I used to hunt with the safety belt that strapped around the waist. If I had to shoot to the right (I'm right handed), no problem even if I had to move the straps a little.

However, the tree harness clip is next to my neck up high. If I have to shoot to my right, I fear there will be problems with the rope getting caught in my draw, or in the way when I shoot, aim, etc. Any experiences/suggestions? I meant to test it out last time on stand but forgot to do it before I decended.

Hey Dougmd, I found the same problem when I draw to my right side. I went back to my old saftey that goes around my waist.

I know what you mean Doug. Same deal. It does get in the way. At the witching hour or if I got deer moving around I just go ahead and slide the prusic knot down to stand height to get everything out of the way. Sometimes I just slide the whole wrap around the tree down. I know it'd be a hell of a snap if I were to fall, but I got to beable to draw. If I expect all the activity(and I try to set up that way) to my front and left and right front or straight back, I don't worry about it. It only gets in my way to my right rear.

I do what Davidmil does.............but, when I have to shoot to my right, I slide the prusinc knot down, then lift my right "pulling" arm over the rope, letting the slack hang under my arm. It works really well, and I've taken a couple deer like that with no problems. Best thing to do is practice different things, it took a few tries to get it right for myself.

Thanks guys. I guess I can slide the whole assembly down like davidmil. I don't understand sliding theprussac knot down (assuming the "prussac knot" is that six looped knot in black rope) since it isheld in place by the clip onmy harness, so I can't slide it anywherewithout unclipping it.

I don't know what you're saying. You CAN slide the prusic knot up and down the rope while still attached to the tether. It doesn't matter because sliding the knot or the whole assembly down is the same deal as far as the jolt at the end of the rope if you were to fall. But hey, you're a strong young fella. It won't hurt much at all.[&:] Unless of course, it catches you under the chin as you go and snaps your neck.[&:]

I gotcha, slide it down to the bottom of the other rope, against it's knot. Thanks! I definately don't want to worry about that whena deer is approaching....

DougMD,

I get what you are saying and agree with some of the adjustments. I'm 58 and been hunting a long time. Use a harness religiously and look at it this way. That darned SOP harness is going to cost me a shot someday, but better to miss one shot in a lifetime than trying to maybe try to take the same shot laying on the ground with a broken back.

Let me put it another way. Do you have life insurance? What for? You gotta die to collect. Maybe you got a family to protect. Wearing the harness is the same thing--protecting the family, and yourself if the inevitable happens.

Just dont wear a harness... Or hunt on the ground.

Doug, I too used to wear just a safety belt until I read one too many horror stories about the result of falling in one of those. And -- after switching to a harness -- I experienced the same difficulty. I usually solve the problem by either sliding the cloth rope which goes around the tree way up or way down. If it's up high enough, you can manuever around under the attaching rope. If it's down low enough, of course the opposite would hold true.

For safety's sake, it would probably be wiser to move the rope up -- since that would shorten your fall in the event it happened... but that limits your mobility even though you can now turn to your right.