Tbone1187

Have you ever fallen from a tree stand? If so how high and did you get hurt bad. also any other info you would like to include. I personly have never fallen and hope to never! I just started to hunt from trees this year and yes I do use a safty belt full body.

Pro-Line

Twice...Once from about 15' while stepping onto an icy hanging stand. I did manage to slow my fall by thudding off a branch and landed on my hands and knees in leaves. Just bruised and sore.

Second time was only about 8'. I was building a permanent stand with steps lagged into the tree. I nailed the steps first, then lagged them. I "thought" I had lagged them all and began to climb. Apparently I missed one, because when I grabbed it, I plummetted to the ground landing flat on my back. Wind knocked out.

I've not entered a stand since 1990 without a belt/harness attached to my body. These mishaps were back when bowhunting wasn't as popular and neither were safety devices. I was lucky.

davidmil

I had one kick out on me back in the days of hugging the tree and pulling the Baker up with your feet. That was before anyone heard of hand climber sections. I landed on my bow and broke all my arrows. I had one stand that had a catastropic failure as I was climbing upthe first time in the woods. It left me hanging sideways 12 feet up. Two years ago I failed to heed the manufactures warning to attach a stabilizing strap and the bottom section let go. I was strapped in but just the little fall I had smashed my ribs on the top part as I fell and really screwed me up for a while. No air and all that. I've hunted with two people that suffered major injuries falling from homemade treestands and not being strapped in. One fell 25 feet breaking his pelvis, ribs and shoulder. We found him at 10PM 2 miles offthe main road. THe other suffered back injuries, separated pelvis and is now on disability. He fell within sight of his house.

RDHunter

Oh Yea ... I remember that day very well , happened about 12 years ago I was using a RiversEdge Big Foot Lounger you know the kind that has a strap instead of a chain.
I had it 24 feet up , well some how the strap got loose or streached out and I had forgot my safety harness that day.
When I sat down the stand started to slip and then tipped forward once that happened I lost my balance and went down 20 feet hitting every branch on the way down.
My whole entire left side of my body from my ankle to my shoulder was bady brused and sore , I was really surprized and thankful that I didn't break anything although I had a hard time breathing and walking.
I two - wayed my friend and with his help I managed to get out of the woods and drove to the hospital to get checked out.

Fieldmouse

Absolutely, I was between classes at the watering hole drinking beer and playing darts. Left there on the way back to class and the weather broke to a light drizzle, perfect hunting weather. I had all my hunting gear with me except my boots. I thought class, hunting,class,hunting, GONE! I wasn'teven buzzedby any means. My down fall was wet tree and my shoes. I didn'tangle the stand enough and was up about 20' trying to higher. The next thing I knew I was on the express trip down the tree. The stand did exactly what it was designed to do and absorbed my impact. I banged my knee but readjusted the stand and climbed right back up the tree. I shot a doe that night but couldn't walk the next day. My wife knew something happen and all I said was that I fell.

Campo

Nope, never plan to either. I wear a full bod harness all the time. Being an avid rock climber as well as a hunter, I know that small falls can kill you as dead as a long fall.
Only time I WONT wear a full body harness is when I am one of my permanent treestands. Reason being that I check them every year multiple times to assure safety. Even then, there is a backup platform below the main platform, so if one fails, there is a backup to catch me.

PreacherTony

It was back in 1983 .... about 300 yards from my house. I hunted all morning by myself, when it was time to come down, I locked my feet on the wooden platform, hugged the tree as there were no climbing aids then, or at least I couldn,t afford one, lifted my legs to loose the stand and the whole stinking thing fell right down to the ground.

I had a single saftey belt that was loose and there I was .... hanging 15' in a tree [X(]... my knife was in my backpack, already on the ground ... the tension was to tight to loose the strap .... all I had was a lighter, since at the time I smoked[:-]....but it was windy .... I started feeling faint as the lighter finally started melting the strap .... once that strap started to burn, the strap started to jerk .... I was just about out when it snapped and I fell all the way down.

I think because my body was os limp at that point, all I received was a sore body for a week.

Not that I recommend smoking, but it saved my life and the saftey belt almost killed me ... kinda weird huh? Since then I quit smoking, but always keep a lighter in my pocket.[X(]

wis_bow_huntr

yea but i was only 2 feet off the ground lol. i got tangled up in my climber.

furgitter

Not yet,but im sure my turn is coming up.

GR8atta2d

No haven't fallen..but back in my early days, I was (gulp) cross-bowhunting from a tree..no climber just climbed a big old tree. I dropped a broad head and with my lightening reflexes caught it before it fell to the gorund...yep caught the wrong end..ouch!