Treestand hunting and safety belts

[Onestringer]

I am going to tell on my self and I do not condone my actions but I am wondering who hunts from elevated stand and does not wear a safety harness?  I hunt exclusively from a treestand and I have never worn a safety harness, I always wear one when hanging stands and generally wear one when taking down stands, but not while hunting.  

Am I the only one?

Scott

[longbowben]

You are crazy, both of my hunting partners have fell and where saved by saftey harnes.Please where it for your family.

[kennym]

I wear it every time I'm up there,I fell 5' in a construction accident 16 years ago and still limp.Makes me a perfect bear huntin partner tho,eh?
 Wear it for your loved ones! Please.

[SteveB]

Am I the only one?  

I hope so!!

Is that your daughter in your avitar?
Do you love her?
Want her to have a dad growing up or a bad,bad memory?

Blunt? Yes - but that is the reality.

Steve

[imskippy]

Yeah your crazy. About 15 years ago I fell about 15ft to the ground once as I was stepping on the platform to set the stand. The stand was a homemade chain on style my cousin made many years ago. He used cheap chain and the link actually seperated and I slid down the trunk crashing to the ground. Luckily I limped away with only a badly sprained ankle. Ever since then I always wear a safety belt. I have not yet upgraded to the new vest style harness but plan to do so soon.

As Longbowben said do it for your family if not yourself.   Skippy

[ryped]

My harness saved me at the very least hurt pride Friday evening when a tree step failed.

[Eric Krewson]

I fell 20 years ago and broke my back and wrist. I had a full body harness on but didn't check my hook up. I didn't have the safety catch engaged on the snap, pulled loose when I put weight on it.

[Fletcher]

Get and wear a full body harness.  I use and like the SOP Fastback, but there are several other good ones.  Just make sure it picks up your weight around your legs, not thru the crotch.      

Don't try to get by with just a belt, it will hurt/kill you just as much as the ground.    

[BAK]

started hunting out of trees in '69.  I like using a belt for added stability, but never a full harness.

[Onestringer]

Ok Ok, I get the picture.  I have a loggy bayou full body harness I use when hanging stands.  I will give it a try when hunting next.

[Dartwick]

I have a 15' stand - I always where a belt in it.

I have a  5' stand and I dont usually wear one it in. Yes I could fall and get hurt, but I probably wont.
The truth is I work almost every day on a ladder and I dont where a safety harness doing that so it seems kind of silly to get excited when Im lower than where I work and have a softer surface to land on.

[Widowbender]

I used just a regular safety belt for twenty years...finally switched to a Seat-of-the-Pants Safety harness last year...Its a little more hassle, but not as much hassle as trying to hunt out of a wheelchair...

David

[John3]

I use a three part belt type. Granted it is not a vest harness. This belt type (wide auto safty strap) was good enough for 20 years, it still works.


III

[DeerSpotter]

In Minnesota in the colder season it gets kinda bulky with the camo, but I have on if you take and put a slit, OK OK, my wife puts a slit in the back of my outside camo coat and puts a fap on the inside so it's covered when not in use.  My HSS tether strap comes out of that slit, in that way my front buttons or zipper is not choking me.

It makes it much more comfortable when wearing the harness, and I can wear it on the inside where it is the most effective if there is a fall.  I also use a linemans belt, it is just much more secure that way, I feel my steer with a friend a mind, he hung in a tree for three hours trying to get out, the bottom of his climber fell to the bottom of the tree.  I do not do anything without my safety harness on.


WEAR IT !!!    


Carl

[Roy from Pa]

A belt is better than nothing, but they can hurt or kill you. I fell 3 feet while wearing a belt around my waist, the 3 foot fall broke one of my ribs. But that was better than what the 25 foot fall would have done to me, I would not be here.

Two guys have already died from tree stand falls the past week, 1 in Maryland and 1 in Grorgia. And there will be more deaths before this 2008 season is over. If a hunter doesn't wear a full body harness when hunting from a tree stand, he is just plain stupid!

[luv2bowhunt]

I will never hunt from a tree without one. I have nodded off too many times to take any chances  :D

I went to a full body harness with the vest setup that makes it a breeze to put on and I don't even know that it is there.

Do it for you little girl at the very least... too many people have lost their lives or have been seriously injured to take any chances.

I have a buddy that does not wear one and he looks at me like I am a pansy for wearing one... it will be a sad day at his funeral and that is one "I told you so" that I do not want to give.

Kevin.

[caleb7mm]

i ust the HSS. my huntin buddy's cousin at 18 years old fell from a 15' ladder and is now a quadriplegic. If you dont want to where a harness style get a vest. there easy and simple and dont hinder movement.

[britts]

There are two types of tree stand hunters...those that have fallen, and those that will fall sometime. The new harnesses aren't a hassel...do your family a favor..get one.

[jcprintz]

Never leave the ground without being attached to the tree. 1 in 3 treestand hunters will fall sometime and 80% of all treestand accidents are from getting into or out of the stand. Just remember that only a very small percentage of treestand related accidents are even reported, usually only the serious ones.

[waknstak IL]

Hunted back in the 80's without one. Young and foolish back then. Been wearing one for a long time now And I can't think of one time it has ever cost me an opportunity at a shot. I have a HSS vest now. very convenient to use. Do your family a favor and wear one.