Any close calls? Did you fall?

[stormshooter4]

That's what I thought too. Treestand saftey. But many times I see them or others on their show without the telltale strap sticking out above the collar. Unless they're using something we don't use for a harness.

[hunter480]

ORIGINAL: 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.

 
Wear your safety vests, harnesses, or whatever else you use, it`s critical.
 
I`ve met with a hand surgeon, and after an MRI on Mondasy, they`re going to schedule surgery on my left hand. Fortunately, I write, and more importantly, shoot, right-hand dominant.
 
Lol, and they don`t know yet, but I`m not letting them schedule surgery `till Indiana`s muzzleloader season eneds, the Sunday before Christmas.
 
[;)]

[Big Buck Daddy]

1) I have a friend (a paramedic) who STILL refuses to wear any kind of harness.  He knows what can happen and he's seen what has happened but still refuses.  I pray nothing happens to him to teach him a lesson.
 
2) My first Northern Wisconsin big-woods hunt I was placed in a large pine on a hang-on stand.  It was pitch black, I was walked out to the tree and told to get in as quietly as I could and then off he went.  Every step up the tree was different, a screw-in step, a spike, and even one of the tree's branches.  It wasn't until first light I realized how high up I was and MORE IMPORTANTLY, that I didn't have any kind of harness at all.
 
I went out and bought the HSS harness when it was new, before the nice mess styles they have now.  I havn't fallen (yet) but I intend to wear the harness for the rest of my life!!!

[hh23viking]

A couple of close calls, but never have I fallen. Thank God. My advice is get the HSS vest and don't take it off. They're vented to stay cool for early season,quiet,and comfortable. The Pro model has great pocket space for all your stuff as well...$134.00 at Dicks=priceless..
Best money you'll ever spend

[8uck5nort]

Last year I wore a strap harness once, set tether too low and cost me a shot on buck. Swore I'd never wear one again. A week after that I almost fell out cause I started to doze, caught myself as I was going over.
 
Before season started I bought a HSS style vest. I always wear it and take a little extra care in setting the teather properly not to repeat what happened last year.
 
In addition I found a new use for the vest it comes with a Ring on the back and clip/strap to double as a deer drag. Very handy when alone dragging a fat doe/buck out of the woods.

[jonny5buck]

my dad has a couple of permanent 'homemade stands' old wood ladders he either found or made.one of we dubbed the nose bleed stand i took a nice buck outta it ,but was scared to death while in it.it was simply 2x6 and scrap plywood no railing and the ladder was 28 ft of shear terror! while climbing up  2yrs ago ,about 15ft. up one of the rungs snapped,WHACK,the hair on my whole body was standing on end,there was absolutely NO TIME TO RE-ACT. i was standing on the next lower rung, and remember the sensation .I SLOWLY CLIMBED BACK DOWN,CHECKED MY PANTS,AND WIPED THE SWEAT OFF MY HEAD.while on the ground i looked up at the broke rung, and thought what could've happened.AFTER SHOWING DAD ,AND TALKING ABOUT IT,WE TORE DOWN EACH LADDER AND AS MUCH OF THE STANDS AS POSSIBLE!PERMANENT STANDS R DANGEROUS,THEY R SUBJECT TO THE ELEMENTS OF MOTHER NATURE YEAR ROUND,A TREE NEVER STOPS GROWING--EVER! YOUR NAILS OR SCREWS R BEING SLOWLY PULLED OUT YEAR AFTER YEAR!-EVEN YOU GUYS WHO LEAVE LADDER OR PORTABLES UP ALL YEAR NEED TO B AWARE OF THIS-THATS Y YOUR STRAP IS SOO TIGHT WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR STAND DOWN.DONT LEAVE YOUR STAND OUT IN THE ELEMENTS ALL YEAR,ITS EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING BIG TIME-WEAKING WELDS,RUSTING,STRAPS FRAY,RATCHETS MALFUNCTION--ETC. ETC.ETC.---[8|] 5BUCK

[ranwin33]

ORIGINAL: jonny5buck

my dad has a couple of permanent 'homemade stands' old wood ladders he either found or made.one of we dubbed the nose bleed stand i took a nice buck outta it ,but was scared to death while in it.it was simply 2x6 and scrap plywood no railing and the ladder was 28 ft of shear terror! while climbing up  2yrs ago ,about 15ft. up one of the rungs snapped,WHACK,the hair on my whole body was standing on end,there was absolutely NO TIME TO RE-ACT. i was standing on the next lower rung, and remember the sensation .I SLOWLY CLIMBED BACK DOWN,CHECKED MY PANTS,AND WIPED THE SWEAT OFF MY HEAD.while on the ground i looked up at the broke rung, and thought what could've happened.AFTER SHOWING DAD ,AND TALKING ABOUT IT,WE TORE DOWN EACH LADDER AND AS MUCH OF THE STANDS AS POSSIBLE!PERMANENT STANDS R DANGEROUS,THEY R SUBJECT TO THE ELEMENTS OF MOTHER NATURE YEAR ROUND,A TREE NEVER STOPS GROWING--EVER! YOUR NAILS OR SCREWS R BEING SLOWLY PULLED OUT YEAR AFTER YEAR!-EVEN YOU GUYS WHO LEAVE LADDER OR PORTABLES UP ALL YEAR NEED TO B AWARE OF THIS-THATS Y YOUR STRAP IS SOO TIGHT WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR STAND DOWN.DONT LEAVE YOUR STAND OUT IN THE ELEMENTS ALL YEAR,ITS EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING BIG TIME-WEAKING WELDS,RUSTING,STRAPS FRAY,RATCHETS MALFUNCTION--ETC. ETC.ETC.---[8|] 5BUCK

Congratulations on taking out the wood stands - they are an accident waiting to happen.  With the cheap cost of ladder and hang on stands today it just doesn't make any sense to risk life and limb using a wooden stand.

[shadow]

I'm glad you didn't get hurt and that your dad is wise enough to get rid of the stands and not just repair them.
 
I remember my dad climbing an old wooden ladder against an apple tree back in the '70's. Luckily he wasn't hurt, but 2 of the rungs broke on him while he was climbing. That was a bit scary for me and I can recall the look on his face, it was frightening for him too.

[HoneyHole]

I won't climb a tree unless I do it in the daylight first. I tried clinbing a buddy's tree one in the dark, never being in it before, and got about 10 or 12' up and grabbed onto a dead branch I thought was a step. I slid about 2 or 3 feet, in the dark, until my hand caught another step. For now on, I clear EVERY branch that wont support my bu++. 

[hunt4fun]

I just fell for the first (and hopefully last) time Friday while hanging a stand.  I made the stupid mistake of stepping on a pine tree branch about 8 ft up.  As soon as all my weight was on it, it snapped and I was on the ground in an instant.  Luckily I fell on my feet, but I was leaning back a bit and went to my back right after.  The fall didn't really hurt, but when the branch snapped I cought the bottom of my chin on the tree step I had just screwed in.  I have a pretty big gash under my chin right now and my jaw and neck are sore.  It could have been a lot worse, and I thank God that it wasn't.  I will never trust a tree limb again and plan on using my hunters safety system harness religously for now on.  The only thing you can do is learn from situations like these and try to make a positive out of a negative.