View Poll Results: How often do you where a safety harness in your tree stand?
100% Never go hunting without one!
45
54.88%
75% I normally do... but sometimes I forget.
17
20.73%
50% Only in my climber.
7
8.54%
Never! If squirrels don't fall from trees, neither will I.
13
15.85%
Voters: 82. You may not vote on this poll
How many honestly where a harness when in your tree stand?
07-02-2013, 06:54 AM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: LaPorte, IN
Posts: 1,111
It is very easy using my Lone Wolf climber with harness attached to tree 100% of time. No big deal to inch it up as I climb. It's simply a part of my hunting regiment. I hunt anywhere from 18' to 30' up. But I would not hunt at any height without it attached at all times.
07-02-2013, 08:28 AM
#22
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,083
Only time I don't is when I'm in the short 12' later stand. With the lounger type seat and shooting / safety rail, I feel safe. I always wear one when I'm hunting from my hang on stand that I usually hang about 20'. Also, like others noted, it's the climb up and down where I would think the best chance for a slip and fall might happen. And in all honesty, I rarely am attached when I am climbing unless it is wet or icy. I think I will at least get a larger D-Ring, so I can hook onto my climbing stick while going up & down, this coming season.
07-02-2013, 02:27 PM
#23
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 1,462
I hated mine for a long time and tried to only wear it when I was in higher hang on stands. Last year I decided to purchase a HSS ultra Lite Harness and absolutely love it. I never feel like I am wearing a harness and its super easy to take on and off. Now, I wear it every time out, not matter what stand I'm in.
I never wore one in ladder stands until last year. I was hunting right around dusk when a great horned owl came in and mistook my head for dinner. I never saw him coming and he pulled up about two feet from my face and I only spotted him because I turned my head when he was three feet away. I was super close to taking a tumble out of my stand that night. If that owl would have hit me or came from behind, ladder stand or hang on, I would have been falling. Expect the unexpected. You might have control over yourself but if a owl, hawk, squirrel, raccoon, etc is surprised by you and they feel like they are going to be harmed, they could come after you. They might now harm you physically but as your waving your arms, you sure as heck could go for a tumble.
I never wore one in ladder stands until last year. I was hunting right around dusk when a great horned owl came in and mistook my head for dinner. I never saw him coming and he pulled up about two feet from my face and I only spotted him because I turned my head when he was three feet away. I was super close to taking a tumble out of my stand that night. If that owl would have hit me or came from behind, ladder stand or hang on, I would have been falling. Expect the unexpected. You might have control over yourself but if a owl, hawk, squirrel, raccoon, etc is surprised by you and they feel like they are going to be harmed, they could come after you. They might now harm you physically but as your waving your arms, you sure as heck could go for a tumble.
07-04-2013, 04:43 AM
#24
Spike
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Md.eastern shore
Posts: 79
Get a harness system !! Don't be a fool !! If you dont die from the fall you could spend the rest of your life having your diaper changed !! I slipped once coming down from my ladder stand and fell 15 feet and broke my leg, I was lucky !! I hunt out of fixed hang on stands on my property and they all have the HSS lifelines on them, safest way to climb tree and get in and out of a stand!! GET A HARNESS SYSTEM and use it!!
07-04-2013, 09:15 AM
#25
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 2,186
100% of the time. No exception. To those who do not, here are two real events ... both very close to me.
My brother fell from a 10' ladder stand. Concussion. Fractured skull. Broken neck. He was lucky to have not severed his spinal chord. Nerve damage left him forever at about a 50% loss of upper body strength. He remembers to this day no details of the fall. Investigation indicated that the home made ladder stand platform supports had been made from untreated pine and had rotted. They simply gave way.
A good friend was removing a rather large dead limb just before settling into his climber. The limb broke before he thought it would and knocked him backwards. He managed to slide his feet under a part of the frame of the lower section of the climber, otherwise would have tumbled out backwards. Already was severely injured. This guy was one heck of an athelete. But try as he might, he was unable upright himself. He hung there for about an hour hoping for help to come by. He felt as if he were going to pass out and feared shock was setting in. So he wriggled himself out and dropped about 15' into under brush. Dragged himself to his ATV. Drove to where he had cell service and called for help. Suffered a double compound fracture of his left leg just above the ankle, severe dislocation of his right ankle, broken collar bone, 2 broken ribs , punctured lung .... thankfully he survived, but will never recover fully from the ankle damage.
Neither were wearing (or had ever worn) a harness of any type.
My brother fell from a 10' ladder stand. Concussion. Fractured skull. Broken neck. He was lucky to have not severed his spinal chord. Nerve damage left him forever at about a 50% loss of upper body strength. He remembers to this day no details of the fall. Investigation indicated that the home made ladder stand platform supports had been made from untreated pine and had rotted. They simply gave way.
A good friend was removing a rather large dead limb just before settling into his climber. The limb broke before he thought it would and knocked him backwards. He managed to slide his feet under a part of the frame of the lower section of the climber, otherwise would have tumbled out backwards. Already was severely injured. This guy was one heck of an athelete. But try as he might, he was unable upright himself. He hung there for about an hour hoping for help to come by. He felt as if he were going to pass out and feared shock was setting in. So he wriggled himself out and dropped about 15' into under brush. Dragged himself to his ATV. Drove to where he had cell service and called for help. Suffered a double compound fracture of his left leg just above the ankle, severe dislocation of his right ankle, broken collar bone, 2 broken ribs , punctured lung .... thankfully he survived, but will never recover fully from the ankle damage.
Neither were wearing (or had ever worn) a harness of any type.
Last edited by Mojotex; 07-05-2013 at 10:56 AM.
07-04-2013, 10:21 AM
#26
Spike
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Morgantown, WV
Posts: 10
Harness
Please guys, wear a harness. I am a Respiratory Therapist at WVU Hospital. I work in the Adult ICU's, and can't tell you how many people end up quadraplegic, paraplegic, or have died from treestand falls. Or worse, people who are vegatables the rest of their lives from terrible brain injuries. It's not worth the risk. Safe hunting guys.
07-07-2013, 10:05 AM
#30
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,834