Trad Gang

A 40 year old friend of mine is "out of commission" for bowhunting this year.

Our season starts Oct 1st and Mike went out yesterday to put up a stand.

It's a stand he was well familiar with and he got her up, chained on and while holding onto some screw in steps above him he stomped on it several times to "settle it in".

All went well till he let go of the steps and sat down to see what trimmming he might need to do.

Next thing he knew he was on the way to the ground and got bounced off several limbs and must have hit a step or two as well.

On the ground he had his left eyebrow torn loose and hanging over his eye and he knew he was in serious trouble from the pain he was enduring.

Fortunately he had his cell phone with him and didn't loose consciousness for long and was able to call his wife who called another buddy of ours because she had no clue where to go.

That friend wasn't in the area so he called someone else (he wasnt able to get ahold of me, dang cell phones) and they went out to find Mike crawling towards the truck.

Numerous stitches in is face, a broken left shoulder and broken hip, he will be hospitalized for some time but his working and hunting for this year is done.

It's times like this that should make us think. (If we weren't doing so before)

Even though we've "done this a hundred times" it only takes one OOPS to do serious damage and could even take our life.

Take someone with you if at all possible and even then have at least one cell phone on hand.

When going out to hunt, let SOMEONE know where you are EXACTLY and when you are coming back, EVEN IF you have a cell phone.

Mike thinks he was "out" for awhile but no clue how long.

Bad as it was, it could have been a lot worse!

This is ALL "OLD NEWS" but.... with this happening here I thought it well worth repeating.

I know when I was still hanging stands to hunt from I ignored all these suggestions and was lucky.

It is just something that is worth a little forethought and planning for "what if".

I hope each and every one has a great and SAFE season!

God Bless!

Great reminder sorry to hear about your friend but it could have worse glad to hear hes still alive. Be safe out there guys.

ttt for a serious and sometimes over looked topic.

That's why I hunt the ground.

QuoteOriginally posted by Jerry Jeffer:
That's why I hunt the ground.

Funny you say that. Ive found myself making more blinds this year then putting up stands.

I hope he get's well soon and Thanks for the reminder..I've been doing more and more hunting on the ground but things can go wrong quickly...God Bless, Keefer's <")))><

I'm glad you buddy is alive, he will hear! I always say when in a stand, hanging it, trimming branches or whatever.... AWAYS, ALWAYS wear a harness!

Just keep in mind that whether we hunt from an elevated stand or on the ground, the danger is created by us.  A small twig can cause an arrow to stick you anywhere.  A loose hold on a step can cause one to jam under your armpit.  A broken chain, a loose strap, anything.  I even had an arrow come off a bow quiver during a stalk through some brush and go through my jacket.

sorry to hear of your friends misfortune,prayers and well wish's for him and all of us.thanks for posting,its a terrible reminder,but one we all need.as the years go by so fast,i go by so slow,and try to visualize each step,movement,and whatifs,for me,it all boils down to,don't panic,or get excited.it's gotten that i don't care how high up a tree i go,as long as i can keep one foot on the ground.take care all.robert  :(    :pray:

I might also add: if you are in a tree, whether hanging stands or hunting from one, wear a fall restraint of some sort! When your friend "tested" his stand, he should have also been testing his safety gear! It only takes a few minutes to put it on, and it sure beats crawling to the truck with a broken hip.

Sorry to hear about your friend taking such a hard fall. My prayers go out to him.

Safety harnesses are like motorcycle helments. Unless it's law that you have to wear one, everybody thinks that..."it's not going to happen to me" and it does.  

There are 2 types of motorcyclists. Those that have wrecked and those that will wreck. Simularly with bowhunters...those that have fallen and those that will fall.  :rolleyes:  The difference is what you wear!  :)

Good hunting, Bowhunter57

QuoteOriginally posted by Jerry Jeffer:
That's why I hunt the ground.

ditto.

Hope for a healthy recovery for your buddy. Keep some jerky set aside for him to lift his spirits this fall.

It happens every year, and will continue as long as we think we are personally invulnerable.  It's like the "turn around, don't drown" phrase that they announce every day on the weather channel, but people always drive into deep, running water.

I'm glad your friend is going to be okay....it's a hard lesson; I have friends who have gone through similar falls and have been lucky enough to survive.
No stands for this old bow....gave them up a decade ago.

Prayers for a speedy recovery!

Hope your buddy heals well and soon...

The past five years I have hunted 98% from natural ground blinds... They are deadly on deer, you cannot fall out of them and built properly no one will ever know you are hunting there...


John III

I've got a friend who fell from a stand with bad consequences.  I will still hunt from a tree, but over the years have gravitated away from tree steps and toward ladder sticks and ladder stands.  And am always going to be buckled in.  

I also will not climb any higher than about 12-15 feet in 98% of my stands, and the only ones higher (and only by a couple feet) are in cedars.  Most of my stands are 8-12' tall and I do quite alright.  I know you can and will get hurt falling that far too, but those guys going up 20-30 feet, there's just no way I would do that.

I personally think the act of hanging stands may well be the most dangerous part of this whole airborne business.  During that time, there is often a vulnerable few minutes as guys force the issue without help and/or without a fall-restraint device.

QuoteOriginally posted by Wary Buck:


I personally think the act of hanging stands may well be the most dangerous part of this whole airborne business.  During that time, there is often a vulnerable few minutes as guys force the issue without help and/or without a fall-restraint device.

I have started wearing a Hunter Safety System with a lineman's belt when I hang stands. I also install a safety rope and clip onto it both climbing and descending. It takes longer and is kind of a pain in the butt, but the older I get the longer it seems to take to heal. I've decided that taking my time and being careful is better than trying to heal. I'm not ready to give up climbing yet. I just love the view from a tree stand!

QuoteOriginally posted by 30coupe:
 

QuoteOriginally posted by Wary Buck:


I personally think the act of hanging stands may well be the most dangerous part of this whole airborne business.  During that time, there is often a vulnerable few minutes as guys force the issue without help and/or without a fall-restraint device.

I have started wearing a Hunter Safety System with a lineman's belt when I hang stands. I also install a safety rope and clip onto it both climbing and descending. It takes longer and is kind of a pain in the butt, but the older I get the longer it seems to take to heal. I've decided that taking my time and being careful is better than trying to heal. I'm not ready to give up climbing yet. I just love the view from a tree stand! [/b]

I am doing the same. I love being in the trees - have 15 stands out, but still hunt from the ground where it makes sense. May not make me as "proficient" as Quint, but works for me.

Steve

My neighbor died from a fall 3 years ago. They figure he got turned upside down in the fall and came down head first.

Im glad your friend will be ok for next year!! I hope he and all of us will remember how important you safety harness is.

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=077621;p=1

If I get off the ground, it's a ladder stand. Slow and careful. You can fall from them, too.

Sorry, Bronz!

Somehow I missed your post or would have continued on with this story added to it.

My apologies.

Has anyone tryed the fallguy teather. Just bought one and it retracts like a seat belt. And locks if you fall. Hope it works cause I,m going to be at the end of it. GReg

Deer & Deer Hunting did a safety research article many years ago... you have 3 min in anything but a 5pt harness, according to their research...then you likely will pass out and if not, croak.

That is if you're wearing anything.

I wear my SOP religiously.  My aged brain doesn't remember great, but I think that something like 90% of treestand falls occurred either entering or leaving the stand!

I came outa one many years ago with just a chest harness on.  Thankfully, I had read the article and someone was watching over fools and children and I did manage to get righted and back on something solid.  Terrifying. One mental  moment and you're toast.

Macho might make it at home, but it has no place 20' or less in the air!

Wear and live to educate others. Don't and...?

TTT!

Hope recovery is rapid for your buddy. Tree stands, poisonous snakes, twisted ankles, cuts, the list goes on and on. We must be careful in all we do outdoors and like others say, "let someone know your whereabouts and your proposed time schedule" Notify them if your plans change. You may be in "hog heaven" out there with your downed animal late in the night but your family may be frantic about where you're at if you haven't checked in. Be careful folks and good hunting.

Glad to hear you friend is still alive. Regardless of height PLEASE use your restraint systems. At first they are a pain but it will become just another part of your equipment. Not using one is like playing Russian roulette. Hunt safe and good luck to all!!! Big Ed

Hope you buddy recovers well and thanks for the reminder!

Thanks for this post, It stopped me today hanging my last strap on stand. I trudged back to the house, put on my HSS harness, trudged down to the shed and got my linemans belt.. Shaking my head, This ain't never gonna happen to me..... Got back to the tree and climbed the ladder ( with the linemans belt on)to hang the stand.Got the stand up and danged if It didn't somehow slip out of my grasp and crash to the ground. Just the sight of the stand hitting the ground while I stayed safely on the ladder 15 feet up drove it home for me. Stay safe folks... Hope your buddy recovers quick!

"well worth repeating"

Indeed!!!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for your friend.

Gravity never sleeps.

Statistics from the Treestand Manufacturers Association:

Average age of hunters injured in falls: 44 years

Average height of falls: 21 feet.

Average hunting experience: 16 years!

Spooky, no? You would think it would be the newcomers at most risk. Hubris kills.

This my be a stupid question but why don't guys just use an old ladder in paint it green or some such and bolt it around the tree. I am a new hunter so pardon me for lack of experience but I have thought if this often but not done it as of yet. Only problem I see is getting it secure enough in the first place to get up there to make it more secure..

Not a stupid question at all, IMHO.

Keep in mind, like my buddy, not all falls are going up and down and ladders DO break and you can fall from them.

It's simply a matter of thinking ahead, keeping your eyes open and being prepared for any emergencies.

It's NOT just tree stands as several pointed out. Broadhead and knife cuts come to mind first after falling. Heart problems, slipping and twisting an ankle or knee walking. Anything.

Being prepared is just a simple "head's up" the guys here to everyone.

Life is SHORT....a little bit of planning for "what if" is easy and needs to be part of our standard preparations in our sport.

Not stupid, 3blades. I only hunt from ladder stands or the ground. I make my own ladder stands from treated wood, using deck screws and predrilled holes to prevent splitting. I have 11 of them scattered around my property, and I have a 4-piece aluminum ladder for trips away from home.

Well.
I was WALKING out last night; and slipped and fell in a creek I was crossing. I landed on my back on a rock; but I had on a backpack and it absorbed the impact from that.
Today my arm is sore; my knee is swollen up; and my back is hurting.
Worst part of it was- neither of the two buddies I was with- had the decency to take a picture of me while I was flaying around like an overturned turtle.
Actually it was a hot day; and although I had flashbacks reaching into my toddler days; a wet cold butt was kinda nice.

Doesn't take a treestand to get hurt !    :rolleyes:

I don't even like climbing a ladder to clean gutters. I get kinda dizzy up there, so I hunt from the ground too. Hope everyone that can and likes to hunt up there has a safe season!
-Charlie

I don't want to be a stick in the mud about this but...  I think hang on stands are dangerous to put up and take down.  Why not use climbing stands or hunt from the ground?  I know of at least 4 gimps or crippled from falls, all from hang ons.

I've fallen three times from a tree in my 30 yrs. of bowhunting. The last time was only from my second step up from the ground as I was coming out from hanging a stand. Landed on my back and got the wind knocked out of me; thought I was a goner there for a few minutes. But it got me to thinking about all of those close calls, and I decided right there and then to concentrate on hunting on the ground. I'm enjoying bowhunting more today without the worry of falling to the ground. I'm finding stillhunting the most exciting way to bowhunt.

Perhaps, I'm getting alittle more cautious in my old age.

Best of luck to all of my brothers in arms! Hunt safe and smart!