http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqfkK3h2jqM

should have left "all kinds of stuff" at home and just went hunting

Couple years ago I was wearing a safety strap that was put on incorrectly. I put weight on the belt and the fastener slipped. I went down 20+ feet and thank God.. can still walk. Thought I did everything correctly and still ended up on my back. Not fun. I wish no hunters fall out of any stands this year. It is terrible.

I don't sit on a ladder stand without a harness on, much less a climber.

We have a family friend that fell asleep in a deer stand with no harness, fell out of the stand, and is now paralyzed from the neck down.

ditto. Nothing is worth the chance of falling

The sad thing to me is to read the posts after the video. Their are some heartless, cruel people in this world. You don't see stuff like that on hunting sites very often. This is a tragedy and I can't imagine going through what Mike has endured. I have hunted without a safety belt on more than one occassion. Thankfully old age and common sense are catching up with me. I fell about 15 feet climbing down a stand when I was 19. Back them it knocked the breath out of me, but I don't think I'd be so lucky now.

thats horrible its shows you how you need to be extra careful when hunting especialy in a treestand atleast he is not paralized thanks the Lord for that safe hunting everyone

The usage of nail and board homemade stands should be addressed IMHO. I only use welded, well made heavy aluminum ladder stands most of the time that I check over each season before opening day.

In this case being careful or experienced had nothing to do with it.............The stand broke!