6 years ago today

[A.S.]

I shot a nice buck right before dark.  I had left my phone only truck, so I decided to get down, call the wife before tracking my deer. I let down my bow, unhooked my safety harness, and in one split second of not concentrating, I fell from my stand.

I had a wife and 2 children at home. I was more scared for them than myself. I severly broke my right wrist and fractured
my pelvis in 5 places.

My wounds have healed, although my wrist will never be the same.

This is just a little reminder to everyone from someone who was lucky (it could have ended much worse).

Please be careful out there!  I am never off the ground even one step now without being attached

[ssoden]

Thanks for the reminder .. going hunting with my brothers in a few weeks and always have the fear of this happening. i will send a remider to them on this ..

God Bless

[Night Wing]

With the chance of getting severely injured falling from a tree stand is the main reason I started hunting from ground blinds.

[SportHunter]

Thanks for the reminder. Good luck this season.

[LoweBow]

Thanks for the reminder Allen.  Statistics show that the transition from stand to step (or vise versa) is the point at which most accidents happen.  I'm making a concious effort to be more careful.
Mike

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Ground is safer although there are many places I need to get up in the air.

Thank you for the reminder. This is one thing that everyone knows better but doesnt use anyway.

Gravity is the one thing that is constant and everyone is prone to it. If you can fly please teach me.

Thnk you Again for the reminder.

[Tim]

Holy Cow Allen.....I never new you tried to fly.      :eek:    

Man o man that had to be one scarey evening for everyone.  A safety harness and cell phone should always be close to your chest, just in case.

Hope your enjoying the change of weather!        

Tim

[Jack Denbow]

Allen, Like you I learned the hard way. Fifteen years ago yesterday I fell and tore a 7" "L" shaped gash across my left armpit. The doctor said she had to reattach my arm. I had just bought a phone 8 days before. I would say it saved my life. Like you I don't leave the ground with out being attached.

Be careful everyone.

Jack

[Mudd]

Allen I am glad that both you and Jack survived your falls.

I made the choice some years back to stay out of trees period.

I took a fall inside my home that cost me the use of my left lung so why would I want to take a chance on climbing up a tree.

God bless,Mudd

[Friend]

Sincerely pleased that you were both fortunate and blessed to have recovered.

Before we take the 1st upward and downward step and every move in between, we would do well to hold the thought of safety as if running an undeniable flashing red light through the complete process.

Takes only one availabe second to devastatingly alter a lifetime and the lives of those of whom depend on you.

[Mint]

Wow, glad that you made it out of the woods that day. For the past few years i have been using a the HSS Lifeline on my stands. If I use my wedgelock with climbing sticks I use a climbing belt to set up and then attach my harness rope to the tree AND THEN step into the stand so I am always attached some how to the tree. And vice a versa leaving the tree.

Wishing a safe season to everyone!

[Eugene Slagle]

I've had my share of scares in my 20+ years of using a tree stand but I thank God that in all of em I was wearing a safety harness & on many occasions either saved my butt or saved my mind.

about 5 years ago I had everything ready, got to the parking spot at the right time, hiked to my tree & hooked my climber to it only to find that I forgot my harness.
Needless to say I hunted from the ground because of the fear of the just in case.

In my club it is a rule that can get you dissmissed if broken that you must have a safety harness on & be attached to the tree the whole time you are off the ground.
No exceptions, I've even made safety lines from the top of the stand location to the ground for those ladder stands.

Be safe my friends.

[cacciatore]

Allen,I am glad you are still with us to share stories and experiences.
Take care.

[A.S.]

Thanks so much for the well wishes.

Like Mint above' I now climb with a lineman's belt, then attach my harness rope before detaching the lineman's belt. That way I am always hooked up.

My biggest memory or that night was laying in the hospital bed when my wife walked in. She was carrying our one year old son on one of those baby back packs. I distinctly remember him looking over my wife's shoulder at me. I can't imagine how my family's life would have been changed if I were hurt much worse than I was.

[Eugene Slagle]

Allan;
Sometimes God gives us some life lessons, some are just nudges that give us a reminder of who is in charge &/or a mistake that could be worse, other times their harsh smacks that we never recover from.

Thank God he only gave you a nudge.

Be safe my friend.

[Uncle Buck]

I once asked a mountain climbing friend how high you need to get before using a safety rope, this man has climbed the matterhorn, His answer was 3 feet or less. His brother once slipped off his homemade ladder stand knocking it down in the process He hung for 2 hours by his safety harness untill his partner found him. very embarrasing, but at least he is alive to laugh about it- the harness saved him. I personnaly dont climb anything I would not jump off of- dedicated ground hunter for sure.

[Nook]

Glad you didn't land on your mellon.  Although it is rumored there may have been some brain damage.  It's fun to pick on gap shooters.  Like some people are challenged by uneven ground shots.  You make some deer killing strings that's for sure.  Hope to see you at the Cool Springs Bear camp this weekend.  Jeff

[A.S.]

See you this weekend Jeff!

I really need to figure out how to use all the hardware in my wrist to benefit my shooting!  

[paradocs]

Wish I could make the Bear camp; alas, life calls.  Good luck, y'all.  And Allen, glad you weren't hurt worse; otherwise, I'd need a new stringmaker.  Gonna need one for the Bushbow pretty soon; I'll be in touch.

[Sirius Black]

Thanks Allen! I have forgotten my harness before and just hunted anyway and blew it off. I was checking an older stand once to see if I wanted to use it again, and fell from it(maybe 12'). So I know the feeling of falling from an elevated stand. I have never left my harness behind again.