I guess I'm not alone
 

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;

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

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.

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

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.;)

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

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.

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

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.

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

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

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

[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

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

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

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

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!!![:@]

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

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.

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

Nroth Carolina has had 10 hunting deaths since 2001, and 9 of them countem 9 of them were from falling out of a tree stand, no joke.

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

Body Harness.

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

If you stand on the small platforms on your porch to get used to the small area, you should also try to shoot alot from that platform, and also put up a stand in your yard where youshoot , and shoot from your stand, start low and get higher as you progress, that should give you a little height before season, but if your not comfortable at a certain height dont go there, stay comfortable, yes the higher you are the better, to an extent, but if your too scaredto shoot when a deer shows up, you may as well be on the couch, so just spend the off season getting yourself acclimated to the height you are comfortable hunting.

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

Buy yourself a good harness and, with somebody there with you, intentionally fall out of the tree. That way you know that if you do fall you know that you won't get hurt. Only attempt this with people there with you to help you. Either that or buy a treestand with an oversized platform.

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

do your stands have front bars on them?, i feel safer with the bar rather than the open front treestands.some fears never go away,good luck

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

I feel better. I absolutely hate heights. BUt theres no way around it sometimes. I hunted a 15' ladder stand last year at the top of a ravine. Looking forward was bad enough just being 15' up, but one look back and it was 40-50 down. I didnt look back there near as much as I should have. [:-]

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

Buy yourself a good harness that makes you feel safe from falling. Also, in your ladder stand is it totally sealed off on the sides. I ask this because it can give you the feeling like walls do and make you think it is safer. Everything is mind over matter.

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

A good stand with all sides and a large platform will greatly increase your confidence when you're up in a tree stand. I'm not to fond of heights either. Take your time, regardless how slow it takes you. I recommend that when you climb, stop every 5-7 feet and sit for a few minutes just to get your confidence. Being afraid sometimes IMO makes you be more aware which in turns makes you safer.

RE: I guess I'm not alone
 

First off a top quality harness should be used whenever you climd a tree for hunting. It should be a 5 point system that distributes your weight to you legs(thighs really) and holds you upright. Once you buy this find a strudy branch and hang their just off the ground. All this will do is give you confidence if you ever fell you would be ok..basically puts you mind at ease. When in a tree tighten the sash to your comfort level, most have it so when they lean you feel tension, but take in account mobility for actually shooting at game! Then buy a sturdy large platform stand, rails if need be and just practice getting higher until you reach your hunting height. There really is no need to go over 20 feet in most cases.

If still scared then stay on the ground and learn how to hunt this method. If you are scared stiff in a treestand no way will it be a positive experience nor successful. I have no fear of hieghts but rarely employ treestands for hunting purposes any longer and it has not effected my success rate in the least (bow, ml or rifle).