Improper use of Safety Harness can kill...

Hoss · Post by **Hoss** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:42 pm

It seems to happen every year or so and we all try to be safe and wear our harnesses when we are in the tree.Some use the big double strap harness that seems to work well. However its bulky and I know I just use a single strap most of the time...But some times we fall and these harnesses keep us from hittimg the ground thats a good thang...BUT some have fallen and become a victim of their own harness> As they hang there from a close call of fallen to the ground they try to get up and can not..The way the strap is on has got them in a fix now! its under their arms and getting tighter slowley suffocating the hunter as he hangs there..The more you struggle to get up the tighter it gets...It happened last year to a young boy out hunting with his father..His father wondering were his boy was after dark. Makes his way back to the tree only to find his son hanging from his harness an apparent slip and fall that he should have been ok from resulted in a death bacause his harness was not on right. I guess he had no knife to cut himself free..

Im no harness expert..just wanted to throw this at you guys early and make you think...
Be careful gentlemen and think of what you would do if you fell! Do you have a knife that you can get to? A plan ect....

I was out in the woods hunting this eve and this hit me.. So I had to Post!

Alaspan · Post by **Alaspan** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:54 pm

A timely reminder Hoss, and so very true. Thanks for the post. I tested my harness and safety line out this morning, a bit of pucker factor stepping off the stand and hanging out at about 20, but it works like a charm, and they're not that bad to use. Gotta have one with a climber - or any other stand for that matter.....

Woody Williams · Post by **Woody Williams** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:14 pm

Most suffocation cases are with the chest harnesses.

ALWAYS wear a full body harness.

ecoaster · Post by **ecoaster** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:23 pm

I don't use one, but should

, but if I did get one I would go with the full body. Just makes sense. They are a bit more expensive, but it's your life.

Farmer · Post by **Farmer** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:40 am

I had a close call this year while bear hunting. Things got rushed and I forgot my harness in the truck. The bear I shot hit ran into the ladder almost knocking me out head 1st. I will never make that mistake again.

deerman · Post by **deerman** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:00 am

I got a new Gorilla hang on stand this year and it came with a very nice full body harness.Also the strap that goes over your shoulder has a built in pouch with a knife in it to cut yourself down.

raydaughety · Post by **raydaughety** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:01 am

Hoss, it's strange that you posted on this subject today because I was just thinking about a friend that we lost last year, Jay. Is this the incident that you are referring to from Nov,16,2005 ? If so thanks for reminding us all how important it is for us to be extemely careful at all times, to prevent what happened to Jay. ( see below )

"I'm sitting in my office trying to get some work done, but I just can't. You see, We had the horrific task of attending the funeral of one of our members yesterday afternoon. He was only 16 yrs old. and His death was totally uncalled for. He went for a quick afternoon hunt with His father on tuesday. When He didn't show up at the truck shortly after dark, his dad went to his stand and found him hanging from his chest strap style safety harness. He was dead. . The emergency room Doctor said that he probably died from asficiation because of the marks from the strap under his diaphram. His rubber boots lay under the stand as a sign of his struggle. Guys, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE use a full body safety harness. It's not worth it. I think I'll go pick my son up from school and go sit in our blind this afternoon."

Jays been gone for almost a year now and remembering his death still runs a chill down my spine. For those of you who would like the entire story, do a search on " Broken Heart "

P.S. We had the deer that Jay killed on his last day with us mounted over the summer and given to his parents.

Normous · Post by **Normous** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:37 am

My wife and I both use the" Hunter Safety System" Vest full-body harness, only $70 at Gander Mountain. 5 simple clicks and thats it.
The Vest style is* MUCH* easier to use than the confusing web of staps that came with my Summit tree stand, even in the dark, the vest is so simple...Stevie Wonder could put it on under a minute.
Highly recommended.
Norm

LV2HNT · Post by **LV2HNT** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:52 am

Good advice Hoss. A man died a few years back, where I hunt. He tied a strap around his chest with a slip knot. He fell and it tightened up. He had no chance. He was a large man too. They had to get a cherry picker back into the forest to get him down. I grew up never using anything and I can't tell you how many times I dosed off and woke up as I was starting to tumble head first out of my stand. Luckily I always managed to grab something or else I probably wouldn't be here. Now I make sure I have it whenever I'm in my stand.

Hoss · Post by **Hoss** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 4:07 pm

Yes Raydaughety

It was that young man I was refering to....That was a bad accident..

..Heres hoping this simple reminder may save a life....

I know that I think of that young man at times and I have changed my harness practices in honor of him..I also tell my friends and check them to make sure they are informed of this..

ninepointer · Post by **ninepointer** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 4:30 pm

My new climber came with a full body harness. It looked a little complicated at first, but after one practice session in my basement (with the instructions in hand) I was ready to go. I've used it 5 or 6 times now in the field and it has become second nature. Attaching my harness to my tree in now part of my hunt as much as cocking my crossbow.

My trick (I think I might have read it here) is to put the body harness on at home before I leave for my hunt. No fumbling in the woods. That way, when I get to my tree, all I have to do is attach it to the trunk.

Ninepointer

joeumholtz · Post by **joeumholtz** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:15 pm

As a former tree trimmer that has spent some time dangling from a rope in a tree, I offer this.

The full body harness is definitely the way to go. If not then the lower body harness is the next best thing.

Throw away your single strap harness before you hurt yourself.

If you are not wearing a harness, plant your feet on the ground. Crazy things can happen in trees and you are not, contrary to your opinion, invincible.

Testing your harness may or may not be a good idea. Some harnesses come with a "shock" cord type arrangement designed to take some of the jolt out of your fall. If you test those and it comes undone, you loose that advantage when you really do fall. If you are going to test it from twenty feet up a tree, make sure you are not alone and that your buddy knows the phone number for 911.

Carry a knife where you can reach it, no matter what harness you use. I carry three. Two are on me at all times while hunting.

If you hunt alone as I do, carry a cellphone. Call your significant other when your feet touch the ground to let them know you're out of the tree. Give your SO a map showing where you hunt and if possible the GPS coordinates of your stand(s)

Just my two cents. (Sadly relegated to hunting on the ground this season.

)

tbrown · Post by **tbrown** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:13 pm

i want to hunt for another 40years. so i put mine on befor i go out. body
harness is the best

Flintlockr · Post by **Flintlockr** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 9:24 pm

Check out the Treestand Safety Video at http://www.treestand.com See how to properly use climbing treestands, Ladders and Hang-on Treestands.

STEELWORKER · Post by **STEELWORKER** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 10:15 pm

i used a full body harness for the first time this archery season, and i felt much safer. guys,.. our family's depend on us to come back home safe