If you’re a deer hunter and you use a climbing stand, lock-on stand or ladder stand, then you owe it to yourself to be as knowledgeable about the stand and as safe as possible when you’re using it.
Elevated stands give us great opportunities to get above deer, scan the woods more effectively, take better shots with our bows or guns, and have a sense of confidence being 15 to 30 feet up in a tree. It’s estimated that about 90 percent of deer hunters hunt from a stand. Whether it’s a in a well-camouflaged 12-foot ladder stand or you’re nimble as a monkey about 25 or 30 feet up in a climber, safety is paramount.
Fall restraint harness systems are easily available today from multiple companies. You can get them in minimal strap versions or full vests, or incorporated into apparel. There’s no real reason to avoid wearing one because they’re comfortable, you forget you’re wearing one — until you fall, and it saves you — and they’re inexpensive insurance.
We all should know our stands, hang them on the proper tree in a secure fashion, and use a fall restraint harness of some kind. The same goes for our spouses and children, too, of course.
Check out this video from the National Shooting Sports Foundation and remember that it’s uncool to be unsafe in a treestand.
See The Safety Harness That Can Save Your Life!
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