Tree Stand Falls....Are You or I Next - Added a Lifeline

[tecum-tha]

I am sorry for your friend and hope that he will recover.
I start to seriously doubt that old age makes you wiser.
1.)I assume he left this stand in the woods for 2 years.UV rays/animals and the stretching power of a growing tree will make short process with tree straps.

2.)Change straps every season.

3.)Always put a second strap around hang on stands at the lower portion of the frame.

4.)Use 1000 lbs working load ratchet straps or buy the overpriced lower working load replacements.

5.)Change the suspender cables on a regular intervall or install chains.

6.)And for your life's sake, wear a good safety harness and know how to use it.

[johnnyk71]

hope your friend recovers fully! i just don't understand it (not wearing a safety harness). i've started using lifelines on all my lock ons and ladders. it's just not worth the risk. i am still a dummy sometimes when hanging a lock on (standing on ladder steps and hanging a lock on), but even that is too dumb to continue.

again, wishing him a speedy and full recovery!

[Sam McMichael]

It is sad to hear of such an accident. We are praying for him. It states again, the necessity of caution. I always check out my stands prior to the season. I no longer use lock on stands, because I have heard of a number of cases of the cable giving away. It is easier to keep track of ladder stands, but, it still requires great caution. We all need to learn and re-learn the rules of safety.

[Bowwild]

I'm going to be visiting Jim soon.

I'm going to help him find a silver lining in his accident by letting him know that myself, brother, and son will increase our precautions. He will take heart in knowing that his experience may save his friends his pain.

These are the chances I'll stop taking:
1. I bought carabiners for my lineman belt this week, so I can use it.
2. I'll take ALL my stands down when I finish hunting this year and store them out of the weather.
3. I'll closely inspect them and replace cables, bolts, or straps as necessary before putting them up next year.
4. I'm getting rid of the screw in steps. I don't use them much except for first step or two up. I have plenty of rails. I worry about some of my Wolf and Spider step sticks now.
5. I will attach life lines to all my trees.
6. My son and I bought two new 18' ladder (buddy) stands today at Cabelas. We will continue using our Muddy and Lone Wolfs but gradually move to more/all ladder stands.

I'm generally not a fan of the ladder stands because they are difficult to set up and I don't want to bang my curve limbs on the rails.,

[Etter]

I have personally been saved by a harness from a big head first fall when a stand I was in collapsed. I had never considered not wearing one because I was a big time rock and mountain climber before hunting became my true addiction.

[Mint]

I've been lucky but I've always have worn a harness. Now I use lifelines or a linesman belt and use my hook up rope to throw above a limb or above my stand when I need to unhook my linemans belt. That way I'm always hooked up no matter what.

[buckeyebowhunter]

I normally hunt from a climber and I've always felt just as safe in it as any stand I have owned.

I guess I don't understand why companies that make hang on stands would rely on cables that can rust and nylon straps that can tear to hold the weight of a human being. Why did the companies stop using chains to secure the stands to the trees? I used to love hunting from hang on stands but after reading your guys' posts I'm considering otherwise.

[Bladepeek]

Don't think I will be hunting from a stand this year - not even a ladder stand. I'm fine climbing up onto the seat. I feel like I need a safety harness, though and there's the rub. In order to fasten the strap around the tree that my harness fastens to, I need to stand on the seat, right next to the tree with nothing to hang onto. My sense of balance was never impressive and now that I have lost most of my hearing, my sense of balance is nearly non-existent.

Short of having a buddy come out and fasten the safety strap around the tree up above my head, so I can clip my harness on it, I don't see any way to get my safety harness set up. And the little bit of common sense I have left tells me I really shouldn't be up there without it.

[Pointer]

I use Spider descent system just in case of a mishap. Give me my old Timberlock Magnum hang on stand from 25 years ago any day... It had a steel "T" bar hanger and it chained to the tree and was rated to 375 lbs. I should dig it out and replace the old cables with chains and use it again.

[Stringwacker]

I'm one of the extremely lucky ones... at 44 years of age fell 16 feet to the ground...laid there for 15 minutes letting the cobwebs clear my mind and doing 'appendage wiggle' inventory. I got up, climbed back up the tree, finished putting up the stand and walked a mile home with no ill effects... other than being very sore the next day.

I now wear a harness and connect to a lifeline at all times. I'll never be that lucky again.

[Hickrylb]

A neighbor died not long ago ,a fall and family had too find him ,, not what any of us want our loved ones to ever see in the beam of a flashlight, so if you go up use a harness.

[Bowwild]

Hope you folks don't mind but good news to report here.

Jim went home after a week in rehab today.  They moved him from the hospital in Indianapolis about a week ago. After a week in rehab (3-4 hours a day) he was progressing well enough to bail.

He'll be in a wheelchair and walker for several weeks.  He plans to be delivered to a ground blind (his grand daughter's) in mid-November.

He told me two days ago that what he hates the most about his fall....he is embarrassed for having taken the risks that lead to the fall.

[Warden609]

Glad to hear he is improving quickly. Prayers sent for the rest of his recovery. >>------>

[SteveB]

Glad he is on the mend.

For those replacing cables with chain, what are you using?
And I assume you want to use upgraded hardware/nuts,bolts?

[longbow fanatic 1]

I'm so sorry to hear about Jim. I hope he fully recovers and is able to hunt again. Like so many of us, my close friend and I both had occasions where both of us nearly fell from our trees. In my case, the stand collapsed as I was climbing in. I ended up hanging from the collapsed stand as the chain around the tree prevented my fall. Now, I use a lifeline & tether to keep me attached from assent to decent. I also use a linesman's belt to assist in setting the lifeline and it's removal. Be safe everyone!

[Sharptop]

Very important topic and I am happy to hear the gentlemen is progressing well. I've had a few friends severely injured just falling when climbing and sitting in fixed ladder stands. We all should learn from this. Looking back when I was young it was nothing to just find an old wooden stand built between two trees or a split tree and climbing up there with gun on back and testing each step until it broke. What a dumb a**!

[Pointer]

Great news that he is beginning to heal..I hope he continues to improve each day.

[Al Dente]

Happy to hear Jim is on his way with his recovery.  Praying for a full recovery for him.

Bowhunting is one of the safest sports to participate in.  Most injuries are from mishandling sharp broadheads or treestand falls.  In today's world, there is no excuse for not using a harness.  No matter it may cost, it is not more than your life, your future, or providing for your family.  To be blunt, I don't want anyone else raising my kids.  Anything can happen, anytime, anywhere.  

Wearing a safety harness and using a lifeline while ascending and descending is crucial to your personal fall protection system.

There are plenty of videos of people falling when setting up their stands, or while in their stands.  Don't become a statistic.

[Mike Bolin]

Good to hear. Wish him "good luck" for me when he gets to the blind next month!

You know, today I was clearing some limbs on a tall pine so I can use my climber, and just for a moment before I started to climb to trim the limbs, I considered not putting on my harness and tether rope. Then I thought "don't be stupid", and put on the harness. Reading this, I am glad I did. I wear a harness and tether in ladder stands too.