Any close calls? Did you fall?

[wordbird]

Yes, I have fallen and yes, I had serious injuries. I posted this link to my story in the general hunting area before I saw this. Here it is again. Y'all be careful out there.
http://www.tnhunting.com/stories/garrett/billyword.html

[shadow]

The old waiststraps, when I started deer hunting back in '89 or '90 I would use one. I thought I was very safe with it on, I would even at times nod off asleep 12-15 feet up thinking I was ok.
Luckily I never had an accident where I needed that strap to arrest my fall. That would have been real painfull, now that I think of it the strap was tight around my waist and the rope that was around the tree was just looped around it without it being tighted. I probably would have had it twist as I lost balance and went head first all the way to the ground! The good old days.
 

[Robert Rowland]

I don't have many places where I can use a climbing stand, but I did have one area that is hard to get to and had a few good climbing trees so I bought a cheap climber at Wal Mart.  I practiced on a tree in the yard and felt pretty good using it. Then I was in the woods, trying to be quiet while climbing the tree when the foot part slipped down. I was hanging from the seat with my arms above it. I had the straps hooked up so I could not lose the foot part. I pulled it back up and everything was OK after that, but I just cant enjoy hunting with the pucker factor at 100% for extended periods. Yea I had a harness on, and probably would not have gone more than a couple more feet down before it caught, but I think I'll stick with ladder stands and ground blinds.

[msbadger]

I've had my foot platform on both my Ami. stand and my tree lounge slip....... but I them secured to top section and was able to pull them back up...but thats because I had ties on both sides to pull up from....I also on all permanant stands have a eye hook that I hook into before stepping on to the stand...this hook is positioned so that when I am seated that my harness is comfortably taught...that way I never fall lower than platform and at most if I fall asleep I'd swing to the side ..wacking the side of tree

[dxthunter57]

I Almost did
i was climbing up the tree with my climber and i forgot to secure the two together and my foot slipt out of the lop and the bottom half fell to the ground and i was hanging there with the top half i was able to pull myself up and sit on the edge of the top half
i wrapped my legs around the tree and slid down and climbed back up with the bottom half
it was kinda scary
since than i have used the ropes to keep them together and i wear a sfety harness
i use the ones that go between ur legs and around each leg almost like a life jacket
that way if i do fall im not hanging from my stand head first

[hunter480]

As I had posted on the other, (better) site, yes, I`ve fallen. It was the late 2005 season, and I was climbing up into a 2-man ladder stand, put together by someone else. The stand obviously wasn`t a higher quality stand, as the places where the ladder sections connects didn`t have pins to keep them together, and I was dumped onto my back from 16 feet up, in the pitch black of early morning.
 
I knew I had lost some feeling in my left hand, but have since, just recently, found out I`ve lost some of the muscle in my injured left hand. I`m having some tests done late this month, due to the obvious muscle loss, the loss of grip strength as well as dexterity.
 
I`m lucky to only be losing some function in my hand, the outcome could have been much worse.

[4bucks]

Yes I have fallen. 2005 Late October using a climbing stand. My fall was from a whopping 2 feet off the ground. The result? a completely destroyed knee joint. Anterior Cruciate Ligament, Medial Collateral Ligament, Lateral Collateral  Ligament ,torn meniscus. Why did I fall? For starters I was in a rush to get hunting and decided not to secure my harness to the tree prior to boarding the stand. I had the body harness on just not hooked up. How did I fall? I placed the foot climber at a steeper angle than what would be considered appropriate. When I stepped on the foot climber I lifted my right leg over the seat climber bar.(so far so good) As I lifted my left leg over the seat climber the foot climber kicked out. This caused the seat climber bar in front of the seat to act as a fulcrum with my body weight. My foot was trapped under the far side of the seat climber bar as I fell. this caused my knee to bend at a right angle ( Think of looking straight down at your leg but your foot is 90 degrees to the side away from your knee!) A horrific tearing sound and then landing head first on the ground. My head landed 6 inches away from a large rock. To this day I am grateful that I am alive. The pain was excruciating but thanks to a cell phone and a friend who knew my location I made it out of the woods. Surgery and recooperation were about 6 months! If there is anything I could stress to anyone it is this: WEAR YOUR HARNESS!!! and HOOK TO THE TREE BEFORE BOARDING THE STAND! Had I been hooked in I still might have fallen but I do not believe my injuries would have been so severe. Have emergency communication! Cell phone, radio something even a whistle. Let someone know where you are! Lastly, I do not blame the stand manufacturer. I was using a quality well known stand which I had used dozens of times before. Had I taken my time and chose my stand site with more scrutiny and had I hooked in I would not be writing this. Hunt hard and hunt safe!

[Gafrage]

I had a close call one time.  I use a climber, and usually during the gun season I go up between 6-10 feet, just to get a better vantage point.  I don't care too much about scent, as they are usually running through, and are pretty much right on top of me before they smell me.

Anyway, for the story.  I was in my stand, and I heard some crunching behind me, so I turned around.  My foot got hooked on the straps that you insert your foot into on the base platform.  It jarred loose, and it dropped so I was hanging from my arms, and luckily caught.  I then, weaseled my foot through the other one, and slowly lifted my legs and settled it evenly.  Then I moved my upper part of the climber down to me.  I have since used a rope that tie the two together.  Have not had a close call or anything close to that since.

Also, the noise I heard, was a group of 5 does.  I ended up getting 3 of them, even with all of the noise.

[stormshooter4]

I do remember the days of the waist harness. How I would adjust it to see how far out I could lean in case I had to shoot in close. Not imagining what could happen if it didn't hold. Luckily I never had to test or use it that way. Now it rides under the seat of the 4 wheeler used as a tow harness for deer. A quick wrap around and tied to the rear rack.
  Another show when you watch you won't see them in harnesses either is the Drury Bro. Dream Season. I remember one segment of their show was treestand saftey, and yet in the next session, no harnesses. Duh!

[buckhunter21]

ORIGINAL: stormshooter4

I do remember the days of the waist harness. How I would adjust it to see how far out I could lean in case I had to shoot in close. Not imagining what could happen if it didn't hold. Luckily I never had to test or use it that way. Now it rides under the seat of the 4 wheeler used as a tow harness for deer. A quick wrap around and tied to the rear rack.
Another show when you watch you won't see them in harnesses either is the Drury Bro. Dream Season. I remember one segment of their show was treestand saftey, and yet in the next session, no harnesses. Duh!

 
I'm a big fan of the Drury shows and I don't think I have ever seen them WITHOUT a safety harness.  Maybe I missed something but they are by far probably the most informative crew out there on deer hunting, and that goes along with hunter safety!