Help keep my son safe
 

Hi all, I have a 15 yr old son who's been hunting with me since he was 10. He's a good kid, but as like many boys his age, I think he feels a bit indestructable. He's always worn his safety harness while hunting with me, but he's got a car now, and soon will be going hunting with his buddies, and I won't be around all the time. He has questioned this safety practice before,(wearing a harness),as I have a couple of buddies that never wear a harness, and "They never got hurt." I also know personally of 2 guys, one who disemboweled himself on a screw in tree step, and another who broke his back when his lock on's buckle failed. If a couple of you would take the time to share any bad experiences you've had, or your buddies have had, and how it may have changed their lives, I think it would make a good read for him at this time. Thanks to all in advance. Mike

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

Tell him to do it for you! Ask him if he'd like for you to change his colostomy bag if he gets paralyzed. Ask him if he wants you to bathe him every day if he gets paralyzed. I think you get the picture. Tell him to wear his harness or forget about hunting!

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

if he loves his family, a gf or even his dog, he'd wear it....just takes a few seconds and it does save lives.

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

I would take your son and visit one of the guys that injured himself so that he can hear and see what happens when things go bad.

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

Do what my dad would have done to me, beat the S*** outta him if he doesnt do what you say...

besides, what is there to lose by wearing a harness? Certainly not your life...

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

I had a hunting spot near where I used to live. The family that lived there were avid hunters too. The son in his teens fell asleep in a treestand and broke his neck from the fall. He is confined to a wheel chair for the rest of his life now. Wear a harness!!! Ya it's inconvenient at times but you really can't afford to take a chance like that.

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

i fell 25 feet out of a tree stand becaus i didnt have a safty harness i didnt get hurt think got but i was really sore the next day. i had a budd get killed by one too he fell out of the stand an hung his self but with my own personal experience i think every one should wear one

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

Even if you do just break a leg or something like that, now you are wounded animal, do you want to be eaten by wolves?

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

This year one of my dads friends was coming down the ladder of his standand one of the steps broke and he fell about 20 feet and landed on his back. His hunting knife cut through all of his clothes and almost into his leg, which would have been very bad because the nearest hospital was about 45 minutes away, plus the 50 acres of land he would have had to walk just to get to the truck.He wasnt permanently hurt but the whole experience has changed his opinion about wearing a harness.

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

Theres a guy wheeling around where I live because he didnt have a harness. I also saw on tv a guy fell out of a tree broke his back/neck (cant remember which) he landed on a fireant hill and layed there for several hours getting manhandled by ants, But hey at least he looked cool up in the tree with no harness!

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

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?

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

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

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

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!

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

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.

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

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.

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

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..

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

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.

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

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!

RE: Help keep my son safe
 

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