Safety In The Trees (w/pics and new avatar)

[fujimo]

P.S. loved the thread- and it goy me to thinking about my personal setup- need to make some minor changes there

[30coupe]

One of my former students (still in high school) was sitting in a tree stand without a safety harness. The hang-on stand apparently only had one strap attached to the tree. Without warning the strap broke and he dropped to the ground, breaking 3 or 4 vertebrae in his back. Fortunately, the spinal cord was not damaged. He's wearing a brace, but he's walking and talking.

I chewed him out for not having a safety harness. The bad part is he has one; he just didn't wear it! I told him he'd better wear it next time but he's not sure there will be a next time in a tree. Can't say that I blame him for that. Hopefully it was a wake-up call for some of the other kids around here who hunt from stands.

I made sure to let all the kids at school know I never leave the ground without mine. Most of them respect me, so I hope I can help keep them safe by leading by example. I also bought HSS harnesses for each of my sons.

Thanks for the reminder though, Bernie. Like the new avatar too.    

[Greg Clark]

Been running my new Rescue One CDS thru the paces this season.  Really love the harness!  Fits much better than my old SOP harness and the self rescue part makes me feel very safe since I hunt alone most of the time.  Someone always knows what property I am on but not necessarily the tree, so being able to get down after a fall is very comforting.

[ber643]

Thank all of you - the responses mean a lot to me, and I love to see more and more folks really taking this subject seriously. About Kids harnesses, I must admit that I don't have any idea - I wish I did. Just the thought of a little one up there without a safety device is a scary image, and I know folks take them up. Anyone else know??? Please chime in, if so.

(Not sure if that HSS harness works for kids or not but a "hear" a lot of comments about/for it also.)

Good Lord willing, I'll surly see you and the family, Wally.

[Big Ed]

Thanks for the info!!

[Butts2]

Thanks always good to keep pounding tree stand safety.    In that first picture I see your bent over a bit. Then I observed that you have half of Ace Hardware on your hat.    Lots of pins Sir. Any really special ones??  

[ber643]

LOL - yep, it's a heavey rascal - and the "clutches" put holes in my bald (shaved) head that I never realized, until John Dill pointed it out to me one time, returning from a Baltimore Shoot. They never bother me so I didn't know about them. Now I show them - proudly - LOL The funny part about your comment is I used to work part time at Ace Hardware.

The first pin I put on it was a SS arrowhead, on the front, center of the band. Then I put one (the same) on the similar hat that I gave to my late, great friend, Barb Dumas (Quiver Girl), and she wore it religiously.

All the other pins are special (to me) for one reason or another but are mostly game animals (including Dinosaurs), Archery, Marine Corps, and patriotic related, along with my fav four states (NH, ME, NC, & WV). A lot are ones given/sent to me - some from Far-away places (Canada, Malta, New Zeland) (Hard to find space to add any new ones now - LOL)

Perhaps someday, when it's "doffed" for the last time, someone will send it to TradGang for the Annual St. Jude auction - to raise some funds for the blessed children. That would be nice, I think.

Oh, it also has a "B", for my name, and a Rose pin, for my wife's name.

(edit) I can't believe I forgot to mention the beautiful and highly prized, little hand carved (elk antler) feather that ChortDraw carved for Barb Dumas, and then her man sent to me after she passed. It is tied to the side of the hatband. That is such an important part of "The Hat". There is also a pewter bear on a small piece of leather from a quiver that Mike of CA made for Barb (and sent me that piece of, after her passing). Barb loved bears and the bear is my totem and name sake.

Learned more than you ever wanted to know about "The Hat", didn't you, Butts2 -  I wear it everywhere, except hunting -    

[Doc Nock]

Sweet of you to share the history of your lid, B.

You should put a codiscile (?) in your will about the hat going to Tarz for St. Judes...but hopefully, not for a long, long time!

We wanna keep our li'l ole mini-grunt around a good while!

[Gentry]

I sure like your hat with all of those pins in it Bernie. I bet if it could talk it could tell some stories..........

[ber643]

  I think you are both probably right - get it sent to Terry (sweat and all) and he can listen to all the lies ........ er ... stories it can tell, until it's time for the next St. Jude auction.

Y'all would be surprised at all the comments and compliments I get on that "topper", from complete strangers, or perhaps you wouldn't -    

[ber643]

I can't believe I forgot to mention the beautiful and highly prized, little hand carved (elk antler) feather that ChortDraw carved for Barb Dumas, and then her man sent to me after she passed. It is tied to the side of the hatband. That is such an important part of "The Hat". There is also a pewter bear on a small piece of leather from a quiver that Mike of CA made for Barb (and sent me that piece of, after her passing). Barb loved bears and the bear is also my totem and name sake.

(I added this post to the post about "The Hat" also just to complete the story.)

Remember to stay safe, y'all.

[Butts2]

Liked the pin history      

[ber643]

Thanks, Butts2, and for prodding me into getting it all down in one place. There has been a lot of "talk" about it over the years but in pieces. Also got me to think about what I'd like to have happen to it, in the long run. It's also been used as a receptacle in many raffle drawings on various forums - LOL

[bretto]

Your the Man Bernie.     Way to stay safe out there. I always enjoy Your posts on here. Thank You for taking the time.

bretto

[ber643]

So very nice of you, bretto.

[ber643]

If you also do FaceBook (or just visit it) you might check mine out soon. You won't believe the stroke of luck (not hunting related) I had yesterday. It's under Bernie Dunn, BTW