"Woodchucker Climbs a Tree" UPDATE!!!!!

[woodchucker]

Well folks,everyone who knows me knows that anything higher than a bar stool,I get a nose bleed.....

Back in 1985 I fell 22 feet out of a old wooden permanent tree stand.I have only hunted from a tree stand 3 times in the last 20 years.

A few weeks ago,I helped a friend of mine put up a 2 man ladder stand where we hunt. It's in a GREAT spot and he told me I should climb upand hunt out of it when he's not using it.(he usualy only hunts evenings) I am NOT going up in a tree stand without a harness,so monday night I went shopping.....

Dick's wanted 25.00 for a harness,and 49.00 for a single ladder stand WITH a harness included.....So the Woodchucker bought a tree stand!!!!!

I put the stand together at home. It only took me 20 minutes.....Hmmmmm pretty good!!!!! This morning I ty-wraped all the sections togethr for easy carrying and figured I'd "field test" it.....
I hoisted it on my back like a backpack and walked around on the back porch.(hmmmmm,carryies well) I went to set the stand downand figured I'd bend my knees and "squat" to set the stand down.....

Have you ever had the feeling you were falling backward and there wasn't a dam thing you could do about it.....As I'm falling backward and looking at the sky I said to myself....."Self, This is gonna hurt!!!!!" and then I hit the porch deck BANG!!!!! I lay there for a minute,and realize that I really didn't hurt anything but my pride. I picked myself up thinking at least tomorrows paper won't read....."Hunter injured in tree stand accident on his porch". A little voice in my head told me today is not a good day to do this.....but did I listen.....nope!!!!! I put the stand in my truck and headed for the woods.I carried the stand down to the tree I picked out and proceeded to put the sections together and put the stand against the tree.

I managed to get everything set up and I remember thing Wow!!!this thing is high!!!!!and then I climbed up.I hooked my harness to the tether strap around the tree,and CAREFULLY turned around and had a seat.I looked around thinking Cool I can really see good from up here,and then I looked down.....I DARN NEAR MESSED MY BRITCHES!!!!! I was shaking so hard,I couldn't move for about a half hour. As I was sitting there thinking "now you did it dummy!!! someone's gonna have to come down here and get your old fat butt out of this stand!!!!!" As I sat there for a while I began to think that if I tried to climb down and ended up fallingIt would be alot less painfull than having the have someone come help me down.....I reached up and unsnapped the caribeener from the tether strap,carefully turned around,and slowly climbed down shakeing all the while like a dog crappin' briars.....

When I got to the ground,I just sat in the leaves for about an hour untill I relaxed. I don't know how much use this stand will get.....but if someone wants to go hunting with me,I've got a nice tree stand thet I can put you in!!!!!

What's the moral of this story.....

Woodchucks (ers) don't climb trees!!!!!

[Hot Hap]

I know how you feel. I havn't been off the ground since about '74. I get the same feelings. Hap
PS-I shot a woodchuck out of a tree about 25 years ago.

[Stone Knife]

Chuck, how many ladder sections are there? if there are three sections take the bottom one off and try the stand a little closer to the ground, this is what I would do for my Dad when he still hunted.

[Guru]

Oh yes they do....I've seen several!

Good Luck bud

[horatio1226]

Hey Chuck, just think of it as a really tall barstool!

[Killdeer]

Great story! I saw a West Virginia chuck up a tree once, up at Spruce Knob. I'll be looking for an opportunity to use the briar reference on my buddies! Wish I could have seen your performance of "The Dying Junebug" on your porch. I will forever be the poorer for having missed that.

Killdeer  

[Wednesday Caste]

Man, I hate heights!  Took all of me to be the "fearless dad" to my 6 year old and sliding down the 10ft pole at the playground. LOL

[adkmountainken]

i really don't like heights either its just that i love the view so i make sure all my stands are rock solid! a few might look scary to most people but they will not move a bit.

[Shawn Leonard]

Chuck, you and I have had a few late night talks and me thinks it is time to climb back up there and hunt that stand!! I know for a fact that woodchucks climb trees and they ain't skeered    of nothin'!! Shawn

[Eric Krewson]

My first few trips back up a tree after my bad fall were white knuckle trips for sure. It took me a couple of years to be completely at ease again.

[3dmuzzy]

Thats funny chuck stick to the ground and have fun.I have a quick story for you I have some new land to hunt this year,so me and my cousin start putting up some hang ons.I put three up with climbing sticks 16ft High enough for me.I go over were my cousin jim is putting up stand and its about 7ft off you ground I say stick to the ground  LOL

[SteveB]

I use an ascender rope with a sliding prussic on all my stands now.

Hook up before leaving the ground.
The feeling of confidence is amazing.

Steve

[ron w]

The idea of taking a section out is a good one, last deer I got I was only up 8 feet. you could almost jump out of that stand. lol !!!

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Keep the stand and do this. Take the top pieces, ladder & seat. Should be about 5 foot or so. Find a good tree that has lots of brush around the tree, high enuff that when Your in the seat You just looking over the brush on a trail.

Cut shooting lanes or just stand up to take a shot. I use mine that way and I also use it to put my next to a climber that is used as a lok-on

[woodchucker]

Steve, I pretty much had that covered.I snapped on to every ladder rung as I went up and down. I wasn't really as scared of me falling out of the stand.....I was worried about me AND the stand coming down in a heap!!!!! Here's why.....

A few years ago a buddy of mine bought a new house next to some woods.At his old house he had a ladder stand in the back yard that he used for practice. He asked me to move the stand to a spot we picked out in the woods at the new house. I went over to move the stand and checked it out.....OK it's ratcheted to the tree at the top,it has a strap around the mid-ladder to keep it from pulling away as I'm un-hooking the top.It has a metal "tension bar" to eliminate some of the "wobble" out of the ladder. Looks good to me!!!!! Up I go..... I'm up much higher than I'd like to be (15 feet) so I'm standing on the rung below the foot platform,and I can still easily reach everything OK. I proceed to unratchet,unwrap,and cut,the 17 straps,ropes,and bungee cords that hold this thing to the tree.(He apparently wanted a little "extra" security) I tossed all the straps and started to climb down. I took one step down with my left foot and I couldn't believe my eyes.....the stand twisted to left and started to pull away from the tree!!!!! I figure this is going to be a rough and painfull ride,I quickly assess my "drop zone".....Clothes line,(probly hang myself before I hit the ground) a wooden stockade fence,(nothing like being "ripped open" buy a GIANT saw blade)and a HUGE patch of wild rose bushes,(Like Bunny Hunt size my Friends!!!!!even if I live through this,I'll never be able to crawl my crippled carcass out of there) Well Friends.....I made a 3 point landing!!!!! The clothes line got me first,leaving a lovely rope burn around my neck just like Clint Eastwood used to wear in "Hang'em High". The stockade fence got me next,ripping a brand new pair of jeans,and having 2 picket point ride up the back of my thigh ang jab me right in the left butt cheek. Luckily it was a glancing blow and I didn't get "impaled" I did have a pair of RR track scapes and my left butt cheek was the most BEAUTFUL shade of purple for a month. The rose bushes need no explaination.....anyone who has hunted Shawn's Bunny Hunt knows what it was like getting out LOL.

I took the stand over to my buddie's new house and set it in the yard.Then I called and left him a message.....You want it up,YOU put it up!!!!!

[wingnut]

Chuck,

I have the same problem, do not do heights at all.  I found that if I only use two sections of the ladders, I'm fine.  See if you can find a tree with cover about 8-10 ft up and give that a try.  Also make sure to use the brace half way up to the tree.  It steadys the stand greatly and prevents it from sliding down the tree.  Not a good feeling either.

Good Luck,

Mike

[SteveB]

Chuck - that top connection is the most dangerous part of installing/uninstalling a ladderstand because of the balance (real top heavy with me).  :D  

This is what I do. I tie a rope to either side of the seat section where it goes against the tree. Then raise the stand and hook the lower support/ standoff bar. Take the ropes tied to the top, cross them behind the tree, and tie them to the ladder at the support bar. Stand is now fairly tight for climbing.

But I then take a 12 to 15 ft ratchet, climb a couple steps higher, put it around the tree (requires a helper with a stick) and draw it tight around 8 to 10 ft up. Stand is now solid and will not twist as you go up to ratchet in the top. Reverse to take down.

I find bulk straps every year in 6ft and 15 and keep plenty around for extras and to change out every couple years. I love being up in the air but hate the climbing so have developed some routines for installation, climbing, and hunting using ladderstands, hangons with sticks and a LW climber. None really take much time or are too costly when compared to the potential for not using them. Drives me nuts to hear the lame excuses otherwise sane, intelligent hunters give for not using some basic safety measures climbing (Not directed at anyone).

Steve

[woodchucker]

OK.....Here's a question for all of you more experianced "Ladder Standers"  

On a scale of 1 - 10 (#1 being the best) how strong and stable are they if they are not perfectly level?????

I had to put the stand on a little bit of a side hill. The rt side of the seat is about an inch higher than the lefy and there is a slight(very slight)twist in the ladder.(like one side is out a little further than the other an inch or two. I climbed up one section and pulled,twisted,and jumped around.....The stand is firmly in place!!!!! I just didn't feel comfortable bouncing around on the seat,LOL!!!!!

I'm just wondering if I should move it or if it will be fine like it is.....

[SteveB]

Don't think I've ever set one up perfectly level - and I go 270#.  
I scrape the ground on the uphill side to try to get them close.  

Steve

[wingnut]

Level or close to it will help the ladder stability.  Also twist is not good, a ladderstand is not made for twist and is not as strong with it.

I try to seat the legs down in the ground some before putting mine up.  Usually I just have to stand it against the tree and step on the first step and bounce a couple of times.  In soft soil it goes to the first rung.  Sometimes it helps to be a XL bowhunter.

Mike