Had a scare today!
#1

Today i got a text while climbing down from my treestand that we all fear getting. I hit the ground and read my new message from my Dad, "HELP, HURRY IM HURT!" I can guarentee you that there has never been a man run faster with a treestand on his back. I sprinted to the truck, through my stuff on the ground and took off. He was hunting about 5 mins down the road. Not knowing what to expect when i got there I found him hanging upside down ten foot up the tree from the bottom of his climbing stand... On his way down the tree something caused the pin in the top section of his climber to come out, detaching the top section from the tree. Dad fell backward when the stand gave way and the foot straps on the bottom section caught his feet. Picture yourself as a child hanging upside down on the monkey bars with your knees... thats the position he was in... for about 20 mins! Luckily i ran into another of our club members to come help catch him when he fell after i shimmied up the tree and cut the straps. He was very weak and barely able to talk when i reached him from being all upside down for so long. With the blood being cut off from his feet for that period of time and stretching all the ligiments in his ankles he was in some serious pain when he got down. We sat on the ground at the base of his tree for about an hour while we waited for him to regaining feeling in his feet and assess the damage... Luckily there was NO MAJOR DAMAGE. He was able to walk around with a small limp for the rest of day. He's a stubborn ole fart and wouldnt go to the hospital and actually went hunting this afternoon. All seems well but it could have been so much worse! PRAISE GOD everything turned out ok! He Deffinatly had my old mans back this morning!
#2

I don't believe in God, don't praise any Lord, but glad he's safe and in good condition.. Great reaction time on your part to get to your father..Be thankful for the person who invented Cell Phones, and the cell phone service provider..
#3

Wow close call. I have owned a climber for a few years now and finally started to use it. A case can be made to always use a safety harness and as you climb or decend slide the tree safety strap to keep up.
#4
Spike
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 70

As much as I hate the damn things, I agree it's also a good reminder to bring your phone or radio and making sure people know where you are as accurately as you can. Maybe you won't get reception, but a chance of saving your butt is better than nothing. Glad you were there to make sure everything turned out ok.
Many of us probably would have been stuck until the wife finally got nervous and someone managed to find us. I don't even hunt that far into the woods, but I imagine my most likely scenario would be rescue (or retrieval) the next morning if I were incapacitated and couldn't get word out. Scary situation.
Many of us probably would have been stuck until the wife finally got nervous and someone managed to find us. I don't even hunt that far into the woods, but I imagine my most likely scenario would be rescue (or retrieval) the next morning if I were incapacitated and couldn't get word out. Scary situation.
Last edited by Gromky; 12-10-2011 at 06:54 AM.
#9

Might be time for a ground blind...
used one this past season, and it was like a condo! no wind... hidden away, movement concealed, I may start going this route more often whether or not required due to the weather...
really need to think about this stuff... If I fell... who would I call? how would I cut the straps?
also not everyone's cell phones work in all areas, so just because yours works, don't assume your dad's, buddy's, etc... cell phone will be working... good luck! hunt safe!
used one this past season, and it was like a condo! no wind... hidden away, movement concealed, I may start going this route more often whether or not required due to the weather...
really need to think about this stuff... If I fell... who would I call? how would I cut the straps?
also not everyone's cell phones work in all areas, so just because yours works, don't assume your dad's, buddy's, etc... cell phone will be working... good luck! hunt safe!