I was on duty for about an hour today when I got a call about a deer hunter hanging from a tree. He had called our dispatch and gave a location. We finally located him and with the help of the local FD and another hunters climbing stand we got him down safely.
The pin from the stand came loose and the bottom feel away from him. As he fell he knocked the handclimber down the tree. He told us that within a few minutes he lost felling in his legs. He also told me that was the most uncomfortable 30 minutes in his life.
As we were walking out I told him it was great walking him out of the woods compared from carring him out on a backboard. He agreed!!!
Just as a reminder to all, once a safetyharness has been used in a situation like that, it is recommended to throw that harness away and get a new one.
Good advice. I never am in a tree without it.
Nice reminder 702plmo. A good story with a better ending.
I just bought a Loggy Bayou Transformer harness and really like it. Maybe a little pricey but well made and very easy to use so there's no excuse NOT to use it. As the saying goes.
Harness cost - $80.00
Cost of preventing fall - Priceless.
Great to hear he is OK. I would also suggest picking up a Linemans Belt if you are using a hang on stand with a ladder of some sort. Help in climbing the tree and hanging the stand. Mine also came with a short lenght of rope with a loop on each end. One loop hooks into the safety strap on the tree and the other is big enough to step into and take the weight off your harness if you end up hanging from it.
Jimmy. thanks for the reminder.
I had a good friend from MN. this year climb into his stand with his wife, as they have been doing for years now.
The fellow leaned over to reach something and the double stand colapsed with both of them in it.
They fell about 13ft.
He has a compound fractor of the leg and she has 5 broken ribs and a punctured lung.
Bad fall for both.
He was in traction for 3 weeks and she has had a couple returns to the hospital.
Be Safe
Bucksnort101,
That is good advice about standing on the other loop thereby taking some of the weight off if your hanging.
Guess the cell phone helped too! 30 minute response..not bad!
Great advice!
I just started using an ascention line this year. Been wearing a full body harness for years. I think they are called "lifelines" in the catalogs. Hunters Safety Systems sells em for about $40. Consists of a line that stays in the tree and goes all the way to the ground. Hook into the Prussic knot on the ground and climb up. You are connected all the way up and back down. Priceless piece of mind.
I havent figured out how to use the line with a climber yet. They work great with hang ons though.
BP
Don't just wear a harness, wear it properly.
Harneses that are not worn properly can cause severe damage in a fall or even death.Snug up those straps, and keep the slack in the tether to a minimum. Always tie off above you to minimize the drop.
curious if anyone uses the prusik not for a climbing rope and attach it to your harness?
If so how do you have it set up?
I've seen it done, looking for some details on it.
AkDan,
Not sure I follow what you are asking. Do you mean using it as I tried to describe above, or as the attachment to the tree once you are in the stand? Or something else.
BP
Sorry Brian,
I didn't see that post of yours, oops.
Yup, wondered if you could stay attached to this when you're on stand also. I know about ascending and descending with them. Are you in a harness or a vest when using this? The body to rope hook up part is the confusion we were having.
Trying to get this info to my lil bro. He's deathly afraid of treestands and neither of us cared for the two harness's that came with the stands I bought while I was home.
Not all fall stories have such a nice ending. I have a friend who fell from a stand and we found after dark sitting at the base. To this day we have no idea what happened and his mental state was reduced to that of a child. That was 20 years ago...
Jfish you are right, too many do not have good endings.
I our area we have more hunters injured due to treestand accident than all other hunting accidents. In our hunter ed classes we put special emphasis on using harnesses and using them properly
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=82711
i just purchased a climbing stand. it came with a dvd as they all do. one of the suggestions was to keep some tree steps handy and a linemans belt. in case you cam out you put the steps in and hook up the belt until you were able to be helped. also keep the cell phone handy
AkDan,
I put my harness on at the truck before I go in to my stand. Once there, I attach the carabiner on my harness tether to the prussic knot on the "lifeline". As you climb up, just slide the prussic knot up as well. Step onto the stand and slide the knot up to where you feel a bit of tension pulling on your harness as you set down on your seat.
The prussic knot is tied with a loop on it for attaching your carabiner to. Quick, easy, and secure.
The lifeline comes with good instructions for its use. Cheap insurance to use this set up. Give you piece of mind as well if your not so good with heights. The older I get, the lower I hunt LOL
BP
THanks Brian,
I passed this to my lil bro. Gonna try and find this harness for him.
The story is also a good argument for carrying a cell phone with you.
James,
You are so very right. Just two weeks ago we had a bow hunter in the ER whose father found him at the base of a tree. My CT scan revealed several broken ribs, a punctured lung, a ruptured spleen and mutiple pelvic fractures. This fella isn't going to be in the woods again this season. When you do what I do for a living one, all too often, gets to see the results of human foolishness. Tree stands w/o a saftey harness is one... :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
John McCreary RTR
As many have stated, statics show that more hunters are injured from falling each year than any other hunting injury. Studies show that unless you are wearing a full body harness (correctly) you stand a high chance of severe injury if you fall. Further more, if you wear a half harness (like me) or worst just a belt you may only have seconds before you run out of air. With that said, the phone is good, if you have a signal and can call someone that can get to you within time. Many use radios but thats only good if you have a partner near by and if you can reach it while hanging there. Many including myself wear a knife on their belt just in case they have to choose plan "B". However, there is one additional safety precaution that is cheap, doesn't take up any room and would always be there. A Whistle. I have been thinking about this and discussed it with a hunting partner during a recent trip to the mts. I have a small flat plastic whistle that I have always carried in my pack but decided to recently move it to my harness. It is small (2 inches long) flat, weights nothing but can easily make a lot of noise. I'm thinking if I heard a whistle blowing I would surely go look? It would really suck to fall and be hanging there (dying) only to learn that someone was hunting on the very next ridge but couldn't hear you yelling. I think I will be picking up whistles for all the guys I hunt with. You can tie/tape them on the front of your harness and it will always be there should the need arise. If any of you are hunting and hear a whistle blowing real loud please come look.
i hunted for many years without a safety harness - my own stupidity and hardheadedness. after i bought a hunter safety system harness i never leave home without it. bought the linemans rope for much easier and safer trestand hanging. safety first
I started using a Treesuit this year. After a little trial and error and bumbling I feel so much safer than I did in my gorilla seat.
I responded to another call of deer hunter that had fallen out of his stand. He was pretty banged up. He had to take a ride in the ambulance to our local ER. I did not follow up on the case . Looked like some type of back injury and possible some internal injuries.
Im not a Dr. but I could tell the guy was in major pain.
The summit stands come with a harness that uses a Carabiner or a "rams horn" hook to attach to the prussic loop on the tree line. I hook it up at the base of the tree and climb up and down with it, repositioning every two "squats" up or down. I'm pretty religious about it now, especially after a couple close calls. I just bought a 20' line to make a ascension line for use with my hang-on stand and tree steps. Its a great system.
I still wear the old type belt, I hate um, never did like to be strapped in. I well know it's stupid not to wear a harness but there are still times I don't. I still remember in the 60's falling asleep 12' up---woke up 6 inches from the ground I think it took me an hour to get to my feet.Been thinking about the fall guy system, any one use one? Always wear a harness when in a treestand--don't be stupid "like me"
Honestly; I don't wear my harness all the time.
I go back to the baker suicide stand days; these modern stands feel safer than standing on the ground.. ( I know ).
I have more trouble with safety: when I am climbing up and down the tree; and when I am putting the steps in and stand up.
I use a stand for bears; and the trees that work are spruce or fir; and have limbs the whole way up. A climber is totally out of the question.
I have used the harness and then the strap around the tree when putting the stand on; but honestly; if I am climbing the tree; the only chance I have is to put the carabiner for the harness on the treesteps as I go up and down.
I have dang near fallen trying to attach and unattach the belt around the tree when I come to branches... and feel safer just not using the belt part of the harness at all.
Are you guys using this 'lifeline' with trees that have branches on them as you go up; or on slick trees?
I am errrrrrr up for grabs on how to climb safely; but I do not feel safe at all- trying to take on and off a safety belt- while climbing up and down.
I pick trees with smaller trees in front that I can in theroy jump onto if I have too. I have had times when bears were pounding on the bottom of my stand or crawling in with me; and I do not have any desire to be a pinata. I have jumped to smaller trees and climbed down a few times- and its a good way to injure yourself ( talk about a belly burn). But it beats falling to the ground.
I know one guy who fell getting out of the stand at night and woke up hanging by his chin on a treestep the next morning.
That was inspirational.
When you fall- it happens REAL fast !!
Seems like the time getting into the stand and out are the most dangerous.
Whats the best way to be safe getting in and out of trees with branches all the way up ?
Brian, the recommended procedure (as I understand it) is to use TWO lineman belts, to move around those limbs you are talking about..
You put one belt ABOVE the limb, secure it to yourself, and then safely remove the other belt.
You are always connected to the tree. Reverse the procedure for descending.
When it comes to safety, I like back up systems, and can't afford to fall out of a tree, as I have people at home counting on me.
Good luck.
Another hunter fell this weekend in Indiana. He wasn't so lucky and is dead. Dead.
QuoteSouth Haven -- A hunter died on the second day of the firearms deer season when he fell 20 feet from a tree stand in Northwest Indiana.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Gene Davis said Allen Loftis, 48, South Haven, was found dead at the foot of a tree Sunday night. His gun was still hanging in the tree.
A family member found Loftis' body.
Davis said Loftis was hunting alone and wasn't wearing a harness in the tree stand.
Davis said falls from tree stands were the leading cause of hunter deaths last year.
Two areas of emphasis:
"wasn't wearing a harness in the tree stand" "A family member found Loftis' body." Peace,
John
I can't understand how a guy reads something like that, and then chooses to NOT wear one.
Stay safe.
I don't have a copy of the paper, but another reason to waer onr. A hunter near Hayward WI. was in a stane by a corn field. A bear with 2 cuds came along and stop close to his tree. He tried to scare them away. One of the cubs got sared alright and climbed the tree passed him. It started crying and mom came to the rescue. He said she kept trying to pull him out of the tree, but he had a safty harnes on. He thout if she could have gotten him to the ground he would not have made it. He still sent severl days in the hospital. It happened a month or two ago.
J.D.
Maybe I should check my spelling before I add reply.
Wearing a safety belt in the stand is A NO BRAINER!
If you've got NO BRAIN, NO REGARDS FOR YOUR FAMILY AND THE POOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO CLEAN UP THE MESS WHEN YOU GO SPLAT. THEN WE CAN'T HELP YOU! GOD GAVE IT TOO YOU - USE IT!!!!!!!!!!
I found a guy lying under his stand who had been there for 18 hours in late November. He probably would have died had I not found him. I DON'T CARE TO REPEAT THAT EVENT AGAIN.
Lets brighten up folks, you know who you are.
AKDan: I use a prussic knot and climbing rope system made by Summit that keeps you attached to the tree AT ALL TIMES.It's a great system that realy works.I say this from personal experience.
JD- exactly what I meant by the pinata effect. That is why I put a stand where there is a smaller tree to jump to and get down fast. Where I am cell phones will not work; so that is out as an option.
I have had cubs do the exact same thing; and had sows TRY to do the same to me. I jumped to the next tree and let things sort themselves out; but oh yeah; its not easy or lacks pain.
I still do not understand how a prussic know works; how I can get around branches coming off the main part of the tree as I go up.
a prussic holds tight when it is under tension, then slides easily when the tension is released. So if you had one rope tied off to a branch over your stand, you take another short piece of rope that is a continuous loop and tie the prussic to the long line, clip that to your harness. then just climb your branches and slide the prussic as you ascend or descend. if you fall the prussic will hold tight. this is a case where a picture is worth a thousand words. much simpler than i have made it sound.