I've been hunting out of tree stands for quite some time now. I've watched the ever changing market of tree stands shift for better and worse. I've also watched many hunters over the years using these tree stands. While it is true that accidents can happen, it is also true that they can be prevented. In 1988 my first tree stand was a board measuring 18 inches wide by 28 inches long with the ends notched out to wedge between two trees. I used ropes to make a ladder to get up there. I used this method for many years due to its simplicity. I've also used the Baker for years but gave it up when the new climbing stands such as Lone Wolf came out. Climbing a tree is a very physical activity which demands preparation. It also demands awareness and non-complacency. I've been guilty of being complacent myself. If you are into climbing trees to hunt, do yourself a favor and prepare in the off season for this activity. I recently got into the woods for a Friday hunt with my Lone Wolf Alpha Hand Climber well before daylight. Another hunter came in after I got set up on stand and proceeded to set up about 80 yards away in gray light. What I saw and heard was both comical and sad. This person clanked just about every piece of metal he had just getting his climber set on the base of the tree. He was using a sit and climb of which manufacturer I do not know. He made the climb up to about 10 or 12 feet. It appeared as if he gained 6 inches at a time while scraping all the bark off the tree. When he got to his hunting height, he turned around to check his surroundings and his seat climber fell down to the platform. when he reached down to pick it up, the platform twisted and he fell out. Luckily he was tied in and didn't hit the ground. But what happened next was bad, really bad, in my opinion. He could not recover himself to get back on the platform. He struggled for about 10 minutes before taking out an orange whistle and blow it. I called out to him to hang tight while I came over. I climbed up to his level with my platform so he could get on it while I climbed up to his platform and got it lowered to where he could get on. He thanked me for being there to help him. I told him that I watched him climb from 80 yards away. I also told him that maybe he should not use climbers if he was not prepared to climb trees. His response was that this was his first climber ever. He had all the right gear for after the fall but lacked the experience and preparation to prevent the fall from ever happening. Each year in the late summer, I practice shooting from a climber. I climb up, six shots, I climb down, repeat. I am no physical specimen myself, but at 49 I am still able to max out an army fitness test at the 18 year old criteria. It is not my intent to disparage tree stand hunting at all. I am simply saying that we should all get ourselves ready to climb and prepare for both the climbing and potential fall.
Topic: Tree stand use (Read 484 times)
