I feel like I should be sending this to Ripley's Believe it or Not. OH well, here it goes. And yes it is true. I scouted a new spot this morning and found a place where 5 trails intersect. I decided on a treeand came back for the evening hunt. I wasup in my tree and settled at exactly 2:14pm. It felt like it was going to be a good day, you know when you have that feeling. At 3:05pm I hear the steps of deer in leaves over my left shoulder. I slowly turn my head enough that I can see 3 does browsing and scratching leaves for acorns. They are on full alert, but one of them makes it to within 2 feet of my tree and then they turn around and slowly go back out the way they came from and stopped at about 20- 25 yards. I tell myself to stand slowly and turn and I might get a shot on one. No more than I finish this thought in my head I see 4 more deer out to my 10 o'clock position at 30 yards- 2 fork horns and two shooter bucks (I don't know a point count, but there were alot of horns on two nice deer). My attention goes to them and I wait for them to step into a little grove of small cedar trees so I can stand up. They go into the trees, I check the does, I stand up.....POP!!!!!!!!! All I see is white flags going everywhere. I look down and the mesh that you stand onbroke on the right side of my tree stand. This stand is rated for 275 pounds. I weigh 220.

I have recommended this stand to many on here that ask about stands, but I will now have to take back all of those and any further recommendations. I plan on contacting the manufacturer as soon as the holidays are over. Any of you that own these stands please inspect them before you use them again. Here are pictures of what broke.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f300/livlian/DVC00103.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f300/livlian/DVC00102.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f300/livlian/DVC00100.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f300/livlian/DVC00101.jpg