Wow....thanks for all the advice everybody. I've pretty much done what you guys are saying. All but the harness thing....I just use the one that came with my stand. It's a pain. I've been looking at the vest types though....$85 seems pretty cheap for some piece of mind.


Deerslayer.....I can tell you from experience a climbing stand is a LOT better than a hang on. I say this because, in my case anyhow, the place that feel the most vulnerable is when I am going from the ladder (or steps) to the stand, and from the stand to the steps. For the most part once I'm in the stand I'm ok, as long as I don't have to stand up.

With the climber you are in the stand, and most I've seen even have a bar around them, from the time you leave the ground. Also...when you think your high enough....you are!! Stop when you are comfortable. I like my climber. Once again....as long as I don't have to stand up.[:'(]

I have gutshot....it's just that I've seen SO MANY more deer when I have been in a treestand.....and I really don't mind the height...I actually enjoy it....If I wasn't so damn nervous I'd be fine.

I really think everybody has given me good advice....force myself to face it and get over it.

Achieve small victories by either climbing a little higher each time in your backyard or whiel hunting. Sooner or later you will overcome. My turning point was when I bought a good Summit stand with full body harness. I had the confidence the stand was solid and sound and that the harness made me feel totally secure. Nowadays, I go up 20 feet without a second thought. Of course, you need to be safe and cautious when climbing up and down and also picking the correct tree. My advice: Take it slow and make sure you are secure and using a decent stand.

When I was young I also had a fear of heights. I faced in head on as some have stated and hunting helped me overcome it. Then I got a couple of different jobs tha required me to work off the ground and that helped. Starting climing trees to shake out worms for catfishing etc etc. All of these things helped me to overcome it. However, my fear went full circle being overly bold. In my early 20s I would hunt the little el cheapo lock ons and be up 25 ft without a safety harness. Sometimes I would puposely take naps in those lock ons. That was pure ignorance though I didn't realize it at the time. Now I have 0 fear of heights byt a lot more respect. I always wear safety belts in my lock ons though I still don't wear them in my climber. I hunt out of API grand slams and have for years and I hunt them a LOT and I have never had a close call with it so i don't wear it. I am not recommending that others do it, it just seems to me like you almost have to work at it to fall out of one of those. JMO

Good luck with your challenge but I think you will prevail if you face it head on.

Stolen line from a comedian "I'm not afraid of heights, I'm afraid of widths".