I am going to tell on my self and I do not condone my actions but I am wondering who hunts from elevated stand and does not wear a safety harness? I hunt exclusively from a treestand and I have never worn a safety harness, I always wear one when hanging stands and generally wear one when taking down stands, but not while hunting.
Am I the only one?
Scott
You are crazy, both of my hunting partners have fell and where saved by saftey harnes.Please where it for your family.
I wear it every time I'm up there,I fell 5' in a construction accident 16 years ago and still limp.Makes me a perfect bear huntin partner tho,eh?
Wear it for your loved ones! Please.
QuoteAm I the only one?
I hope so!!
Is that your daughter in your avitar?
Do you love her?
Want her to have a dad growing up or a bad,bad memory?
Blunt? Yes - but that is the reality.
Steve
Yeah your crazy. About 15 years ago I fell about 15ft to the ground once as I was stepping on the platform to set the stand. The stand was a homemade chain on style my cousin made many years ago. He used cheap chain and the link actually seperated and I slid down the trunk crashing to the ground. Luckily I limped away with only a badly sprained ankle. Ever since then I always wear a safety belt. I have not yet upgraded to the new vest style harness but plan to do so soon.
As Longbowben said do it for your family if not yourself. Skippy
My harness saved me at the very least hurt pride Friday evening when a tree step failed.
I fell 20 years ago and broke my back and wrist. I had a full body harness on but didn't check my hook up. I didn't have the safety catch engaged on the snap, pulled loose when I put weight on it.
Get and wear a full body harness. I use and like the SOP Fastback, but there are several other good ones. Just make sure it picks up your weight around your legs, not thru the crotch. :scared:
Don't try to get by with just a belt, it will hurt/kill you just as much as the ground. :readit:
started hunting out of trees in '69. I like using a belt for added stability, but never a full harness.
Ok Ok, I get the picture. I have a loggy bayou full body harness I use when hanging stands. I will give it a try when hunting next.
I have a 15' stand - I always where a belt in it.
I have a 5' stand and I dont usually wear one it in. Yes I could fall and get hurt, but I probably wont.
The truth is I work almost every day on a ladder and I dont where a safety harness doing that so it seems kind of silly to get excited when Im lower than where I work and have a softer surface to land on.
I used just a regular safety belt for twenty years...finally switched to a Seat-of-the-Pants Safety harness last year...Its a little more hassle, but not as much hassle as trying to hunt out of a wheelchair...
David
I use a three part belt type. Granted it is not a vest harness. This belt type (wide auto safty strap) was good enough for 20 years, it still works.
III
In Minnesota in the colder season it gets kinda bulky with the camo, but I have on if you take and put a slit, OK OK, my wife puts a slit in the back of my outside camo coat and puts a fap on the inside so it's covered when not in use. My HSS tether strap comes out of that slit, in that way my front buttons or zipper is not choking me.
It makes it much more comfortable when wearing the harness, and I can wear it on the inside where it is the most effective if there is a fall. I also use a linemans belt, it is just much more secure that way, I feel my steer with a friend a mind, he hung in a tree for three hours trying to get out, the bottom of his climber fell to the bottom of the tree. I do not do anything without my safety harness on.
WEAR IT !!! :knothead:
Carl
A belt is better than nothing, but they can hurt or kill you. I fell 3 feet while wearing a belt around my waist, the 3 foot fall broke one of my ribs. But that was better than what the 25 foot fall would have done to me, I would not be here.
Two guys have already died from tree stand falls the past week, 1 in Maryland and 1 in Grorgia. And there will be more deaths before this 2008 season is over. If a hunter doesn't wear a full body harness when hunting from a tree stand, he is just plain stupid!
I will never hunt from a tree without one. I have nodded off too many times to take any chances :D
I went to a full body harness with the vest setup that makes it a breeze to put on and I don't even know that it is there.
Do it for you little girl at the very least... too many people have lost their lives or have been seriously injured to take any chances.
I have a buddy that does not wear one and he looks at me like I am a pansy for wearing one... it will be a sad day at his funeral and that is one "I told you so" that I do not want to give.
Kevin.
i ust the HSS. my huntin buddy's cousin at 18 years old fell from a 15' ladder and is now a quadriplegic. If you dont want to where a harness style get a vest. there easy and simple and dont hinder movement.
There are two types of tree stand hunters...those that have fallen, and those that will fall sometime. The new harnesses aren't a hassel...do your family a favor..get one.
Never leave the ground without being attached to the tree. 1 in 3 treestand hunters will fall sometime and 80% of all treestand accidents are from getting into or out of the stand. Just remember that only a very small percentage of treestand related accidents are even reported, usually only the serious ones.
Hunted back in the 80's without one. Young and foolish back then. Been wearing one for a long time now And I can't think of one time it has ever cost me an opportunity at a shot. I have a HSS vest now. very convenient to use. Do your family a favor and wear one.
I don't wear one. I have fallen three times. The first time I fell was when I had a junk stand. I stepped on the platform and it came out from under me. I was not injured. I suppose I fell about 10 feet. The second time I fell was from about 8 feet while climbing down. I don't know what happened but I have a 6" scar on my chest from a treestep. The last time I fell a grouse was roosted in my stand, when I got eye level he flushed and I fell about 15 feet and hit branches all the way down. I was pretty sore but okay. Once I am in the tree there is no way I am going to fall out. When someone invents a restraint system that is sensible for ascending and descending a tree I will buy one. My recommendation is not to hunt any higher than you feel comfortable falling.
They are already invented. If you leave your stand up, there is at least one system that is easy as heck and works from ground to stand and back. If you take it down each day there are still decent systems around.
Without going into too much detail, I have experience with treestands, treestand safety and wearing "safety belts" I have been hanging from mine well over two dozen times. This during classes and training sessions. We ended up making a video so I could "retire".
I am not selling anything, except maybe my experiences. Wear something and wear it right (learn what right is).
A belt is better than nothing, but not much better. Get a full body harness and figure out a system for using it and putting it on easily.
I have come out of stands numerous times, on purpose and in controlled manners and I guarantee you I would much rather have an incident with a full body harness on than with a belt on.
Falling while wearing a belt alone will probably end up with a broken rib(s) and maybe more.
With good luck, you will wear it but never need it. With bad luck.... well it was nice knowing you.
ChuckC
This reminded me of a kid I went to school with who lost his father back in high school. He had shot a 7 point and was climbing down out of the tree with his stand on his back. Must have slipped on a step and fell to the ground braking his back and broke a few ribs which punctured his lungs. Search and rescue found him the next morning after searching for a few hours.
Also a reminder to always let your friends and loved ones know exactly where you'll be incase of an emergency.
A very good friend of mine fell out of a stand and while he can walk to some degree, he has no feelings below his chest. He sorta swings his legs to sorta walk...
I wear a Sneaky Sack as my safety system right now. I also take extreme care climbing in or out, and ALWAYS have three contact points (one hand, two feet...or...two hands, one foot) while mounting or dismounting. But I sometimes wonder with the extra effort some folks go through to stay tied in WHILE climbing up or down, if all their fiddling around with the connection during the climb doesn't actually make them MORE prone to falling?
The older I get, the more I prefer climbing sticks or ladder stands to screw-in tree steps. And some will surely disagree with me on this, but I also like stands in cedars which have frequent large branches in which to climb the tree. I trim out just enough that I can climb up using good, strong, live branches and again always employ three points of contact and go SLOW.
QuoteMy recommendation is not to hunt any higher than you feel comfortable falling.
People have been paralyzed falling 5 ft.
After 3 falls with no injuries, I would feel I was on borrowed time.
My recommendation is don't wear one if you are comfortable with hoping someone wipes your butt.
Or if you are comfortable with someone having to tell your wife/kids/loved ones that you won't be coming home cause your'e laying at the base of a tree with a broken neck and bones sticking out your legs.
Steve
I'm gonna thump you on the back of the head next time I see you, Scott.
I've not looked into them in a long time.
Hunt in stand about 10-15 times a year. The rest is blinds or just sitting.
Last time I had looked at them the vests were just starting to be popular.
Here's my question:
What's your guys' plan when you DO fall? Just dangle there and hope you can pull yourself up? (Obviously a lot easier with a ladderstand.)
I figured it was a 50/50 if and when I fall between taking chances on a fall or take my chances on being strung up by breeches. Both can do damage...one just takes longer to do its work.
I normally don't go past 12'-15'. Just enough to get above the the undergrowth and above the immediate line of sight.
Here is a real quandry yes I use a saftey harness hanging stands but while sitting in the stand I do not wear a saftey belt I do not go over 12ft and the thought of hanging from my harness and not being able to cut myself down is a sure way to die it only takes mins to loose all strenth and not get your self cut down after a fall. I will take my chances as a fall is not allways fatal
Its silly to not play it safe. Most hard lessons are learned from the "Oh, that will never happen to me" crowd. Two types of people, 1) have had accidents. 2) are gonna have accidents. BE SAFE!!!
An idea of what will appear in your local paper should you not survive a fall, choice seems pretty simple to me...
web page (http://wjz.com/local/tree.fall.2.824553.html)
Safety belts aren't sexy, but neither is being fed through a tube.
Do you have a death wish, or just want to get into the wheelchair races!!!! GET A FULL BODY HARNESS you won't even know you have it on.
I have worn a safety harness for years and years without ever falling.......until this year. I was just starting to come down with my climber when one of the bolts in the seat climber broke. I was of course facing the tree and fell backward. I had not lowered my harness and it was still attached pretty high above me. This kept me from falling completely away from the bottom platform. I still had a hard time getting back upon the stand.
After finally getting back on the bottom part of the stand, the seat climber was useless and I removed it and tossed it to the ground. Now I weigh 280 and am 66 years old and it was almost impossible to hug the tree and get the bottom to turn loose and lowered on the tree. I was finally able to get within about 6 foot of the ground before giving out. I then just jumped off the platform.
I was very lucky as I only fell about 3 feet and only received a little whiplash to my neck which was sore for a couple days. I can guarantee that I would have been seriously injured had I not had my harness on. Anyone not wearing one is playing Russian Roulette.
also you can put a little tension on it for back suport
If you guys wear a belt, hanging is a real issue. I have worn Seat of the Pants Harnesses, as have the rest in my teaching cadre and I have come out of stands in them, often, as has one instructor that had earlier had back surgery..
With a full body harness (at least the SoP) You hang upright, you can breath, you can move and you can get back on your steps or straddle the tree to shinny down. In a belt, you often end up upside down, your chest is constricted and you can't breath very well at all. About half the time I did this I could not "save myself" and needed help.
I don't sell SoP harnesses and don't recommend them over the others. You pick one and wear it. The difference between the belt, any belt, and a harness was very obvious to all the students that saw me perform.
Don't believe me, try it yourself. Do it from only 5 feet up and have help.... several guys you trust. You will likely need them if you use a belt.
ChuckC
A hunter in MD died last week when he fell from his stand. He apparently used to wear one all the time, but had a mishap and was left hanging in his harness. He stopped wearing a safety harness after that. Does that answer your question???
I never used to wear a harness, but ever since I got one with my summit stand, I've worn them religiously.
I used to always wear a belt that had just enough slack in it to let me get my butt in the seat of my stand. That way I'd not fall below the level of my stand (hopefully).
We now have full body harnesses for everyone in our family that hunts, and NEVER get in a stand without one.
Each year I am a bit shocked at the guys that proudly claim to not wear one. Right here on this site.
"let's see: it's dark, wet, icy, the tree is swaying, and I am going to shoot an arrow and never fall off this tiny platform...It can't happen to me."
Sure.
A spinal injury is forever so why risk it?
Bill. you brought out a point. You are now the third person I have spoken to this year.... two are my friends that I live near.... that have had bolts break on their treestands.
Be careful and don't believe that the thing won't ever break. You just never know.
ChuckC
Scott,
I'm going to come by your house and thump on you next week on my way to KC. :smileystooges:
....then I'm going to tell your dad on you!! :readit:
Gene
I work at Medtronic spinal division. We make spinal implants Cages Hooks rods screws Plates discs. we can patch you up when you fall . Please Just wear your safety harness .It's hunting season and I don't want to work over time . Findbows
for the people that complained about falling with a harness and not being able to get back in the stand...
That is why you put your strap up high, head level when standing in your stand and almost with tension when sitting. When you "fall" out you wont realy fall you will roll to the side and you can very easily roll back in. Ill take rolling over 2 feet and back in as aposed to falling 10, 12 or 3 feet! its a no brainer. I know my wife is much happier that I do, as my sister is, my dad is, my mom is ect ect....
Im my opinion you are not thinking correctly if you dont where some kind of fall restraint.
O' and they do make fall restraints for asending and decending the stand, and obviously line man belts for hanging a stand. I hunt about 99% of the time out of a 15' ladder and I will never climb in without my HSS, comfy and has 4 pockets for various items I keep with me while bowhunting.
ok im done :)
I've used a belt until this year after whip convinced me to use a body harness, still not sold on the harness. I'm using a HSS harness with linemans belt and have tried using the safety line. The harness will keep you from dying from hitting the ground but most guys die from the suspinsion syndrome. The HSS seems bulky to mr even though I've got the pro madel thats all webbing. Still searching for a better way to hook to the tree.
which "most guys" are those ?
ChuckC
I usually put mine on before I leave to hunt, that way it is on when I get out of the truck. no wasted time fumbling with it in the dark and no excuse not to wear it.
Chuck after watching the vidios that are included with the HSS they stress the point that suspension syndrom kills more guys than hitting the ground. That is why I decided on the safety rope. Now I can just release my prussik loop and continue sliding all the way to the ground in a controlled manner. Still looking for a better way of better attaching the safety rope and harness to the tree. Anybody out there using that retractable safety line that HSS sells?
I tie the SOP safety rope off above my stand and tie the bottom off at the base of the tree, making it as tight as I can get it. That way the safety rope stays pretty taught as I asend and desend, works well for me. When climbing up to tie the top of the safety rope, I use my harness with a climbing rope wrapped around the tree, moving the rope ahead as I go. I carry 2 climbing ropes when doing this so when I come to a branch, I connect the spare rope above the branch before unhooking the other rope.
It takes one slip or bad step to change your life or your loved ones life forever ask my uncle he fell 20ft, broken pelvis, 6 ribs, collar bone and 2 cracked vertibrate he has never been the same that was 8 years ago, it will not hinder or change the way you hunt, ask yourself this question would you let your kid hunt without it? mine never does and either do I.
Thanks KC Haven't seen that video I guess.
ChuckC
I'd like to see the source for the HSS claim.
I can't remember ever hearing of a hunter dying hanging in a tree, but we lose a few every season here in Missouri from hitting the ground.
I wear a harness religiously if hunting off the ground. My dad refuses to wear one, even after having at least one fall that I know of. He claims they are too restrictive in the tree. :banghead: Every time he's late getting back to the truck I start thinking the worst.
I was working in inpatient one Sat and treating a 32y/o who had fallen from a treestand and is now a paraplegic. It can happen to anyone at any time.
Also, during my hunter's safety talks I remind my class that 70% of falls occur while climbing up/down or transitioning to/from the treestand to steps. So, it is not good enough to simply be tied off in the tree. I install climbing systems in all my treestands: A rope tied above my stand dangling to the ground, attach myself via a prusic/climbers knot-- I'm secure while climbing and sitting. It's the only way to go. Also, a belt harness can kill you, use a 4-point.
Looks like most say yes, so I posted a poll see to see if the results are the same.