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

[sheepdogreno]

Was this in Lafayette area? Read the article today...I hate stands period but if i get in one I'm strapped up

[Patknight]

After 27 years of rock climbing all over the country I certainly wasn't going to fall off of a darn platform,i quietly.snuck into my new spot ,pouring rain,first day of the new season,hastily hung my hang on type stand,place looked amazing.hung my bow ,pulled my hood over my head and leaned back against the tree,hands in my jacket...woke up 1 hr later,18'lower,the spot on the ground where I was laying looked just like when a deer is breathing it's last breath,leaves and dirt all torn up.i sat up in intense pain,my back felt like a Ziploc baggie full of nuts and bolts crunching around.i couldn't move my legs ,I teared up,im paralyzed I say to myself out loud.after 30 min I can move my feet,30 more I can move my legs,took me another hour to stand in screaming pain.cell was in backpack stii hanging in tree,thank the good Lord I was able to use the bow rope to dislodge the pack which fell and actually Hooked right on
A wind in step,my collapsed left lung was making breathing difficult,called my wife who cannot swim,she got to where I was,(I had crossed a 100 ft wide 4 ft deep river to access new spot) by God she crossed the river fearlessly to help me.i had to be airboated out,,5 days in ICU,4 broken ribs,3 fractured vertebrae,collapsed lung,8 months of difficult recovery later I'm ok,i thank God every day.i now wear a harness,in my haste to hang the stand,i did a crappy job,almost killed myself,scared my wife to death...in climbing there's a saying....i moments negligence can ruin a life forever!!be safe my brothers..

[cacciatore]

Prayers to your friend Roy and to all of us who sometimes are lazy to connect to a life line.
Everything is outside needs to be checked,weather really fast deteriorate stuff.
Please be safe.

[Whip]

I use a lifeline on all of my stands, and that includes every ladder.  As Mike Bolin mentioned, while ladder stands may feel safer,  there are many ways for them to fail and send you crashing down.  I have a friend who did in fact have a ladder section collapse and he came out of the fall with a broken leg,  ending his season.  And saying prayers that it wasn't worse.

[fnshtr]

I have a friend whose 14 year old son went to sleep in a permanent stand. He fell 14' and is now in a wheel chair for life.

Please be careful.

[Bowwild]

Darron,
Yes, he lives in Lafayette. Was hunting a wonderful farm outside Attica.  

The article I read was off a bit in accuracy but it was from that evening's police reports when the exact extent of injuries wasn't known.  He didn't break back, leg, or ankle.

The thing about all these incidents that amazes me is the speed that people go from in the stand to the ground!  

Not so long ago I took some comfort putting my hang-ons in "limby" trees. I figured (wrong it seems) that I could catch a limb if I started to fall.  Glad I've never needed to test that theory!

I imagine too the horror our buddy was feeling as he ran more than a mile to a neighbor's house to call for help...no cell service where they were hunting. And Byron had a knee replaced this summer!  Byron told me Jim wanted him to help him stand so he could get to the truck. Of course Byron wouldn't do that.

[Red Beastmaster]

A few years ago I decided I didn't want to be lying at the base of a tree and wondering if my life had just changed forever.

I sold all my stands and became an official ground pounder. No more climbers, hang ons, sticks, or steps for me.

I do hunt the ladder stands at Wild Things and feel completely safe. I wear a full body harness.

[RAGHORN 3]

On top of what everyone has said about ALWAYS stay attached to the tree via, linesman belt, life line, clipped in before stepping on stand.... I think all treestand hunters should seriously think about getting a one touch help is coming device. SPOT or Delrome inreach. Have it strapped to your body! I am getting a Inreach explorer for myself this Christmas.

Be Safe!

[Charlie Lamb]

Three years ago the cables on my Gorilla hang on let go. In the blink of an eye I was on the ground. A belly flop onto solid ground is no fun.

I haven't climbed into a tree stand for years without a harness. I even set up my stand that day with a life line as I'd grown accustomed to do. I'd left the cabin without my harness on and didn't notice until I was standing at the base of the tree.

I did a little mental juggling as to the merits of going all the way back to the cabin for the harness or just taking my chances and figured, "what are the odds".

I found out. I'm scheduled for a surgery in December to relieve the pain that I live with daily. It has slowed my hunting down to a crawl. I'm thankful it wasn't worse and it certainly could have been.

Hook up guys!

[Jakeemt]

Not me man I wear my harness always both climbing up and in the stand. Sorry about you buddy. Hope he mends well.

[Tony Sanders]

Sorry to hear about your friend, and hope he have a full recovery. After reading what happen to you Charlie 3 years ago when you posted it here on Tradgang, and then Ryan Rothharr came on and posted how he put chains on all his stands, I took note and put chains on every hang on stand that I use such as you see in this pic. Also after 39 years Bowhunting from trees without any type of restraint(stupid and foolish). After a vist from my best friend Jimmy last year from South Carolina, who uses a  harness, convinced me I should do the same. And that same year a harness was on my Christmas list, and my wife gladly gifted it to me, and I am truly grateful. I now wear a body harness everytime I am in my treestands. And thank God that nothing happen to me in all those years hunting without a retraint.

 Tony

[david janssen]

On October 9, 2016 a friend of my brothers fell from his stand and died.He was 59yrs old had a wife and two boys.Please wear your harnesses and get a life line,you owe it to your family.

[RAGHORN 3]

Originally posted by Tony Sanders:
Sorry to hear about your friend, and hope he have a full recovery. After reading what happen to you Charlie 3 years ago when you posted it here on Tradgang, and then Ryan Rothharr came on and posted how he put chains on all his stands, I took note and put chains on every hang on stand that I use such as you see in this pic. Also after 39 years Bowhunting from trees without any type of restraint(stupid and foolish). After a vist from my best friend Jimmy last year from South Carolina, who uses a  harness, convinced me I should do the same. And that same year a harness was on my Christmas list, and my wife gladly gifted it to me, and I am truly grateful. I now wear a body harness everytime I am in my treestands. And thank God that nothing happen to me in all those years hunting without a retraint.

 Tony

   

Thanks for sharing Tony! I like the idea of doubling up, cables and chains... I will copy this!  

[mec lineman]

Something that needs to be discussed as well is suspension trauma. I does not take long if you are hanging in a harness,minutes guys. If you were to fall out of a hang on chances are you could swing back to the tree and get a foot on one of the steps or limbs to relieve the pressure of the harness on the groin. Most harnesses now comes with stirrups to put your foot in to take the pressure off. I think it is a good idea to clip a small knife on the harness just in case you have to cut yourself down.hanging from a harness will kill you if you hang long enough.  I am totally for a harness,I just wantEd to inform yall

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Good post, and thanks for the reminder..... I've only been up a tree a handful of times this year, but I just dug out my belt this morning      

Good pic, Tony!  I didn't double chain and cable mine, but did a replace with chain for cable in the same holes.... use grade 8 (gold) hardware!  I also like your double ratchets on your stand!

I got in the practice a few years back of double strapping stands - I use the relatively inexpensive ratchets, but the primary one is new, the secondary is last year's strap, and year 3 they either graduate to trailer duty or get trashed.  Write the purchase year on your Wally World ratchet straps by the metal buckle with a magic marker when you open them... then you know how old they are    

R

[Chain2]

I used to wear a harness. I told everyone it wasn't for me it was for the people who depended on me. Mostly on the ground now. When I get up its in a ladder stand and I'm harnessed. My best and prayers to all the fellas that well and their loved ones.

[Soonerlongbow]

My hunting partner had a fall from only 6' while hanging a stand a week ago. Messed up his knee bad enough that he will be out of work for almost a month. He was hanging his 3rd climbing stick when his linemans belt broke and dropped.

[AR RidgeRunner]

Had a turnbuckle break on an old stand back in 2009 and fell about 15' and landed on my feet. Shattered my left heel and had a compression fracture in my lower back.  As usual was hunting by myself but was lucky enough to be able to get myself back to my truck and drive to the ER. As bad as it was it could've been a lot worse. Now I'm strapped in from the time I leave the ground until I get back on the ground. It can happen to anybody.
Be careful and always wear a harness.

[elkken]

Sorry to hear about your friend, I just saw something on TV that approximately 33% of people you use tree stands will experience a fall ....

[Arctic Hunter]

That sucks. I had my fall when I was 19. I fell about 16-18 feet and landed on my head. Luckily it didn't kill me, but did cost me a couple trips to the hospital and banged me up pretty good.

Use a harness.