Tree stand safety

[Zing]

Every year I remember this and I would like to share it with everyone.  I was hunting Government land on Ft Bragg NC. About 30 years ago, I was using a Loc On tree stand with screw in steps.  I was about 25 ft up in a big oak tree.  It was time to get down. I unhooked my safety belt and unhooked my lock on while standing on my steps. I had finished lowering stand to the ground. I took a step down with no safety belt/vest connected. The next thing I know my boots were hitting the tree as my hand were also. I realized I was falling out of that tree, and being the good Airborne Soldier I was,  I keep my feet no knees together and prepared to land. I executed a perfect PLF.  I was in shock and not sure what just happened.  My wrist watch was no where to be found, my bow was laying on the ground some distance away from me. I thought that maybe I missed a step.   I climbed back up and unscrewed all of my steps still not sure what had happened.  I collected up my gear and took my bruised ego to my truck. The following week end I went back hunting screwed in my first step in and my second. I put my foot on first step and it gave way.  I inspected the step and the pin that the screw anchor was attached had come out of the hole and gave way.  When I inspected it after i fell I did not see that while thinking I missed the step.  I feel very fortunate that I was not seriously hurt and I was able to get up and walk away, knowing a lot are not as lucky.  I am a strong believer in safety harness while climbing and once your in the tree. It happens so fast and there usually is no time to get ready for the impact.  I was very lucky that my training had me automatically get ready for a landing, although not text book but it very well prevented me from serious harm.  What I am saying do a safety check of all equipment and wear a harness and have it attached at all time while climbing and aloft. I did find my watch approximately 50 yds from my tree. The strap was broken but nothing that could not be fixed. My Browning compound survived with out any damage.  I rack it up as a lesson learned.  Be safe and good hunting.

[toddster]

Thank you for sharing, as most of us have had incidents like this and was lucky.  As a hunter Education instructor here in Illinois, I can tell you it makes a difference, as through education and showing them. 

This is also the time of year as a reminder.  Now is the time to go through and check any stands, straps and climbing gear we use.   Ensure that bolts tightened, if need to paint have enough time.  Inspect and replace straps.  If you leave your stands out, PLEASE, replace the straps.  It is a worthy investment as critters chew on them and most are not UV rated.  Cheaper that life of pain.

[Charlie Lamb]

I'll be the first to say don't take your equiptent for granted. I was hunting with KennyM a few years back and had placed my hang on stand about fifteen feet up a pin oak in just the right spot. I put a safety line in the tree so  I'd be attached going up and coming down. After setting up I went back to the cabin for some lunch.
When I was ready to go out for the evening I headed out with high hopes. I parked the truck and walked to the stand.


It was going to be a great night. As soon as I walked up to the base of the tree it hit me that I had gone off without my safety harness. What to do?  Well I figured what the hell, this one time wouldn't hurt. I was soon settled in and taking in the sites standing facing the tree trunk. I'm not sure how long I'd stood there when all of a sudden I was in free fall. As I would find out the cables that joined platorm and back of the stand had rusted under their  plastic coatings. It was at this time that they would no longer hold my weight.

 Only the thick growth of limbs on the trunk of the pin oak slowed my fall and kept me from more serious injury. With difficulty I dragged my fat ass out from under a substantial pile of small limbs. As it was my back was hurting so that I spent the rest of the hunt popping pain killers and laying around the cabin.

[Hud]

I am glad my ancestors never hunted from trees, because I intend to continue that tradition

[Mint]

This site has made me a safer bowhunter. First I saw a video from Jason Samkovic on how to properly use a lines mans belt and my harness strap to go around limbs going up the tree and reading how Charlie Lamb had his fall when his tree stand cables snapped.

[Zing]

The rusted cable is one I never heard of or thought about. That is some good info, it is sad I learned about it from someone’s misfortune.  I do regularly check my permanent stands yearly. Sadly I lost all but one to a tornado in April 1st 23.  I am still cleaning up from it, we lost approx 70 acres of mature hardwoods and three shooting houses and numerous stands.  We are having to relearn the travel patterns and setting stands accordingly.  We do have plenty of opportunities for hunting on the ground with trees down everywhere.  We also must be aware of trees that may still come down.  Good luck to everyone this year.  Stay safe

[Skates 2]

Great posts! 

[toddster]

Great share Charlie, it has been a long time since heard of the chain rusting, but it does happen.  Why so important to inspect, EVERYTHING.  Many people forget a chain or cable thinking being steel last forever.

About 10 years ago, I was in a parking area, getting ready to head out, trying to decide hunt stand or ground.  A truck pulled up and out jumped a few "kids" (20 something).  They grabbed there stands and set them side and getting ready.  We started making small talk, where you hunting?  What you seen?  As we talked I was looking at their stands.  I noticed something, and asked, "you not going to use this stand are you?"  One of the young guys, said "Yes, just borrowed it from his uncle that had it in barn".  I bent down, opened the stand, and showed him, where one of the cables that had a coating on it, and you could see a bulge in it, half way up, from stand and frame.  "This is broken cable, you do not know when it will break."  He did not believe me, so with his permission, I used my knife and exposed the rubber coating, and there was the cable, frayed through.  "It will be okay for tonight, right", he said.  I took the stand to a close by tree, put it on the base, had him get on it, after a minute as he was going to say "It's fine", it broke.  Luckily, the cables from my stand was same length.  I took them off and put them on his stand.  He wanted to pay me for them, but I said, "Just pass this information down and be safe".  That was only his 2nd hunt and now he has been hunting for 12 years, and teaches boy scouts and hunters ed.  Money well invested.  Have many more like everyone, someday will share my most traumatic accident.