NY Bowhunter

I never used to wear a harness since I've been hunting and now I remember why. Most of my hunting has been from ladder stands or ground blinds. Never really saw the need for them.

This year I just bought the Summit Viper SS climber (awesome stand by the way). I am using the harness that came with the stand.I figured I better be attached to the tree with nothing betweenme 20 feet in thetree and the earth. It's a typical full body deal with the rope attached to the tether strap. Very easy to climb up and down with.

My problem is (and always has been with harnesses) I can't draw my bow very easily with the thing on. It's fine when I need to shoot to the left 180 degrees starting straight out in front of me all the way to my left. But I find it IMPOSSIBLE to be able to draw and shoot anything to the right of me (being right handed). God forbid I had to face the tree and shoot to my right, I might lose my neck.

I've tried raising the rope on the tree/can't sit down. Tried lowering the rope around the tree/can't stand up. I've tried moving it left, moving it right, I tried lowering the prusic knot so there is more rope dangling, but the rope slides down the tree with it that loose. Nothing I do allows me to shoot to my right.

Am I stuck only shooting to the left? Do I forget about the harness? Why can't they tether strap be a couple feet longer so it dangles down allowing you to turn?Should I add something to the strap to make it longer? Am I missing something?

MOTOWNHONKEY

I use the vest and I added a 16 inch strap to the part that hooks to the tree. It has one of them push snap deals on it. When i get up there i just hook that strap to my vest. It hangs about mid back and I can turn right or left no problems. Thats my loc on stand set up. My climber i have one of them things that work like a seat belt. I hook that to my vest and as I climb it retracts as I go up. Once up there it will move with me unless its a fall situation and then it locks instantly like your car seat belt. I don't see why your having the problem with it hanging in the middle of your back you should be able to turn left or right. 360 degrees can be a pain and like murphys law it does happen.

PA Hardwoods

I have a hunter safety system that I use a carabiner and the rope and prusic knot that came with my summit treestand and I have no problems at all shooting with it on. I set mine so it is just tight when I sit down. I did have a similas problem as you but it was with an old harness I had from game tracker that had a strap that went around the tree and then the tether from the harness connected to that and I had certain directions that I couldn't shoot with that harness, but I quickly stopped using that harness.

ButchA

That's weird, NYBH.... I have a Summit Viper, and the Seat 'O The Pants harness, and I don't have a problem with either of them. What type/diameter tree are you climbing up?

This past weekend, I was way up 25' in a nice slender 10" diameter straight oak tree and I could even turn around in my stand (the harness's hitch would come up over my shoulder if I needed to turn around and face the tree). But normally, when sitting down, standing up, I probably have a couple of feet of play in the harness/safety rope where they hook up to the prussic knot. How long is the back section of your harness (where it has theclasp)? You might want to double check it, because something is not right.... Or, look at getting a better harness or calling Summit if something is wrong with it. Or, look at using a smaller diameter tree. A huge diameter tree, might cause the safety rope to get way too short.

BUT WHATEVER YOU DO.... NEVER EVER CLIMB A TREE WITHOUT A HARNESS!!!!!!!!!! [&:][]

Good luck!

Butch A.

MichaelT.

NY Bowhunter,

They have told you the way to go, adding a small strap or rope section in to the piece to the tree, and so I am only going to implore you to wear a harness with every type of stand you use. I speak from experience. I was the same way as you, several years ago, until I took a fall of 17 feet from a "safe" ladder stand. I never thought it would happen, because I was so safe. I knew what I was doing. I had been hunting for sooooo long. But it can happen, and it did happen.

So please, don't be apathetic about it. Don't fool yourself. Any and every stand can fail. Any and every hunter can slip, make a mistake, or be subject to changing environmental elements. Just because it has never happened to you, doesn't mean it will not happen to you. So please, please wear your safety gear at all times when hunting from any elevated platform.

Be safe and good hunting

God bless

MichaelT.

NY Bowhunter,

I already posted to the thread but I found something I wanted to share with you and everyone else here at HNI.

Please read this: http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=404415

God Bless

Rickmur

I didn't read this whole threadand maybe it has been saidbut slide the pursic knot down on thefree hanging part of therope that goes around the tree. This will allow your tether strap to hang lower out of your way and allow you to sit.

NY Bowhunter

Seems like the rope likes to slide down the tree when I tried that. Will the rope still grab if I ever did fall somehow?

drstalker

Ditch that harness,and get the Loggy bayou tranformer system.I have the same one you mentioned and never liked it much.Also I bought a camo seat o the pants harness and it wasn't big enough for me.The loggy bayou is an excelent system.I do like the prusic sytem that comes with the one you mentioned but that harness is a hastle. heres a link to the one I have,I use it all the time http://www.outdoorsexperience.com/loggysafetysystem.html
Also heres a link to a pic of how I set up all my fixed stands using the harness
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1769137&mpage=1&key=&#176967 6

ButchA

Whoa, NYBH... What type of tree are you climbing in? The prussic knot stays OUTSIDE of the loop around the tree, and dangles on the free end of the rope. Pull the rope tight. It will stay in place, or maybe loosen just a tad, but not much. With the prussic knot on free end of the loop, dangling around, if (God forbid) you should fall, the prussic knot immediately tightens and yanks the rope securely in place, so you don't fall.

Butch A.