ANOTHER treestand accident
12-16-2008, 11:36 AM
#12
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Phoenixville, PA USA
Posts: 5,541
RE: ANOTHER treestand accident
ORIGINAL: teedub31
I am ready to get flamed once again for this. It is unfortutnate that you friend is seriously injured, especially since a harness would most likely helped. However, your story is typical of all the other treestand horror stories when you said "I don't know the specfics". In most of these stories, the injured hunter (harnessed or not) is hunting in a tree or in conditions vastly unfavorable to tree stand hunting. I realize that it could have truly been an accident where everything was 99.999% perfect and he suffered a fall. But the vast majority of tree stabnd accidents happen because of situations were the person should have never been in the tree in the 1st place. I am tired of hearing how the #1 thing you can do to ensure your safety is to wear a harness. Honestly, that is #2. The #1 safety precaution is your sound judgement in whether you should get in the tree in the 1st placeto even warrant putting a harness on.I am just of the opinion thatharnesses give hunters afalse sense of security to hunt stands and conditions that say you should be on the ground in the 1st place.
But I fully expect everyone toread this post and somehow find those invisible words thatimply that I said wearing a harness is dumb and pointless.
ORIGINAL: muzzyman88
Guys, I know this has been said before but I just want to share this with you. This one hit close to home for me. I just found out a friend of mine, who I talk to regularly had a bad treestand accident the first week of our rifle season. He hunts a peice of property not far from ours with his dad and older brother. I don't know the specifics, but I do know that he is in hospital with a broken pelvis, punctured lung and a concussion.
He was not wearing a safety harness.
I have mixed feelings right now about this. One part of me feels bad for him, for being injured. The other side of me does not. I gave him a spare harness I got with one of my stands because I knew he didn't wear one.
Thankfully, he's still around. I can now give him a few lumps on his head and give him hell for not using it.
These types of accidents can be prevented. If you do not wear one, you're either an idiot, don't care about your family and ones that love you, or don't care if you will be able to hunt the following year or not. I don't care if you're in good shape, have hunted without one for 20 years etc., etc. All it takes is one little slip. No one looks macho or tough in a geri-chair being hand fed their dinner.
Sorry for being so brutally honest. I needed to share this.
Guys, I know this has been said before but I just want to share this with you. This one hit close to home for me. I just found out a friend of mine, who I talk to regularly had a bad treestand accident the first week of our rifle season. He hunts a peice of property not far from ours with his dad and older brother. I don't know the specifics, but I do know that he is in hospital with a broken pelvis, punctured lung and a concussion.
He was not wearing a safety harness.
I have mixed feelings right now about this. One part of me feels bad for him, for being injured. The other side of me does not. I gave him a spare harness I got with one of my stands because I knew he didn't wear one.
Thankfully, he's still around. I can now give him a few lumps on his head and give him hell for not using it.
These types of accidents can be prevented. If you do not wear one, you're either an idiot, don't care about your family and ones that love you, or don't care if you will be able to hunt the following year or not. I don't care if you're in good shape, have hunted without one for 20 years etc., etc. All it takes is one little slip. No one looks macho or tough in a geri-chair being hand fed their dinner.
Sorry for being so brutally honest. I needed to share this.
But I fully expect everyone toread this post and somehow find those invisible words thatimply that I said wearing a harness is dumb and pointless.
When I start getting lazy or cheap in thinking about the use of a harness or purchase of more safety lines (that sometimes cost more than a hang on stand) I think about my little boy and how hurt he would be if daddy didn't come home because he was stupid. There is no reason in the world not to wear one and every reason you should.
12-16-2008, 11:53 AM
#13
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 564
RE: ANOTHER treestand accident
ORIGINAL: HuntingBry
I'm not disagreeing with you as common sense and discretion should be used, but what conditions are your referring to specifically? Rain, ice, wind? I'm just curious because with the way stands are made now and the fact that even with ladder stands and hang ons you can have an arrest rope going from the ground to the stand with a prussic knot there is really know condition that could supercede wearing and using a harness.
When I start getting lazy or cheap in thinking about the use of a harness or purchase of more safety lines (that sometimes cost more than a hang on stand) I think about my little boy and how hurt he would be if daddy didn't come home because he was stupid. There is no reason in the world not to wear one and every reason you should.
ORIGINAL: teedub31
I am ready to get flamed once again for this. It is unfortutnate that you friend is seriously injured, especially since a harness would most likely helped. However, your story is typical of all the other treestand horror stories when you said "I don't know the specfics". In most of these stories, the injured hunter (harnessed or not) is hunting in a tree or in conditions vastly unfavorable to tree stand hunting. I realize that it could have truly been an accident where everything was 99.999% perfect and he suffered a fall. But the vast majority of tree stabnd accidents happen because of situations were the person should have never been in the tree in the 1st place. I am tired of hearing how the #1 thing you can do to ensure your safety is to wear a harness. Honestly, that is #2. The #1 safety precaution is your sound judgement in whether you should get in the tree in the 1st placeto even warrant putting a harness on.I am just of the opinion thatharnesses give hunters afalse sense of security to hunt stands and conditions that say you should be on the ground in the 1st place.
But I fully expect everyone toread this post and somehow find those invisible words thatimply that I said wearing a harness is dumb and pointless.
ORIGINAL: muzzyman88
Guys, I know this has been said before but I just want to share this with you. This one hit close to home for me. I just found out a friend of mine, who I talk to regularly had a bad treestand accident the first week of our rifle season. He hunts a peice of property not far from ours with his dad and older brother. I don't know the specifics, but I do know that he is in hospital with a broken pelvis, punctured lung and a concussion.
He was not wearing a safety harness.
I have mixed feelings right now about this. One part of me feels bad for him, for being injured. The other side of me does not. I gave him a spare harness I got with one of my stands because I knew he didn't wear one.
Thankfully, he's still around. I can now give him a few lumps on his head and give him hell for not using it.
These types of accidents can be prevented. If you do not wear one, you're either an idiot, don't care about your family and ones that love you, or don't care if you will be able to hunt the following year or not. I don't care if you're in good shape, have hunted without one for 20 years etc., etc. All it takes is one little slip. No one looks macho or tough in a geri-chair being hand fed their dinner.
Sorry for being so brutally honest. I needed to share this.
Guys, I know this has been said before but I just want to share this with you. This one hit close to home for me. I just found out a friend of mine, who I talk to regularly had a bad treestand accident the first week of our rifle season. He hunts a peice of property not far from ours with his dad and older brother. I don't know the specifics, but I do know that he is in hospital with a broken pelvis, punctured lung and a concussion.
He was not wearing a safety harness.
I have mixed feelings right now about this. One part of me feels bad for him, for being injured. The other side of me does not. I gave him a spare harness I got with one of my stands because I knew he didn't wear one.
Thankfully, he's still around. I can now give him a few lumps on his head and give him hell for not using it.
These types of accidents can be prevented. If you do not wear one, you're either an idiot, don't care about your family and ones that love you, or don't care if you will be able to hunt the following year or not. I don't care if you're in good shape, have hunted without one for 20 years etc., etc. All it takes is one little slip. No one looks macho or tough in a geri-chair being hand fed their dinner.
Sorry for being so brutally honest. I needed to share this.
But I fully expect everyone toread this post and somehow find those invisible words thatimply that I said wearing a harness is dumb and pointless.
When I start getting lazy or cheap in thinking about the use of a harness or purchase of more safety lines (that sometimes cost more than a hang on stand) I think about my little boy and how hurt he would be if daddy didn't come home because he was stupid. There is no reason in the world not to wear one and every reason you should.
12-16-2008, 11:57 AM
#14
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Phoenixville, PA USA
Posts: 5,541
RE: ANOTHER treestand accident
ORIGINAL: teedub31
Don't take my term conditions to literaly mean weather. Sure it could be weather. But it could be illness, fatigue from working late/hard, poor tree selection, improper installation, use of ill-constructed homemade stands (not that all homemade stand are bad, just alot of people really have now idea how to make them safely),stand height (15-18 ft is enough, 30-40ft will often cause cases of delirium and fauiled depth perception) improper climbing appuratus (IE steps too far apart, step made to step up, not down onto a platform) etc. These conditions are just asking for a hunter to fall. YOur and idiot to even get in a tree during these scenarios even with a harness. And it is these scenarios that will account for nearly all falls from a treestand. I am not saying that a harness is not a good idea, it is just a better idea to not put yourself in a situation where the probabilty of needing it is greatly increased.
ORIGINAL: HuntingBry
I'm not disagreeing with you as common sense and discretion should be used, but what conditions are your referring to specifically? Rain, ice, wind? I'm just curious because with the way stands are made now and the fact that even with ladder stands and hang ons you can have an arrest rope going from the ground to the stand with a prussic knot there is really know condition that could supercede wearing and using a harness.
When I start getting lazy or cheap in thinking about the use of a harness or purchase of more safety lines (that sometimes cost more than a hang on stand) I think about my little boy and how hurt he would be if daddy didn't come home because he was stupid. There is no reason in the world not to wear one and every reason you should.
ORIGINAL: teedub31
I am ready to get flamed once again for this. It is unfortutnate that you friend is seriously injured, especially since a harness would most likely helped. However, your story is typical of all the other treestand horror stories when you said "I don't know the specfics". In most of these stories, the injured hunter (harnessed or not) is hunting in a tree or in conditions vastly unfavorable to tree stand hunting. I realize that it could have truly been an accident where everything was 99.999% perfect and he suffered a fall. But the vast majority of tree stabnd accidents happen because of situations were the person should have never been in the tree in the 1st place. I am tired of hearing how the #1 thing you can do to ensure your safety is to wear a harness. Honestly, that is #2. The #1 safety precaution is your sound judgement in whether you should get in the tree in the 1st placeto even warrant putting a harness on.I am just of the opinion thatharnesses give hunters afalse sense of security to hunt stands and conditions that say you should be on the ground in the 1st place.
But I fully expect everyone toread this post and somehow find those invisible words thatimply that I said wearing a harness is dumb and pointless.
ORIGINAL: muzzyman88
Guys, I know this has been said before but I just want to share this with you. This one hit close to home for me. I just found out a friend of mine, who I talk to regularly had a bad treestand accident the first week of our rifle season. He hunts a peice of property not far from ours with his dad and older brother. I don't know the specifics, but I do know that he is in hospital with a broken pelvis, punctured lung and a concussion.
He was not wearing a safety harness.
I have mixed feelings right now about this. One part of me feels bad for him, for being injured. The other side of me does not. I gave him a spare harness I got with one of my stands because I knew he didn't wear one.
Thankfully, he's still around. I can now give him a few lumps on his head and give him hell for not using it.
These types of accidents can be prevented. If you do not wear one, you're either an idiot, don't care about your family and ones that love you, or don't care if you will be able to hunt the following year or not. I don't care if you're in good shape, have hunted without one for 20 years etc., etc. All it takes is one little slip. No one looks macho or tough in a geri-chair being hand fed their dinner.
Sorry for being so brutally honest. I needed to share this.
Guys, I know this has been said before but I just want to share this with you. This one hit close to home for me. I just found out a friend of mine, who I talk to regularly had a bad treestand accident the first week of our rifle season. He hunts a peice of property not far from ours with his dad and older brother. I don't know the specifics, but I do know that he is in hospital with a broken pelvis, punctured lung and a concussion.
He was not wearing a safety harness.
I have mixed feelings right now about this. One part of me feels bad for him, for being injured. The other side of me does not. I gave him a spare harness I got with one of my stands because I knew he didn't wear one.
Thankfully, he's still around. I can now give him a few lumps on his head and give him hell for not using it.
These types of accidents can be prevented. If you do not wear one, you're either an idiot, don't care about your family and ones that love you, or don't care if you will be able to hunt the following year or not. I don't care if you're in good shape, have hunted without one for 20 years etc., etc. All it takes is one little slip. No one looks macho or tough in a geri-chair being hand fed their dinner.
Sorry for being so brutally honest. I needed to share this.
But I fully expect everyone toread this post and somehow find those invisible words thatimply that I said wearing a harness is dumb and pointless.
When I start getting lazy or cheap in thinking about the use of a harness or purchase of more safety lines (that sometimes cost more than a hang on stand) I think about my little boy and how hurt he would be if daddy didn't come home because he was stupid. There is no reason in the world not to wear one and every reason you should.
12-16-2008, 12:25 PM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blanchester Ohio USA
Posts: 1,269
RE: ANOTHER treestand accident
Well I for one hope all you guys use a harness and as teedub31 pointed out Some common sense when climbing.
I hate hearing these stories. I would hate for any od you guys to get hurt. I have too few hunting friends to loose any of them. I consider you all in that. Localy I only have a few friends that hunt so its nice to trade stories and see pics from you all on here.
So do me a favor... Use your head and wear a harness!
I hate hearing these stories. I would hate for any od you guys to get hurt. I have too few hunting friends to loose any of them. I consider you all in that. Localy I only have a few friends that hunt so its nice to trade stories and see pics from you all on here.
So do me a favor... Use your head and wear a harness!
12-16-2008, 12:35 PM
#16
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: ANOTHER treestand accident
I've got a girlfriend I went to high school with that I stayed in touch with for a while. She ended up dating a guy for a while that was hitting her. They'd break up....she'd go back. He'd hit her.....break up....she'd go back. Last I heard....they were still together.
I look at people who fall from trees (because they weren't hooked up) like I do this girl. I have sympathy for their families.
I look at people who fall from trees (because they weren't hooked up) like I do this girl. I have sympathy for their families.
12-16-2008, 12:49 PM
#17
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 518
RE: ANOTHER treestand accident
Yep hate to hear it. But since we are on the subject, well sort of.
Please everyone for your own safety.
Wear your seatbelt, eat healthy, exercise, don't smoke, don't drink, don't speed, wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle, wear a helmet while riding a bike, be careful putting up your Christmas lights, never stick a fork in a toaster, always wear your life jacket while in a boat, never use a saw without safety glasses, never cut the grass without long pants and safety glasses, wear sun block, don't go out in the cold with wet hair, chew your food good, and last but certainly not least. Don't mess with Chuck Norris.
Just trying to be a nice guy and look out for what is in your best interest.
Please everyone for your own safety.
Wear your seatbelt, eat healthy, exercise, don't smoke, don't drink, don't speed, wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle, wear a helmet while riding a bike, be careful putting up your Christmas lights, never stick a fork in a toaster, always wear your life jacket while in a boat, never use a saw without safety glasses, never cut the grass without long pants and safety glasses, wear sun block, don't go out in the cold with wet hair, chew your food good, and last but certainly not least. Don't mess with Chuck Norris.
Just trying to be a nice guy and look out for what is in your best interest.
12-16-2008, 12:53 PM
#18
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Central PA
Posts: 2,299
RE: ANOTHER treestand accident
teedub, you make some very good points and I 100% agree with you regarding proper installation, setup and overal common sense.
But things can and do fail sometimes. I know my installations are as safe as I can possibly make them. However, I will not put my trust in anything and will wear my harness every single time I'm off the ground.
Sure, its takes me a bit longer to hang a stand. I use a linemans belt along with the harness tether as I go up and set the steps, but it makes me feel a lot better.
But things can and do fail sometimes. I know my installations are as safe as I can possibly make them. However, I will not put my trust in anything and will wear my harness every single time I'm off the ground.
Sure, its takes me a bit longer to hang a stand. I use a linemans belt along with the harness tether as I go up and set the steps, but it makes me feel a lot better.
12-16-2008, 10:12 PM
#19
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 359
RE: ANOTHER treestand accident
My largest motivation to consistantly wear one is what i observe when i drop something out of my stand. I see how hard it hits and then imagine how hard 190lbs would hit from 15 feet up and it makes me cringe. Hook up boys and stay safe.
12-16-2008, 10:39 PM
#20
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Henderson, KY
Posts: 1,760
RE: ANOTHER treestand accident
ORIGINAL: HuntingEd
Its terrible, I know a few guys that dont use one either!
I'm so cautious I even wear my safety harness on the walk to the tree!
Its terrible, I know a few guys that dont use one either!
I'm so cautious I even wear my safety harness on the walk to the tree!
Derek