Fall From Your Tree Stand Yet ?

[BlackBart]

About half way down, I don't know to laugh or facepalm. He should sell his stuff though.

The victim’s wife informed the investigator that several years back this same victim had fallen from a tree stand and had pins and plates inserted into the right foot and ankle so he could walk.

 

[byf43]

One of the 'old timers' at my club 'rode' a climbing treestand down, about 20-25 years ago.

He was bow hunting, and his climber gave way, beneath him. He was almost 18 feet up, in an old oak tree.

The footrest went down, and he held on, for dear life!!
I saw the wounds from the 'ride'.
His sweatshirt came up, and his chest and arms/hands looked like raw hamburger.

Fortunately for him, he wasn't impaled by a twig, stick, or limb.

 

[GRAY GHOST]

i had two good friends fall out.the one had his lock on snap a bolt when he stepped in and fell 20 feet to the ground,they found him 5 hrs later,the docs said another hour and would have not made it. very bad head wound. the other one fell asleep and did not have a harness on,messed up his leg very bad. he died a month later from a blood clot. sad stuff.

 

[Sportstud4891]

I will agree that being in a tree stand is riskier than sitting on the ground however I have never felt uncomfortable in a tree stand. I use all types of tree stands: climbers, portable hang-on, and ladder stands. For the climbing stands you need to make sure you choose a tree with bark that has some bite, pine trees, beech trees, birch trees, etc are dangerous trees to put a climber in, don't do it. Also, if the directions say don't use on a tree smaller than 10" in diameter or larger than 20" in diameter than you better believe they mean it. 9" is not 10" and close doesn't count. As far as the portable hang-ons, I make sure to use at least two quality ratcheting straps and I crank them down to get at least a turn and a half on the spindle so they hold properly. Yet again, make sure you place this on a tree of the right size. For ladder stands, I also use good quality ratchet straps to hold the middle rod and then the seat to the tree. Yet again crank them down until you get at least a turn and a half on the spindle to hold. At least then the fall won't be blamed on the tree stands moving.

 

[BlackBart]

i had two good friends fall out.the one had his lock on snap a bolt when he stepped in and fell 20 feet to the ground,they found him 5 hrs later,the docs said another hour and would have not made it. very bad head wound. the other one fell asleep and did not have a harness on,messed up his leg very bad. he died a month later from a blood clot. sad stuff.

How old was he??

 

[GRAY GHOST]

How old was he??

i want to say he was 28. he just got married and had a child

 

[BlackBart]

i want to say he was 28. he just got married and had a child

Wow, I kinda thought he was older.... much older but 28? I don't know but I wouldn't think that would be the norm with that kind of injury.

 

[GRAY GHOST]

Wow, I kinda thought he was older.... much older but 28? I don't know but I wouldn't think that would be the norm with that kind of injury.

thats the same thing the wife and i said. but what do i know. i work on trucks not people?

 

[wilcam47]

typically I hook the harness to the tree when I start climbing....one day I didnt...I got up maybe 7 feet and the bottom part of the climber slipped and the top wasnt hooked yet I didnt even have time to react..I was lucky as I had no tree rash or anything...

the other one I was climbing down off my stand and thought I had enough slack in the harness strap to get to the ground...well I did..it was just enough to snatch my head against the bottom of the tree climber gave me a black eye for a week or two

 

[tdt91]

I've been hunting on the ground lately, but Saturday I was worried....
That a tree would fall on me. It seems that when the trees are swaying back and forth it makes it windy...Damn trees!

I hunted that sat from a ladder stand. I thought the ground was moving.

 

[tdt91]

It seems as though one should use a saftey harness when in a stand. A long time buddy of mine that is very experienced told me the other day that he does not use a harness when in a ladder stand.
All it takes is a dizzy spell and down you go. It's a pain in the ass but the pain you could have is much more costly.

 

[tdt91]

I will agree that being in a tree stand is riskier than sitting on the ground however I have never felt uncomfortable in a tree stand. I use all types of tree stands: climbers, portable hang-on, and ladder stands. For the climbing stands you need to make sure you choose a tree with bark that has some bite, pine trees, beech trees, birch trees, etc are dangerous trees to put a climber in, don't do it. Also, if the directions say don't use on a tree smaller than 10" in diameter or larger than 20" in diameter than you better believe they mean it. 9" is not 10" and close doesn't count. As far as the portable hang-ons, I make sure to use at least two quality ratcheting straps and I crank them down to get at least a turn and a half on the spindle so they hold properly. Yet again, make sure you place this on a tree of the right size. For ladder stands, I also use good quality ratchet straps to hold the middle rod and then the seat to the tree. Yet again crank them down until you get at least a turn and a half on the spindle to hold. At least then the fall won't be blamed on the tree stands moving.

I like this idea, The rope that comes with is kinda stupid, thanks for the tip.

 

[HarCo2ANewb]

It seems as though one should use a saftey harness when in a stand. A long time buddy of mine that is very experienced told me the other day that he does not use a harness when in a ladder stand.
All it takes is a dizzy spell and down you go. It's a pain in the ass but the pain you could have is much more costly.

I have on and off issues with vertigo and will certainly keep this in mind if I get around to hunting. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[Sportstud4891]

I like this idea, The rope that comes with is kinda stupid, thanks for the tip.

Yep, no prob. I generally throw away all the straps that come with the stands and put my own ratcheting straps in their places. The same with climbing sticks. I just don't feel as if I can get the factory ones tight enough.

Also another tip for the people that use climber stands. When I get my stand to the right height I have a strap that I'll put around both ends of the chain (in between the tree and the seat) and tighten it down so the chain squeezes the tree. Pretty much eliminates the chance of the climber falling.

 

[Adams74Chevy]

I luckily have not...but my father did back in 2001 or 2002, the knot in the strap he used to tie himself to the tree slipped loose and he fell 12-15 ft and luckily was just bruised up badly, needless to say he uses a proper harness now. My grandfather (on mom's side) fell in 2000, the medical examiner said they couldn't tell if he had a heart attack before or after the fall, but they said he didn't have his safety harness on, which just blows my mind because he made sure he had it everytime and was in good shape and made sure he had it securely attached to tree, he drilled into me to use them when I started hunting. My wife's family friends lost their son in 2000 or 2001 to a fall out of a tree stand. I use ladder and permenant and I make sure I am harnessed in in case.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Like I said, I am not ever going to be found in a climber, but, when I attached my ladder stands to the tree I use 2 good ratchet straps. If one falls apart I have that second strap there. I also do not use a harness of any kind. I set my ass down and keep very mindful of what I am setting on. The accidents happen getting and getting out of stands. You can't do that with a harness on. Anything that is termed "Hang On" or Climber" is eventually going to break you up.

 

[MentalSquint]

Can you put a ratcheting strap on your climbing treestand when you get to the height you want? I have a summit viper and I think I can do that, just don't know if it makes a difference.

 

[capman98]

Like I said, I am not ever going to be found in a climber, but, when I attached my ladder stands to the tree I use 2 good ratchet straps. If one falls apart I have that second strap there. I also do not use a harness of any kind. I set my ass down and keep very mindful of what I am setting on. The accidents happen getting and getting out of stands. You can't do that with a harness on. Anything that is termed "Hang On" or Climber" is eventually going to break you up.

Ladder stands only for me as well. I did have one up in a tree over a ravine a few years ago that I attached an I bolt above the seat and did wear a harness, but that was because it was a long fall and all rocks.

 

[DZ]

Can you put a ratcheting strap on your climbing treestand when you get to the height you want? I have a summit viper and I think I can do that, just don't know if it makes a difference.

I have been hunting out of my Summit Viper for about four years now. I have never felt insecure in my stand. I always look for soft-barked trees like poplar or sweetgum. Oaks are ok, but can be noisier to climb. I don't know that using a ratchet strap while hunting would be advantageous, due to noise.

 

[MentalSquint]

Apparently it might pop the welds. I'll just use the harness and be careful. Lots of tulip poplar where I hunt so that won't be a problem.