Any close calls? Did you fall?

[msbadger]

Hunt4fun...very glad your alive to talk about it...some nasty things have happened to ppl on those tree steps....I only use them as handles to take that last step from ladder to stand and then hang equipment from them....please if your neck and jaw remain sore for very long or you get any other unusually feelings...Go to your Dr. right away...that area of the spine is nothing to fool with...really

[Goose]

hunt4fun, I am glad you are able to relate this story with us! Thanks for sharing.
 
I took a fall not to long ago and must say-lesson learned.
 
PLEASE learn from this!

[3tail]

becareful in wet weather and make sure you have a good grip on whatever you grab.

[east_coast_redneck]

My very best hunting buddy is height fearless.  He's been hunting since he was a kid and until recently he never used any harness at all.  No matter how high he went.  He kept telling me that he's as home in a tree as a squirrel.  Even after years of badgering him to at least give a harness a try, he'd always say, "No way, it will get in my way and hinder my ability to move around."  Well, call me what you will, I showed his lady a video that I had recorded about tree stand safety and she got pretty upset when I told her that he refused to use a harness at all.  So instead of me badgering him once a week or so, he got it daily.  Day in and day out she hammered him about it.  Soon after that they found themselves at BassPro and guess what, she bought him one.  On our next hunt, I made sure he put it on and used it.  The first time in a tree about 20 ft. in the air he slipped getting out of his stand and the harness caught him.  That was 3 years ago and he's hunted with one religiously ever since.  I'm glad to say that I may have played a small role in getting him to practice tree stand safety. 

[reeper0697]

Today I was hanging stands (by myself) and I added another section to a ladder stand without putting another brace in (I will have to make one) so I FINALLY got this thing lifted into the air and it was wobbly. It took forever to get it to the tree I wanted and it was getting caught on branches, came undone on a branch one time, Just chaos.
 
It was hot as heck out and I ran out of water (not good I was getting dizzy) but I just wanted to get it up. I finally got it up and started to climb, as soon as I got past the first section (where I needed to put another brace) It folded. I was lucky I only went down a few feet (still landed on my feet) and nothing serious happened like the spikes on the stand where it leans against the tree didnt land on me or landed on the broken ladder section.
That was enough of that. I called it a day and went back and rehydrated myself.

[Goose]

Glad to hear that you are alright reeper!
 
East coast redneck- Thats a great story, thanks for sharing........I betcha hes glad you went the extra step.

[Master Freak]

Hay guys ! been at this a while! my storey is 2 bad falls and I got a little to exited after shotin a big doe I jumped out of that tree like superman ! PROBLEM! cought coat and shoulder in Y in tree seperated shoulder but I got my deer ! 1st. fall was way back when tree stand ment bailer twine a saw and some (good) branches DAD pict them! one day about 12-15ft. up mad tryangle with 3 trees and as I sat on 1 main sapport it snaped down I went tore my back up and knocked the wind out of me STILL BUILT that stand no quit in me back then!! this last FALL was the BAD ONE everone should learn from this. It happend 14 yrs. ago but I recall it often. I had hung a stand for rifle season even then I had a linemans belt for stand work used it whenever I was in a tree. So hung the stand gut some branches out of the way had it done exept for 2 limbs in a tree 20ft. away I climed down try from the ground could not reach them so I droped pole saw and started climen 18-20 ft.up I realised that I had taken My belt off no fear of hight big limbs to work with started sawin cut 1st. limb moved out a foot or so to cut the 2nd. AND DOWN I WENT!!!! graben at stuff for my life (rambo style) landed on same shoulder fully dislocated it and gut tore up by some old barbed wire but alive 1 mile from car I reset my shoulder and limped out DOC seid I was ONE lucky guy!! I agree gousebums hit me as I type this story . THE BOTTOM LINE IS TAKE YOUR TIME AND KEEP YOUR SAFTY HARNES ON!

[69Viking]

Great stories guys! East Coast Redneck you certainly did your friend a favor even if you had to go about the way you did, it worked and probably saved him serious injury or even worse!

Last year was the first time I hunted in anything other than a shooting house which are near impossible to fall out of. For my birthday in December my family bought me a very nice API Climbing stand and I used it a few times last year without a Safety Harness, luckily I didn't fall. I probably never went higher than 10 feet though because the fear of falling had my attention! I can honestly say that the stories I've read on this forum and others have more than convinced me that before I hunt again this fall with my climbing stand I'm going to have a new Hunter Safety System Vest! I've been saving up my Bass Pro reward points and I have a $20 coupon to use before Sept. 30th which guarantees I'll be purchasing the vest before bow season starts here on Oct. 15th! I've made a promise to myself I won't go up that climbing stand again unless I have the Safety Vest and I'm wearing it.

Again, great stories here guys. I really hope that the stories here help more people make the decision to buy and wear a safety vest if they don't already do so.

[hunt4fun]

msbadger:  My neck and jaw are feeling just fine now after a couple weeks.  The cut under my jaw is almost healed up now with only a tiny scab.  Theres going to be a scar, but I've got plenty of those already, so one more doesn't bother me.  Plus I heard that chicks dig scars...
 
Thanks for your concern.

[buckhunter21]

Glad you all are OK!  Something for all of us to learn by...