Treestand Safety

[strum]

Its nearing the time to climb so I thought I would bring this subject up to heighten awareness. I think its good to start talking about it early for this reason.
Some of you may remember , a year or two ago when I purchased a HSS Harness and ran some tests.
For those who were not here, what I did was hook up my stand in the yard just high enough my feet would not touch the ground when suspended.
Oh and I had a helper..do not try this alone!!
My findings was ..its harder than you may thing to get back on the stand.
for me I found that if I got my self turned around(facing the tree) I had a lot more control. I also found that it takes some effort to get that little suspension strap hooked up . for leg relief.
I think if you have never tried this ..YOU SOULD. I feel that for me ..if I fall I have a lot more knowledge and understanding of what to do and it will save my life.
Two important things : Attach the strap high above your head so that if you fall your still with the stand not below it.
Another factor for me is :make sure that harness fits properly . youll find your HOO Hoos in a heap of trouble if that harness has em bound up
AND PLEASE PLEASE USE AN APPROVED HARNESS!!!!!
I also tested the one I had been using for 10-15 years..it was one of those kind that when around your shoulders and waist. not the legs.
what I found was if I ever fell using it I would be DEAD.

[Riflemanz]

Don't forget the 30' lifeline or you could fall going up and down to the stand.

[Bullzeye]

How high do you guys install your stands ?

[strum]

Don't forget the 30' lifeline or you could fall going up and down to the stand.

Great point Riflemanz. My tests were using a climber so for that you'll not have a life line, but I also started using those for my loc-on type stand too.
Statistics show most falls happen climbing up or down.
Lifelines are inexpensive, easy to use , and just give a good feel of safety when climbing those steps.

[strum]

How high do you guys install your stands ?

in these Ga mts you have to get up there lol.. for bow season I get a little lower but in the rifle season I may climb 40 ft or more. 30 for sure..

[VixChix]

Don't forget the 30' lifeline or you could fall going up and down to the stand.

I'm going to install these for the ladder stands this year too.

[steve rodo]

It all depend's on the canopy where im hunting ,is to how high i go.I normally don't get higher then 25ft during bow season with leaves on the tree's.Average 15 ft.When the leave get gone im going up higher.

I hunt a lot of privet's and thick stuff.So my shot wont't be no more then 15 yard's at time's from the base of the tree.

Be Carefull Climbing .
Stay away from ivy's and oak.
Anything with 3-5-7 leaves are poison.
And watch them yella Jacket's at the base of the tree's too.I've gotten into a mess one time ,stung 50 time's when i was shimming down the tree.I ended up getting a anti bee shot at the Hospital.Now i carry me a EPI Pen.

[steve rodo]

I Rarely Hunt with a Rifle anymore.The last 5 Season's been Vertical Bow or Crossbow.
The Hunting get's tougher ltr in the Season .Just have to Hunt Thickest stuff i can find with Pocket's inside .

Still gotta be at the Right Place at the Right Time .No matter what i do.

[steve rodo]

Strum .If you want i Hunt North Ga also ,Can put you on some Bear if you want to.In the Cohutta's .
We need to meet up there somewhere's and hunt.

My little Private Idaho, Hardly anyone goes too .
Lot's of Persimmon & Muscadine's .
Bear poop every where last week i went there.I've seen it 3 time's already .It's a good chance to Bag a Bear.

[Deerstalker]

This is what can happen when you don't use a safety harness. I fell out of a 16' tree stand BUT I was very lucky in that I could walk away.



Remember as strum stated TEST YOUR HARNESS when you are close to the ground to be sure that you can recover from a fall or slip.

[JPjunkie]

Thanks for caring enough to remind us and the people that are new to this sport Never can here it enough

[Riflemanz]

I hunt 18-22' up in ladder stands all with a lifeline.I'm too old for a fall now! I keep harping to my friend to start wearing a saftey belt but it falls on deaf ears!

[strum]

I hunt 18-22' up in ladder stands all with a lifeline.I'm too old for a fall now! I keep harping to my friend to start wearing a saftey belt but it falls on deaf ears!

I have some friends that used to be the same way ..they finaly listened to me ..I guess they figured if they couldn't shut me up they would join me

one time I put my wife in a ladder stand and headed up the hill ..she called me back and said it didn't feel right ..I was a little peed because I was in a hurry and though she was fine..
I climbed up with her and tightened the ratchet strap..it broke
all I could do was hang on to the tree and let her get down then I did the same. the lay of the land mad the back side a very far drop so she could have been killed. lesson learned? don't let the straps rot and replace or add more if it stays out there over the off season..

[Adrian J Hare]

What a great Thread, and I am a true believer in a good harness. Being a part of the outdoors all my life and living in tree stands I can tell anyone that accidents happen quick and before you know it your passing the stand platform. 2 years ago it happened to me, once without a harness and once with one and within 30 days apart.

1st fall was in a 15 foot latter stand with camera equipment in a knapsack on my back and when I turned and stepped down my fingers slipped across the expansion mess on the seat and I went off the stand. The weight drove me straight down and landed on my feet with my ass hitting the ground. I hurt for two weeks but my pride was hurt more and I was very lucky, but learned "Never again will I sit in a hang on with a harness". A harness would not have helped in this fall but it happened to quick and I should have taken my time.

2nd fall Its raining one evening bear hunting. At the end of the nights hunt I was in a hangon with a summit full body attached to a safety rope and P-Knot above the stand and as I stepped onto the TV tower I use to climb 20 feet, my footing slipped and I went down. With the rope set so that my knees where above the platform and the rope set that I fall into the TV tower I had no problem getting my footing and getting back onto the tower, but learned these things save lives and help you all the way.

Never will I sit in a stand without one again.

If you hunt more then one stand, make up a number of safety ropes and place them at every tree stand so you always have one there...

Great post !

[timbikeride]

A couple of years ago the bottom broke loose on my climber. I was able to grab on to the upper half, but would have still been in rough shape with no safety harness. With the harness on I was able to let go of the upper and get a secure grip on the tree. From there I carefully unhooked the harness and slid down the tree fireman pole style. I'm a firm believer in safety belts.