I recommend that you get the injury stats from your DNR and go over them with him. Here in IL it is law that you report all injuries incurred while hunting and we have a book with the results.

Then he can see that injurieshappen to everyone. Old and young, newbies and experienced.

Most common injuries or course. Treestand falls (from platforms and ascending/descending) and getting shot.

But I wonder this. If he's 15/16, how can he be in possesion of a weapon without an adult with him?

But I wonder this. If he's 15/16, how can he be in possesion of a weapon without an adult with him?


i dont know where u are from uncle matt but in KY u can hut by ur self with out some on with u at 16 i dont know if it is like that any where else

At 15, kids think that they are indestructible. No matter how many stories they hear, they will feel like this is stuff that happens to others, not to them.

What you should do is talk to him honestly about the reasons you feel he should wear the harness and let him know that you trust him to do the right thing.

From that point on you’ll have to trust him because no matter what you tell him he will do what he will do when you are not there.

Good luck!

I'm not going to be touchy feely with you son of ultra man. Feel fortunate that you have an old man that is willing to take you out and teach you such an exillerating life sport. That's right...a life sport. A sport that if you are safe and responsible you will be doing for the rest of your life and maybe if you are real lucky, have the oppertunity to share with your own son or daughter someday. So man up buddy boy. The old man knows more than you. That's why it is him taking you out there and not the other way around. If hunted for over 30 years and I'm still learning new things all the time. That's why I'm a successful hunter. Your Dad is giving you lots of respect by placing a gun or bow in your hands at your age so give him the respect that he deserves. You do this by listenning! There are many kids out there that can only wish for what you have. A Dad that willing to share with you something that he does.

I would tell him you understandhow he feels and that he may not want to wear a safety belt or harness.

Ask him to do you a facor and wear it for you...his Dad.

Explain to him that is very impotant to you to know he is wearing some kind of safety device.
I think at his age he doesn't care about the consequences, he could care less about what has happended to other hunters who failed to wear one. I would use no scare tactics here.

Dad's usually don't ask for big favors from their kids, especially 15 olders....
I think he would honor your request, because he understands how important it is to you.

I had a friend using one of those climbing ones and it let go after he got up in the tree. He was pretty banged up but was lucky that nothing serious had happened to him. My self I choose to hunt from the ground after tying off to a bad branch and had the branch rip out of the tree sending me to the ground.. I too, was luckyn that nothing to awfull bad happened though I couldn't sit down very long as my back bothered me some what for a while.. I would tell him to use it, no if, ands, or, buts..

If he has a girlfriend, talk to her and tell her to ask him to wear it, that'll persuade him for sure. I have a friend who fell of the top rung of one of my homemade stands. Scaredme to death. Thank god he was ok.

I was thinking about girl friends also. 15 yrs. old with a car sogirls are next,point out that without the safety harness it's possible he could be laid up for life, and that's theonly laid he'll be!

The good Doctor has a buddy who fell 18 ft from a Su**it tree stand and had a compound fracture of the leg ...he laid in the woods for 6 hrs before he was found ..almost bled to death ...when he his the ground he hit feet first and when his leg broke the bone actually burring up in the ground .... ware a safty belt young man ..better safe then sorry !

dd