Old GarGuy Baker Climber Incident

[GarGuy]

A recent thread reminded me of a close call I had in the mid 1980s.

I was hunting a secret scrape line far into the DCNF. I mean noone knew where I was going. Two trails merged in a beauty berry thicket with super tall pines over topping them. My plan was to come in from a marginal wind direction and lay a scent trail with Tinks 69 and fresh tarsal scent. Then climb super high so my scent would go above one trail abd I could shoot down to the other..

I got my state of the art Baker Climber on a tree. I had the over sized version and had to extend it all the way out plus lean it way up to get on the tree. Up I went with a 50ft rope tied to the stand and my bow. I Climber till well after my bow was off the ground and got settled. The tree was now much smaller at that height and the stand was quite loose. I adjusted the top piece that had a little board seat and settled in.

The story is already long so let's just say I had a huge ten come in and a stand squeak caused him to bust me at full draw. I hunted till black dark and started to come down. I lowered my bow till it hit the end of the rope tied to the platform, put my feet in the bungee strap on the bottom and rocked it loose to lower the first step.

Just at that moment, the strap broke and the base of my stand fell away leaving me hanging from the top piece. Remember I have the large version so I'm 2 ft out from the tree. I swing my legs and get them wrapped around the tree but now I'm leaning out up top. I decide I must grab the tree and bear hug I so I turn loose the Climber with my right arm. That immediately caused the Climber to jerk loose as I was only holding one side. I just threw myself into the tree as I fell. I was going faster and faster as I tried to get a grip but it was futile.

I called on Jesus and suddenly hit something that stopped me. It was the base half of the stand. The weight of my bow had caused it to tilt back enough to eventually hook it back to the tree. Amazingly it held my impact and stopped my fall.

The first emergency was past but now I'm still over 50ft high and the top of my Climber is reattached where I fell from and far out of reach. Before cell phones, I considered the fact that noone had a clue where to look for me if I stayed up there. I had to get down. I would wedge my toes under the arm and lower the stand a few inches bear hugging the tree. I have no idea how long it took to get low enough to see the ground but now the tree was big enough that it was hard to loosen the base. I was maybe 10ft up so I jumped.

I hit and rolled like a young man can. Got my bow and went home. I went back the bext day with a fishing pole and shook the base on down where I could get it. I'm sure the top is grown into a giant pine right now. I didn't care as I knew I would never climb it again. Lol

I had one heck of a case of bark rash. My shirt was torn open and my chest was a huge strawberry. Even my nose and forehead were raw from gripping that tree.

[Gumbo Man]

I only used a climber one are two times tops. Never liked em. I was a much better hunter on the ground. You might wind me but ya ain’t gonna bend me.

[SabineHunter]

Awesome story, felt like I was there. And, of course, this is all pre safety harness stuff.

[Bayouboy]

Those Baker's were death traps. I got hung upside down in one with my feet still in the straps. Lucky I was practicing in the yard with it and my brother and cousin were able to get a ladder and get me down.

[jerp]

Wow - glad you walked away. Many similar stories have turned out much differently

[GarGuy]

Those Baker's were death traps. I got hung upside down in one with my feet still in the straps. Lucky I was practicing in the yard with it and my brother and cousin were able to get a ladder and get me down.

Yep the second generation had woven straps instead of the bungee. That might have been worse as you couldn't get loose if they were adjusted right to climb. I still had buddies using them but I was done.

[jjaimes]

Wow lucky to be alive telling us this

[DaveC]

Dang what a story.

I had a few climber close calls, but nothing like those!

Falling asleep and dreaming there was a huge buck walking under me but not being able to wake myself up - was a reoccurring theme in my climber sits.
I'd finally shake awake to find I was alone.

[Double L]

Dang GarGuy you always tell the best stories. I am glad that this one had a happy ending!!!!

[Native Texan]

Great story! Thanks for sharing.

I've left a few homemade stands WAY too high in trees from back when I was young and bulletproof. Shot my first archery buck standing on a 12" square board 35 feet up in the fork of a pine...with no safety rope.
I often wondered what the loggers thought when they cut those trees down.

[MisterB]

Buddy of mine had a similar only worse encounter with his climber. This was before we used safety ropes. His climber angled under his weight when he tried to get seated and the stand ratcheted down the tree without him. He swung around wildly trying to throw his arms around the tree and down he went. Unfortunately there was a three inch stub of a limb a few feet below him and it caught him in the crotch. His grip on the tree slowed him a little in his fall. He twisted to hit the ground on his feet and landed half on his feet and half on his rear. The stop tore out more than his pants at the crotch. It tore his scrotum open. When he looked down his left testicle was lying on his thigh, luckily still attached by the cord. I don’t use climbers anymore. Fortunately my friend was ok after a long run of stitches. He has fathered two kids since then. Guys if you use climbers use a good safety system.

[sotx]

Dear Lord I was on one of those in Canada. came back the next morning and a bear had destroyed it. Told the guide, "Nope I am out lets go somewheres else" LOL

[Quackerbox]

You should go check and see if the other half is still there.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[SabineHunter]

Buddy of mine had a similar only worse encounter with his climber. This was before we used safety ropes. His climber angled under his weight when he tried to get seated and the stand ratcheted down the tree without him. He swung around wildly trying to throw his arms around the tree and down he went. Unfortunately there was a three inch stub of a limb a few feet below him and it caught him in the crotch. His grip on the tree slowed him a little in his fall. He twisted to hit the ground on his feet and landed half on his feet and half on his rear. The stop tore out more than his pants at the crotch. It tore his scrotum open. When he looked down his left testicle was lying on his thigh, luckily still attached by the cord. I don’t use climbers anymore. Fortunately my friend was ok after a long run of stitches. He has fathered two kids since then. Guys if you use climbers use a good safety system.

Reading this made my toes curl.

[GarGuy]

You should go check and see if the other half is still there.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

I might just do that