I wanted to mention something that happened to me twice this week that I can't remember reading about before. I'm obviously accident prone. I took a fall down a 30 foot embankment a month ago today and I still have bruises and a slight limp. I hunt almost strictly from ladder stands. The ones that have sections fitting together with buttons are great. But I've also got some older ones that are just male/female connections. This morning while climbing into the stand in the dark I got one step down from the platform when the sections separated. It was just plain luck the stabilizer bar was tight and we also had a second rachet belt around the upright and a close by tree. What happens is it's often hard/dry ground when we put the stand in. We always set them as deep as possible with two fat guys at the same time. But when rains come later the ground softens. The base slowly sinks deeper when climbing up. You can hardly notice it coming apart (especially in the dark). I should also mention we have had tree growth actually separate the sections too if you leave them in the same tree for years. You can keep the sections from sinking by putting a 1x6 board under the bottom so it doesn't sink too deep. Or you can twist a single strand of wire between two steps at two sections so they won't pull apart. Metal ladders are probably our safest elevated stands but you need to be careful even with them. A fall can end your season in the blink of the eye. BW
Glad it wasn't worse that it was on your tumble. Sorry to hear about your mishap but sage advice on stands that are left in place year after year.
Great tip!
True words of wisdom here Folks! Thanks for posting Barry! :thumbsup:
Thanks for sharing this, Barry. Maybe it's time for me to drill and pin a couple stands.
I always keep an eye on my ladders worried that could happen. I put a board on bottom as described and have joined my sections with Clevis pins.
Fat guys don't fall well (I should know). Glad you are OK bud. :scared:
good info Barry
Yall don't remember in Rudolph the red nosed Reindeer show that "Bumbles Bounce".. :biglaugh: :laughing:
Thanks for the info!
That is why I hunt from the ground Charlie. Fat boys don't bounce well. :laughing:
Thanks Barry for posting this, and thank God you were not hurt or injured. I had the same thing almost happen this past Friday as I climbing down from one of my ladder stands that have been in place a few years. It started to come apart, but thank God I made it to the ground before it did. I was able to put a flat rock under the bottom rung. Thanks also for the tip about putting a strand of twist wire to keep the sections together. Stay safe. Shoot straight and Good Hunting.
Tony
Thanks Barry!
Bisch
"...with two fat guys at the same time"
Wher'd you find a second fat guy?
Hope you get rid of that limp. Scott
At my club had 2 stands have the straps break from sun damage, we replaced all the straps & all of our stands have pins holding the sections together.
Thanks for the tip bud, be safe everyone.
Barry, the only fall I've ever had from a tree stand occurred just as you have described here and although the platform and the ladder of my stand was secure to the tree I panicked and fell a full 14' straight down and feet first. Although I landed on my feet the fall knocked the breath out of me and caused tremendous pain in my feet, knees and hip joints. My greatest surprise was that I wasn't crippled for life.
It's ridiculous to expect all of the ladder makers to include pins for the ladder sections so I started wrapping the sections of the ladder with camo or brown duct tape. I check them and replace the tape as needed and haven't had any problems since that single incident.
Thanks for the advise. A friend of mine took a tumble a couple of weeks ago, he wasn't hurt but it shook him up pretty good. He told me "remember when we were younger and you took a fall, you popped back up and looked around to see if anybody saw you. It's not like that anymore, it was like you dropped a sack of wheat, just a big thud. There was no popping back up." As I get older I'm spending more time in ladder stands, I'm still young enough to tote them in on my back but to old to be climbing trees like a monkey.
Wise words. Good tips.
Thank you Sir!
Good point Barry, I just had one come apart on me yesterday. As I was about to climb down. Fortunately my Nephew was standing at bottom of stand and saw the sections start to separate. He was able to reconnect them before I had all my weight on ladder. Also have to say it was his stand I was using. Stand had been in same spot for 4 months. He suggested I use the ladder while he used his climber. Did kill a doe last night from it, but whole time in it was wishing I'd hung my Loc-on.
Thanks for the tip. Eugene has another good tip. We had a strap break on one of ours last week too.
Thanks for the info Barry. The two ladder stands on my in-laws property both have clevis pins holding the ladder sections together. It is good to check (and replace) the ratchet straps each year. they will get brittle being out in the elements.
I always put boards or small logs under the bottom rung for just this reason, even if the sections pin together. As a maintenance tech, you just figure, if it can break, it will. That said, I hunt mostly from the ground. I can still fall, but it won't be far. Glad you're o.k. Uncle Barry!
I too place a board under the legs of the ladder. My stands are drilled and clevis pinned at the joints to keep them from separating. Not fun when you realize in that split second, "I'm going down".
I have a self-climber that I strap together when up to elevation. Just don't want the floor falling out from up me and not having a way down! Plus it gives a more unified solid feel to the stand...tight is right.
I had an ER experience one year when the sections seperated and came back down on my pinky. It wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't been wearing a ring on that finger... or maybe it saved my finger! Had to have the ring cut off. It smashed to about half the diameter.
I put cotter pins in to hold the sections together now if they don't come with something for that.
Had an unnerving situation with a ladder stand just last week. Went to one of my favorite locations for the first time this season because the wind was finally perfect. Some scum bag had removed the three ratchet straps, but left the ladder. I realized something was wrong because only three steps up the stand was mighty shaky. Had I climbed to the top, the stand most likely would have toppled with me in it. Not a happy thought in the dark from 18 feet up. i've had 10 stands messed with this season. Some of my hang- ons have had the bottom support (Climax Stands) pulled from the tree making a fall very likely if not noticed in the dark. Be careful out there.
Good to hear you are safe and back on the ground. I think I would do the pin thing with a drill and for an extra measure find a welder and have some feet made with square tubes to set the legs in. If you are in Lansing I could make a bunch for ya. If you give me the dimentions of the leg pipes I will whip up a few but shipping would be rediculous.
Bob Urban
Gene, that is scarey! Sounds like you have a saboteur in your woods. Might be time to call the sheriff and take him for a walk. I would think that could qualify for attempted murder. Be careful out there!
I bought one of them self climbers once, had it for a whole year never did see it go up the tree by itself.
Thanks for the heads up Barry!
George
Very good advice. Thank you.
Barry, fat old men shouldn't climb stuff, but unfortunately we have to if we wanna kill nice deer. I've got an old Gorilla stand that's been in a big oak so long that I can't take it down because the tree has grown around it. One of the ladder connections has a lot of "play" in it so I think I'll take my drill and put in some screws to keep it from coming apart.
Thanks for the tip... :wavey:
Good post, gets our attention.
Ladders can be safer than hang ons or climbers for old fat guys. But things can still go wrong as you found out Barry. That's why even on my ladders I have them all set up with a static line and prusic knot. I clip in before I ever leave the ground.
Sections could seperate, welds could break, rust from the inside might hide weak spots, wet boots slipping on a step. All could be the cause of suddenly finding yourself laying on your back on the ground before you even have a chance to think about it.
Get some ropes in those trees and stay attached every step of the way! I'm betting you aren't going to bounce too good if you ever hit the ground!
Have any of you fat old guys noticed how they're making the rungs on those ladders farther apart then they use to be.. :biglaugh:
Whip Said "Get some ropes in those trees and stay attached every step of the way! I'm betting you aren't going to bounce too good if you ever hit the ground!"
Joe, I know I don't bounce anymore. I STICK!
(and I am only half your age ;) :saywhat: )
Be safe everybody.
Happy Thanksgiving.
CTT
Here is a Man that cares! Thanks Barry! Great Tip.
Barry,
Thanks for starting this thread. I'm not a fan of heights. I only use 3 sections of my ladder stands. I only climb about 6 to 8 ft with a climber stand. I would rather be low and feel somewhat safe than be higher up and feel totally miserable for the entire hunt! This old man doesn't want to see how high he can bounce! :eek: :scared:
Bill
QuoteOriginally posted by Ron LaClair:
Have any of you fat old guys noticed how they're making the rungs on those ladders farther apart then they use to be.. :biglaugh:
Hey! I noticed that very thing! I was thinking this morning about building a few more and putting the rungs closer together.
I used to use those sectional ladders too and had the same thing happen. One time, the section fell out near the top and I had no way to get the seat part down. It's still up there on that sweet gum near the flint river. If it ever floods high enough, I'll paddle in there and get it.
Saw that happen to a stand on a bear hunt in MN. The older stands did not have pins, and even some of the newer ones don't at the upper joint. I drill and bolt those type joints just for that reason.
Good thread...thanks for posting it Barry.
WHIP...can you give me a link to the exact rope you are using for the line up to your stands?
Funny you mention that Ron. I'm only hunting with a camera this year but my buddy has 2 tripods on his place that I spent a couple evenings in. I noticed the steps (which were barely wide enough for your boot) were spaced pretty far apart, then you have to slither in between the safety rail and the swivel seat to get in.
This year in Dakota I used a stand set by one of my buddies and asked how many steps high he set it? His response, 3 steps. I found there is a direct relationship between the age of the person setting the stand and the height they achieve with only 3 steps. My groin still hurts.