Hey Y'all;

The thread about how high we hunt enlightened me to the fact that I'm not totally alone. There are others here, who hunt from treestands, that are not totally all fired up and crazy about heights.

It's almost embarassing. If I get a few feet off the ground I get shakey. Even in a ladder stand, and you can't get too much more stable than a ladderstand. Now....don't misunderstand....I'm not phobic....When I'm sitting down in my treestand I'm OK. I can look around, look down, no problem. Shoot sitting down...also no problem. When I have my issue is when I have to stand up. I feel like I have to be hanging on. Not comfortable if I'm not.

Picture yourself trying to shoot your bow with one hand latched onto the bar of your treestand. Doesn't work does it?

My question is how do you deal? How do you hunt from a tree stand when you are shaking?

Some things I have done.....may sound stupid.....My front porch has two outcroppings on it, about a foot wide and 2 feet long, about 1 1/2 feet off the ground. This "platform" is smaller than my treestand. I've started standing on it. To prove to myself that I can stand on that small a space, without hanging on to anything, and not fall off. I stand on one foot, I jump back and forth from one to the other and have never fallen off. Standing on them I'm not the least bit nervous. I guess it's because I know I'm only 18" off the ground, and not 18'.

Don't bother suggesting a safety strap. I never leave the ground without one. I don't even sit in my ladderstand without it. Takes me forever to get my climbing stand up a tree. Slide up the belt, slide up the upper portion of the stand, slide up the lower, slide up the belt, etc, etc, etc.......


Suggestions??? Just don't laugh at me.[8D]

Thanks;

King first of all how old are you?

Second, fear is what will get you in trouble.

You cannot be scared,just dont think about it. Block it out and go about your business when getting into the stand. You have been in the tree stand once before,so you know everything is good to go with the stand. You just need to do your best not to think about it,because that is what makes people fall,unless they just forgot to do something and made a boo boo that causes them to fall or slip.

Buy yourself a high quality harness and have total faith and trust that it will do it's job. If you aren't doing that, than you won't enjoy yourself. Have fun.

i have the same problem the first time i use my stand each year, climbing stand that is. normally i am feeling for the tree for the first hour or so. i use a safety harness also. once i am up there for awhile, i get so interested in the deer hunting that i forget about the heigth and find my toes hanging pver the front of the stand. you might be thinking about it too much, relax and enjoy yourself.

Sounds like you may be starting early enough that you may help yourself by experimenting with the low heights. I would take either a hang on or a climber in my backyard and start with 5 or so feet and gradually go up. Sit out there and read a book or something for several minutes a day till the season starts, it may help.

King Hugh

I am the same as you, but a bit worse. I have a fear of heights!!! I only hunt from ladder stands because I feel they are more stable, even so, I usually leave a section of ladder out so the stand is not as high. Most of the time my stands are 10-12' in height.....

I know it sucks, but what can I do? I also do alot of hunting from the ground and have had much success.

I also have the same problem you do...I can sit in the stand and I feel fine, but the minute I stand I get shaky and feel around for stuff.

Mike

[8D] i also get a little shakey when i first get in the tree but after a few minutes i ferget all about it i have had to make some adjustments to my harness for when i stand to shoot i like to b able to feel the harnes holding me when i lean a little foreward it works for me

I do the same thing.....I want to feel that harness tighten up when I lean.

Hey Troy......I'm 32 years old and still scared. Pathetic ain't it?[8D]

You do have a point though....If I could just stop thinking about it I'd be fine. Easier said than done though.

Once I actually had a dream that I fell out of my stand. My subconscious is $%#@ing with me!!![:@]

I’m also in the same boat when it comes to tree stands. It takes me a little while before I get use to it but you can’t beat the view. A heck of an advantage.