Treestand falls and harnesses

[Fletcher]

Over in the treestand classifieds there are a few of us offering free harnesses for those of you who don't have one. Please take us up on this offer.        

We all know hunters who have fallen; some are lucky and still walking around but others are now permanently disabled or no longer hunting or with us at all.  Please get and use a harness.  We want to see you deer pics, not your obit.  Do it for those who love you.    

[Doc Nock]

Very kind offer.  I had just a chest, not full body harness save me long ago... tumbled out of a stand and it stopped my downward fall... it hurt some, but better than the landing 20' below!

It was a climber I was in and were i t not that I was in reach of the foot part, able to climb up and onto it, I'd still have been in deep doo, but it all worked out by the grace of God, but one doesn't want to rely totally on that!

I now wear a full body harness SOP and applaud your generosity!

[Fletcher]

Thanks Doc.  These are harnesses that come with treestands and aren't the most "user friendly" harnesses, but WAY better than a trip to the ER or morgue.  

I have a couple aftermarket harnesses, SOP and HSS.  I have more faith in the made in USA SOP, but don't leave the ground without one of them on.

[Guru]

Great reminder Rick.....I know several guys that hunt out of trees all the time yet still don't wear a harness....boggles my mind!!!

[ISP 5353]

Great offer!  I hope guys take you up on it!    

[dagwood64]

Thanks for the heads up.  Just asked Brock for his, for my daughter and I. Her first year out  

[NIGEL01]

I had two friends fall out of their stands last year.  The one is ok, but other is still out of work with shoulder and back pain.  This year i sewed pouches for my flashlight, gutting knife and pull rope right to the straps of my harness so I never "forget" it.

[Sam McMichael]

I've got a good harness, but also encourage those who don't to take you up on your offer. Those injuries can easily be avoided with a bit of common sense.

[STICKBENDER98]

I hope eveyone out there uses one...but unfortunately there's some that don't.  I have a friend who is very lucky to be walking and alive. Fell 25 foot hanging a stand, got his leg caught in a fork in the tree, flipped backwards and hit the back of his head on the base of the tree.  Luckily his brother was there helping,  if not he couldn't have gotten his leg out of the tree ( no cell phone with him either).  He was very very lucky only had 4 staples to close the cut in the back of his head.  He still hunts every chance he gets but is very religious about his harness.  No short cut is worth your life.

[kykiller]

Here is my post from last season.  I was sure glad I had my harness on.

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=121488;p=1#000000

[Bill Kissner]

It's great you brought this reminder up again Rick! Treestand hunters that are not wearing a harness are an accident waiting to happen. I was saved by my harness a few years ago when a bolt in my treestand broke. I only fell a couple feet and was able to get down unhurt. We all know someone who has fallen and are either dead or maimed for life.

[PowDuck]

That thread has sort of ended. BUT I put mine in the ZGiveaway forum. Definitely a good reminder. Let's be safe out there guys and gals.

[acollins]

5 years ago my son age 7 at the time and i fell from a 20 foot ladder stand. We both had on harnesses but had just got to the top to lock in when the center support broke dumping us to the ground. Luckily I hit first and broke his fall. He was fine and I got a bloody nose and a smashed hand.  Not only do you need a harness you need to be strapped the second you leave the ground. This day scared me to death. We always wear ours no matter what.

[JEFF B]

   

[TGbow]

Originally posted by acollins:
5 years ago my son age 7 at the time and i fell from a 20 foot ladder stand. We both had on harnesses but had just got to the top to lock in when the center support broke dumping us to the ground. Luckily I hit first and broke his fall. He was fine and I got a bloody nose and a smashed hand.  Not only do you need a harness you need to be strapped the second you leave the ground. This day scared me to death. We always wear ours no matter what.

Man, thank God you both were ok. That is really a nice thing to do, offering folks a harness.
I dont hunt in a treestand anymore but I hope everyone remembers to stay strapped and secured going up the tree also.
Last year I used a stand, I had just got my harness on and moved just a little and the climber slid about 7 feet down the tree. Scared me to death but I held on to the tree, had a scrapped up  chest. I should have been secured on my way up the tree also, not everyone makes that a practice. Never hunted much out of a treestand but I look back and realize how dangerous it was...not being secured on my way up the tree.

[Hoyt]

Two of my friends have fallen from tree stands. One has a permanent limp from a broken leg and the other lost his life.

Hugh, told me he'd been sitting for quiet a while and decided to stand up. When he did everything started spinning and he went over head first landing on the back of his neck. He was paralyzed from the waist down. Still continued to hunt and kill some very good trophy whitetail. He used a 6-Wheel Drive Amphibious All-Terrain Vehicle and would pull it off the woods roads and hunt out of it. He later used a Hydraulic lift for a treestand.

He gradually lost one leg, then the other and then his life. Neither of my friends were using safety harnesses.

[heydeerman]

When you ride a motorcycle it's inevitable you will lay your bike down so you should be prepared by wearing the best gear you can afford to protect yourself.

The same goes for climbing trees. Be prepared for the inevitable. It does not matter how old or young you are, what condition you are in, or how high you go. Every time you step off the ground you are in danger of falling back to it.

If you do fall without a harness and survive, the $100 you spent on something else you thought you needed to hunt just became money wasted.

Also if you have been using a harness for a number of years, replace it. Don't give it to someone...especially one of your kids. I know it looks like it's in good shape but it was made by man and it has a shelf life. Get a new one and throw the old one away.

Money spent on a new harness is money well spent.

[D. Key]

I've got to say I was one of those that said "it would never happen to me" but was I wrong.  About 10 years ago I was hunting by myself in Central Texas and during a drizzling rain, I climbed up my single pole ladder to a hang-on stand some 15' above the ground. As I transferred from the ladder to the stand my rubber boot slipped on the wet stand and I lost my balance instantly.  Like slow motion, I fell (not wearing a harness) and my hip hit the ladder on the way down.  Fortunately, my Military training took over and I knew to roll when I touched down.  Only by God's grace did I come out of this fall with only a twisted ankle.  

When I hit, I did not know whether or not anything was broken but I laid there for a couple of minutes in the mud wondering if I had broken my back.  I started to gently move my toes, then my feet (left ankle was hurting), then my knees. After moving my limbs, I sat up and didn't feel and discomfort other than the twisted ankle.  I then proceeded to climb back into the stand (probably shouldn't have) but with much more care than the first time.

This fall taught me a valuable lesson...Use a Harness!!!  I was one of the lucky ones.  Be safe.

[heydeerman]

Originally posted by D. Key:
I've got to say I was one of those that said "it would never happen to me" but was I wrong.  About 10 years ago I was hunting by myself in Central Texas and during a drizzling rain, I climbed up my single pole ladder to a hang-on stand some 15' above the ground. As I transferred from the ladder to the stand my rubber boot slipped on the wet stand and I lost my balance instantly.  Like slow motion, I fell (not wearing a harness) and my hip hit the ladder on the way down.  Fortunately, my Military training took over and I knew to roll when I touched down.  Only by God's grace did I come out of this fall with only a twisted ankle.  

When I hit, I did not know whether or not anything was broken but I laid there for a couple of minutes in the mud wondering if I had broken my back.  I started to gently move my toes, then my feet (left ankle was hurting), then my knees. After moving my limbs, I sat up and didn't feel and discomfort other than the twisted ankle.  I then proceeded to climb back into the stand (probably shouldn't have) but with much more care than the first time.

This fall taught me a valuable lesson...Use a Harness!!!  I was one of the lucky ones.  Be safe.

I appreciate your story. I have a similar one. I did the same as you except I hit the ground flat on my back and the wind was knocked out of me. I also thought my back was broke and slowly started to move things. I was able to walk back to my truck by the Grace of God.

[gringol]

I'm amazed that there are still guys who don't use a harness.  It's really about as stupid as russian roulette.  Just wear a harness!