The Fall From A Treestand That Shouldn't Have Happened

[WildmanSC]

A local hunter fell from his treestand about 2 and a 1/2 weeks ago.  I knew he was really messed up with a broken pelvis, 8 ribs broken in 12 places, a ruptured spleen, and both lungs and his heart were bruised.

I finally heard this weekend HOW he fell out of his treestand.  He was hunting from a ladder stand.  He had climbed up into the stand and was preparing to lift his bow.  

It was at this point that he realized that when he had moved the ladder from one tree to the next he hadn't removed the bow rope from the first tree.  So, he figured that he could reach the rope with his rattling antlers.  Wrong answer!  It was 5:00 am in the morning and dark.  

He was very fortunate, if you can call it that, that another hunter was with him in a nearby tree and heard him scream.  I don't know if he screamed as he was falling, after impact with terra firma, or both!

This was a treestand accident that should have been avoided.  Oh, did I mention that he doesn't use a safety harness because he hunts out of a very safe ladder stand?

Bill

[Mr.Vic]

Dang, i hurt thinking about that. Safety harness is a good thing. Someone fell here in Iowa but it was when they were starting to climb down. Also i had a friend do the same and he hit the ground with his harness on. Can't climb down with them still hooked to tree. Probably most falls are this way, on the way to get up or down.You think?

[BobW]

We actually installed a rope and a prusic knot on the ladder between the bottom rung and the seat level.  "Clip in and climb".  Once at the seat, regular strap is attached to the tree.

[Tsalagi]

He got lucky. I've heard of a couple cases where the guy wasn't found until reported missing and then too late.

[lpcjon2]

I work for the Medical Examiners Office and every year we have a few guest that did it their way and are hunting in the clouds from now on.SAFETY FIRST!

[The Night Stalker]

You can get a nose bleed sometimes hunting out of my stands, you might be 23 up on one side and 30ft on the down side.
I agree with Bob, climbing rope from aborist supply like wesspur and a prussic knot. Your tied in from ground to top and back down.
Do a search Wesspur blaze 7/16 and prussic knot bee line 5/16. you can learn alot from the tree people. I seen this set up attending Barry Wensel's boot camp.

[Mike Gibbs]

The bottom section of my climber didn't catch on the bark this year, and I slid half way down the tree before it did. No injury, but a lesson learned. From now on, I intend to keep my butt and other parts on the ground.

[MCNSC]

We tend to get complacent. Last week I went out for a quick evening hunt. When I went to get down I turned around to unhook my harnes and had failed to hook it up. I had put the rope around the tree but somehow managed to forget to hook the harnes to it. Kinda scarry,that is worse than not having one on at all cause I THOUGHT I was hooked up.
Mike

[George D. Stout]

All tree stand accidents can be avoided. I don't know what it will take for it to sink in.

[jcar315]

BobW is right on. Now that my kids hunt with me from time to time I have made the investment in the rope and prussic from ground to top and both me and the wife feel much better about them getting into the tree.

[Morning Star]

Rope and prussic      If you get a good system down, you'll never have to be unsecure while climbing and hunting.

You can't beat the Muddy Transformer harness, best one I've ever seen.

[Al Natural]

The number one hunting accident in the U.S. is falls from tree stands. One out of every three hunters using a tree stand will fall from the stand.  Most falls happen when the hunter is entering or exiting the stand.  The prussic knot with the rope going up and down is cheap insurance.

[Tommy Leach]

Fifteen years ago a hunting buddy of mine fell from twelve feet, we buried him three days later. I never tied off before then, I've always tied in since.
Be Safe!
Tommy

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

what a dummy

[longrange]

Hunters who hunt from stand need to make their number 1 rule is to use a safety harness or belt of some sort. There was a young man near here where i live that fell about 30 feet out a stand that he fell asleep in. Sad to say that he wasn't wearing anything and he didn't survive the fall.