't help while getting in or out but it will keep you from taking a header if you fall asleep or otherwise lose your balance. I just feel more confident and relaxed when buckled in. Here's a pic - it's just a webbed tool belt from Home Depot - I attached it at the back with pop rivets

[ATTACH]886850[/ATTACH]

That’s a great idea! Thank ya sir


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bloodrunner]

its not difficult fellas. Get a harness (usually will come with the stand in the **** box bro), get a frikkin rope, tie a frikken PRUSIK knot on it using a separate rope, attach rope at stand height and bottom of tree, attach caribeaner to harness, attach caribeaner to prusik, climb tree. Some of you are making it way too difficult. People have been climbing rock faces for years, figure out how they do it safely and you should be able to climb a tree safely. Gosh **** boi.

[SaltwaterSlick]

I've been following along on this thread and I must say that it seems just about any thread these days can become controversial... guess when there are so many members, that's sort of to be expected. I must say though, I'm pretty surprised by some of the prime Darwin candidates participation in this thread...

It does hit close to home for me though... CastAndBlast's grandfather was a dear close personal friend of mine whom I had hunted with for over 30 years... He was a very active, vibrant and energetic man full of life unitl... that fateful day he dozed off, and tumbled to his death... That was a bad deal and even more horrific was his oldest son went looking for him because he didn't check in at the end of the day and he was the one to find his dad... My dear friend and TBH hero Chew was there too and tried to help, but it was too late... Like Andy posted his wife, a sweet, sweet lady is struggling mightily with her loss... He did everything for her... she was so, so dependent on him... though physically healthy, she's not really been able to function since that fateful day... This man has left behind a large loving, but grieving family... He did it without knowing what he did... How anyone could post to a thread like that that they aren't worried about doing this to their family is beyond my comprehension. I pray for the sake of their families that indeed they never have to experience this senseless and preventable tragedy.

2 years ago, I had a tripod leg snap on me suddenly and I found myself on my back looking up at the clouds when I regained my senses... I had blood all over me and didn't have a clue where it was coming from except I was the only one there so it must be my blood... As it turned out, it was a finger that had been crushed between the pieces of the broken leg of the tripod... surgery and stitches and other than numbness now 2 years later, I'm none the worse for the wear... It could have been soooo much worse... When I hit the ground, I had my bow on my back with a quiver with 7 razor sharp broadheads in it. 6 of the seven arrows were snapped in two, but none of the heads stuck in me... The Tripod frame hit the ground right beside my head and never touched me...

These two experiences have pretty much made me a ground-dweller when I hunt...

You guys who don't see the need for anti-fall protection, I pray you will re-think your position.

[bloodstick]

Treestand Accident

I've been following along on this thread and I must say that it seems just about any thread these days can become controversial... guess when there are so many members, that's sort of to be expected. I must say though, I'm pretty surprised by some of the prime Darwin candidates participation in this thread...

It does hit close to home for me though... CastAndBlast's grandfather was a dear close personal friend of mine whom I had hunted with for over 30 years... He was a very active, vibrant and energetic man full of life unitl... that fateful day he dozed off, and tumbled to his death... That was a bad deal and even more horrific was his oldest son went looking for him because he didn't check in at the end of the day and he was the one to find his dad... My dear friend and TBH hero Chew was there too and tried to help, but it was too late... Like Andy posted his wife, a sweet, sweet lady is struggling mightily with her loss... He did everything for her... she was so, so dependent on him... though physically healthy, she's not really been able to function since that fateful day... This man has left behind a large loving, but grieving family... He did it without knowing what he did... How anyone could post to a thread like that that they aren't worried about doing this to their family is beyond my comprehension. I pray for the sake of their families that indeed they never have to experience this senseless and preventable tragedy.

2 years ago, I had a tripod leg snap on me suddenly and I found myself on my back looking up at the clouds when I regained my senses... I had blood all over me and didn't have a clue where it was coming from except I was the only one there so it must be my blood... As it turned out, it was a finger that had been crushed between the pieces of the broken leg of the tripod... surgery and stitches and other than numbness now 2 years later, I'm none the worse for the wear... It could have been soooo much worse... When I hit the ground, I had my bow on my back with a quiver with 7 razor sharp broadheads in it. 6 of the seven arrows were snapped in two, but none of the heads stuck in me... The Tripod frame hit the ground right beside my head and never touched me...

These two experiences have pretty much made me a ground-dweller when I hunt...

You guys who don't see the need for anti-fall protection, I pray you will re-think your position.

Very well thought out post Slick.
It was my little boy that made me decide to get one. My very first time using it very likely saved my life. 20 foot is a long way to tumble unconscious or otherwise


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk