When we got wind of the great program Will Jenkins founded in 2011 — Harnesses For Hunters — we thought it was a pretty cool idea.

Jenkins wanted to help hunters who didn’t have or could not get a safety harness. Those of us who have hunted for years maybe had (or have!) an extra harness or vest lying around that we don’t use. Perhaps we don’t hunt from treestands anymore, or we upgraded to a new model but the older one still is fine as a fall restraint system.

Whatever the case may be, Jenkins knew hunters would respond and they did. He’s distributed almost 200 harnesses sent to him. That cost for shipping added up and, despite finding some sponsors such as RediEdge to help defray those shipping costs, it still burned through the finances.

Jenkins announced recently a new twist to his idea. Here’s what he posted on his website about the harnesses:

I had to do something different. Instead of having everyone ship them to me, then shipping them to those that need them I’ve created HarnessesForHunters.org, a FREE classifieds website where people can list harnesses to give to people locally or ship them but the focus is more local.

Cool beans. Now hunters may scour the site to see how they can help and then ship directly. As expected, Jenkins found out that hunters are eager to give other hunters a helping hand. He posted this on his site:
What has impressed me most with this program is the generosity of fellow outdoorsmen. Many people reached out to friends and hunt clubs to collect harnesses. Others not only paid to ship the harness to me they’d offer to donate money, as well. I’ve even had a few people buy new premium harnesses to give away in this program.

When I look at Harnesses For Hunters I don’t see some program I created; I see a network of selfless individuals that have fueled this program for almost two years! To all those who have donated money, donated harnesses or helped spread the word you all have saved lives!

Even better, Jenkins has arranged for hunters to get a little boost for donating. He said each person who lists a harness on HarnessesForHunters.org will get 15 percent off from Hunter Safety System, 10 percent off at WideOpenSpaces.com and also will be entered for regular giveaways from his site.

Kudos for a fine program to help other hunters stay safe.