I am bored; time for another broken ankle post. This pertains to hangon stand hunters.When climbing a tree, whetherusing climbing sticks or stickladders, have you ever fell or about fell when at the top, simply because you were attempting to hook up your safety rope to the tree and your harnass before stepping onto your treestand? Same thing can happen when decending. I have had a few close calls over the years, but haven never fallen. I always think to myself of how ironic it is that the only safety issue with my style of hunting is using the safety equipment.

I fell from my treestand about 12 years ago , 20 foot drop hitting every branch on the way down but it wasn't from climbing into or coming down.
The treestand itself became loose , the strap had been streached but I didn't realize that until I sat down and no I didn't have my harness or lineyard on that day.
Lession learned was never forget your safety harness/ lineyard and allways check your stand for security before you step on the platform.

Ouch RD!!! That just made me hurt.

been there and done that now, i think it knocked a little sense in me, i was hanging my stand using screw in steps and my soles of my boots must have been wet because i looked up to see how much farther i had and down i went. 20 foot straight down and luckily the ground broke my fall . Broken arm, nicks and bruises, and a nasty bruise later, i now use a linemans type setup to hang them. Almost missed bowseason because of it, i was lucky. To beat it all, of course guys get that "im not hurt dont worry" attitude so i shot my bow and hit some golf balls and i just thought i sprained my wrist. So i didnt tell anyone till the next day and after some xrays and a trip to the doctor i had a cast.....lesson learned

Ouch Cougars!! I use a linesman too for hanging my climbing sticks. When going past a limb, I once again have to take my hand and unattach my rope and then reattach myself once past the limb. More chance againof falling because of using a hand for a rope hookup instead of hanging unto the tree. There is nofail proof, totally safe way to hunt out of a hangon.

I have gone with the climber idea, but climbers are too tree specific and will not work in every tree like a hangon does. I feelclimbers are safer though as you are hooked in before you ever leave the ground.

Made you ... trust meyou wouldn't wanted to be me that day.
My entire left side from my ankle to my shoulder was sore and badly brused.
Put me out for the rest of the season that year.

Thank's guy's! I'm ground hunting from now on. Nothing like that has ever happend to me and I hope it don't. SAFETY FIRST, SAFTEY FIRST, SAFETY FIRST............................................. ......................

well i like the climber idea but they can be a lil loud and i like the thought of a hang on and just get to me tree and up the tree in 30secs. I use both though, it just depends on where im hunting. I LOVE hunting on the ground at public land during rifle.

The older I get the more fearful I become. I have never hooked up my safety harness until I get into my hangon stands. For that matter I have never hooked it up until I reach my chosen height using a climber. I always hang my stands using LW sticks or screwin steps without any type of linesman device, balancing myself on the steps, staying close to the tree, carefully handling the chain or strap.

But all of that is going to change this next season.......I've tempted fate too often.