rockytop

Safety harnesses are so easy to use and come with almost every new tree stand but people still refuse to wear them. We had a local 62 year old man fall from his stand and break his neck and several other bones while putting up his treestand and preparing for the upcoming bow season. He's not paralyzed but is in a coma. If you can, I'd appreciate some prayers for this life long deer hunter, his name is Fred Cook.
I know most of you have seen the light and use your harnesses but lets encourage everybody to do this right. It's not just you that's affected when you fall, it's family, friends and all deer hunters. Let's have a safe season.

adams

I hate to hear these stories but it's good to bring them to light. Accidents happen in the woods no matter how good you are at tree climbing or are at heights. Wet bark, a quick nap, or a miss step while drawing on an animal it can and dose happen. I appreciate you posting this Rockytop. I'll keep Mr. Cook in my thoughts.

by23856

I just got a summit stand and got the seat o' the pants harness with it. I love it. It is comfortable and the safety that I feel from wearing it is second to none. Up until now I either did not use anything or used just a belt around my waist type. The added security of the 4 point harness is great.

I am still bad on one thing, though. I haven't wrapped the safety rope around the tree while climbing up the tree yet. I have used it coming down, but not going up. I'll change that this weekend. I just want to be able to hunt another 30-40 years and using the harness will definitely up the odds of me doing so.

A question, though. In the summit video, Tom Miranda says that 30% of hunters using treestands fall out of them. That seemed a little high to me. Can anyone confirm those numbers?

adams

I wonder if he means over the course of a life time. That I could believe. I know a few who've made the plundge.

Katbones

Thanks for the heads up Rockytop, safety first can't be said enough.
i'll keep Mr. Cook in my prayers.

smokpole

I would say that most tree stand related accidents are from hunters that fall while either putting up thier stand or while exiting thier stand. That's when you are most vunerable and when your least likley to be wearing a saftey harness. I'm guilty of this myself. I always use a saftey strap, but seldom to I wear it climbing into or out of my stand.

JeramyK

I'm sorry to hear about the accident. [&:] We'll keep Fred in our prayers. Keep us posted if you can.

outbackshooter

i couldn't have said it better, To make a long story short, last year i was hanging a stand during bow season at about 18 feet, i was standing on a screw in step with one foot, and a hemlock branch with the other foot while i was hanging the stand, all of a sudden the branch broke and down i went i hit the ground and couldn't believe i was still alive, then i felt a pain in my arm, looked down and had a hole about the size of a quarter and was bleeding very badly(the hole was from a tree step) it shredded my shirt and blood everywhere, i walked to my truck and drove down the road and my uncle took me to the emergency room and got 11 stitches, by the doctor said another 1/2 inch it would have caught the main artery and i could have bled to death. so the next day my wife ordered me a full body harness with a linemans belt also. the other day i hung my stand and after years of hanging sideways, holding tree with one hand and triing to findangle the stand to hook it up, i used the harness with the linemans belt and let me tell you it was so easy, i just wish i would have thiught of using one years ago. incidentally i have always used one to strap in the tree once i was up there, but never while hanging one, so be careful this year that is how you fall, i will also keep your friend im my prayers too. after another episode like this i hope all of you guys and girls don't climb into a stand or hand a stand without the full harness and the linemans belt this season.

Lefty26

My safety harness saved my butt twice last year in 5 min. I was shooting at a deer behind the tree it was during shotgun season. The recoil knocked me off balance and I fell out but was just hanging there but my harness. I climbed back into my stand and looked back and the deer was still standing there.....so I bent around the tree shot again and fell right back out......buck fever makes your brain do funny stuff, I guarentee if I wouldnt have hit the deer the second time I would have climbed back in and shot again and probaly would have fell out a 3rd time. Us MD boys aint to bright sometimes, but I sure was thanking that 4 point harness once it was all over. My hunting buddies still make fun of me for that one.

cardeer

Yep happens every year. we will remember him