The day was Nov. 6th of this year. The place was Pike county Il. It was the first day of the hunt and expectations were high. I was hunting a fence row with CPR in front of me and an uncut beanfield behind me. At four pm I noticed several deer working their way out into the beanfield. Than I noticed a beautiful 180 class buck angling away from me at 150 yard. I grunted and he stopped and looked than proceded in the same direction. After four grunts with similar results he turned around and headed toward a doe. As he neared her she started walking on a course that would take her behind my stand. She passed behind me at thirty yards with him fifty yards behind. Perfect I thought as I slowly stood and turned to prepare for a shot. As he came close to my shooting lane I began to draw back. What the heck I said to myself. Something was preventing me from drawing my bow back. Now the buck is stopped in my shooting lane and I realize it is the strap from the safety restraing blocking my are. By than my window of opportunity is gone as the huge buck continued on. I normally never wear a restraint device so was unaware of the potential of it blocking your draw. Apparently I had the strap attached to the tree too high. I never got another chance at that buck or any others that week It was a painful error on my part that will eat at me for a long time. I am going back to Pike county dec. 28th to try and ease the pain................dabow

That sucks, been there done that!!!!

I have not used a safety harness for 30 years because I feel so restricted and also feel it is a good way to hang myself in my opinon. I feel if you are in good physical condition, alert and prepared for the hunt in all aspects- take the garb off and enjoy the hunt. Who needs more straps/ accessories hanging around you. Depends alot on your personal balance and staying awake.

Let's us all know where you live so we can keep an eye out for your obituary. 30 years is an impressive streak, but it will end sooner or later. Unless you hunt stands that are built like tree houses, always where a safety belt of somekind.

Dabowhunter, Its all hindsight now, but you should have done a few practice draws to see what felt comfortable. I've found by doing this that there are certain angles I just wont be able to shoot. If the angle is critical, i'll adjust. If not, any deer that comes that direction will just be lucky that day.

Not wearing a harness is just asking for a serious injury or worse. No deer is worth that.

I agree with Duckmastor2 that a few practice draws would have helped . Good luck later in the month gettig another shot at that buck. At least you where wearing a harness .I was not paying atenchen this fall and tested out a harness first time in 24 years I needed it ,I just got a few scrapes not a pine box.

I feel your pain. Had a similar experience earlier this year, where the tree strap component had slid down to the stand and I couldn't get in postion to draw before the buck was gone. I changed straps to an extra long version.

One of the first things I do after getting set up is draw my bow and make sure I can shoot in the directions I am hoping for a chance..........not foolproof but it helps.

Not wearing a safety harness is about the dumbest thing a bowhunter can do. No one ever thinks or anticipates they are gonna fall......it just happens in the blink of an eye and you may end up just shaken up or you may end up dead. How would you enjoy spending your life in a wheelchair because you didn't wear a harness. My brother works with numerous guys that have fallen out of stands and it's not pretty.

No deer is worth getting hurt or killed for.

I hunt out of a Summit that I have 100% confidence in..........and I ALWAYS wear my SOP harness..........makes me feel even better. It would take a complete mechanical failure of my stand for me to fall and even then I would just be dangling from the tree..........not crippled up at the bottom of it.

I know a guy who used to think the same thing. Now, he gets to spend the rest of his life in a wheel chair. He is paralized from the waist down. He is also 31 years old.

I agree, I even like to leave one arrow in my quiver with a field tip on it and take a practice shot a leaf in order to get my confidence up.

I think the safety device is great piece of equipment ,but I do agree that it hinder's while preparing for that ultimate shot .Regardless I'll wear mine in most situation's but there has been time's I'll leave it behind. The only thing i can say is that an accident can happen at any time and I'd sooner miss out on a shot than to fall and injure or even die from not wearing it. I use my harness all the time when using my climber or fixxed stand's ,biut when i'm in a ladder stand I feel much more comfortable and don't find that i need to use it .I know even in a ladder stand you can fall ,but I feel much more secure in the ladder stand.



nubo