Always.

I never leave home, or the ground, without my vest!  I've been hunting from treestands for over 20 years and I still don't like heights!!

Bill

Absolutely!!!

Always or I do not climb up. Full body harness. Just makes sense.

J

Went to a harness last year. Have added rope and prussic knot this year.

I absolutley ALWAYS wear my safety harness and would hope everyone else does! I will agree it does feel akward at first but if you use it a few times you will get use to it. I wear mine not for myself but for my FAMILY!

I started using treestands; the mighty Baker stand the first year they were legal. There were no body harnesses; and such.

I have hunted bears with a treestand more than with any other animal; this year I spent about 4 mornings or evenings in a treestand for deer; and yes; I wore a body harness.

But with a bear stand; I ussually opt for having a tree close enough I can jump to. Bears will come into the bait; and they will establish dominance over it. The lesser bears will climb trees for safety while the bigger bears eat.
If they find your stand; they will use it as a good place to sleep while the bigger bear eats its fill.
I have been bear hunting on almost a yearly basis ( in the spring hunts; I am bear hunting every day for normally two months). So; I spend a LOT of time in a treestand.
And a lot of time watching bears.
I have had on several occasions been charged by bears- trying to get to me in the stand; and I have had bears swat at me in the stand; and I have had one bear grab my boot and shake.
In those cases; I want not to be a pinata; but to be able to jump to another tree.
So; while sometimes I wear a harness; most often I do not.

Now this fall I have a treestand in a tree that is over the deer trail about 12 feet; but it is 35 feet in the air. The tree is in the side of a cliff. I wear a harness everytime I put up stands; and when I hunt this particular stand.

I have found the danger in treestand use to be- and not in this order... putting the stand up; putting in the treesteps; and getting in and out of the stand.

I profess ignorance about what a prussic knot is.

I know I feel totally unsafe crawling into and out of the treestand. I do not know what beats that moment in technology.

I know I cannot use the standard system for going up a tree - when there are limbs on the tree. How do you ( forgive the pun) get around that?

I have two gorilla provided safety harnesses; and too undo the strap around the tree- to get over limbs; I have to pull off the most dangerous tree climbing stunt of all; to reach around and undo the latch system for the belt.

What I do - in and out of the stand; is to take the strap that you eventually attach to the tree; and that comes up the back of your neck; and put the opening over the treesteps as I climb. It could very well cause a problem; as most likely it would fall off the step if I fell.

I have heard so many arguments for safety belts; and yet the 'how to' of getting up trees pales in comparison to the arguments.

To explain how to get up the tree safely requires that you talk to the lowest denominator in the audience; the dumb person.

We need the 'idiots guide' to treestand safety belt use !

Name it after me; I don't care - but we need a thread; or a photo journal of how not just to climb a naked limbed tree safely; but how to get up a tree with limbs all over it on the way up.

and an explanation of just what is a "prussic knot".

This is not stuff that you should need a secret handshake to know; it should be top ( forgive that one) priority to get message out there.

And I have heard many stories about people falling asleep in their treestands ! Falling asleep? Its pucker factor ten when I am in a stand - every second from the first step up to the last step to the ground !!! SLEEP ???

Igorance is NOT our friend in this issue !!!

Well I guess I'm going to confess here. I've only worn a harness one time and that was the first time I was in a stand. I didn't like it so I've never wore one after that. That was a few years ago. (I'm only 26)

That being said the last season I hunted I was sitting on the edge of a soy bean field on the ground cause the spot I wanted to hunt had no large trees for my climber. When three doe walked out 15 yrds away from me I was totally surprised when they just started to feed around me.  I had put ZERO cover in front of me so I couldn't draw my bow. I sat there and watched those three doe feed for about 15 minutes until my movement for a draw spoked them. Now that I know I can get that close to a deer and not be in a stand, I'll never carry that hunk of metal to the woods again. I don't like it and most importantly I know I don't need it. It sits in the shed covered in cobwebs.

I will however build better ground blinds in the future.
                     :D        

Brian - pm sent.

Steve

You'd be a fool if you didn't!!

Are you KIDDING? There's a lot of unavoidable risk involved in a lot of the things we do outdoors, and after years of hunting dangerous game, flying the Bush etc. I have accepted my share. But hunting from a tree stand without proper fall restraint is absolutely insane. Don

Its amazing 15% responded never, accidents are just that. But not protecting yourself is suicide.

Not only are you worth it most of all your loved ones are, and your children. Who are they going to call daddy or mommy next. Think about that one.

Hunt SAFE, USE A RESTRAINT

I'm amazed that 70% responded ALWAYS. Of that 70% I wonder how many are using only a belt or are using there system incorrectly.

I'm also curious as to weither age plays into the decision to either wear or not to wear.

gr

Quotebut the stand was 12 feet, and surrounded but limbs- really no chance to fall more than 3-4 feet.

Last time I went through my OSHA training, according to them of all the fatalities that happen due to a fall, 80% of them are a fall from 6' or less.
Something to think about when you think 3'-4' isn't much.

I always wear a harness. . Always!
Brian,
A Prussic knot is a climbers knot that is tied over a climbing (safety) line & locks when a load is put on it. Thus stopping a fall.
Google the name, there are several sites that will come up & show you how to tie it.

Larry

I always use a harness!!!

Climbing and sitting in trees is by far the most dangerous thing we ,as bowhunters, do.  I religiously wear mine

I use the harness that came with my StrongBuilt ladder stand for both the ladder stand and my climber.  I'll be the first to admit I'm a little afraid of heights and I feel naked in a tree without my harness on.

I just started bow hunting/hunting from treestands this year, and I always wear my harness.  I am not comfortable at heights and being strapped to the tree helps me to feel safe and enjoy the hunt.  Plus I promised my wife and baby girl I would stay safe!