Tree stand safety

[PK_]

1 Because it is easy. Like clicking your seatbelt.

Throw the harness on and throw a strap around the tree done. Just like a seatbelt, it doesn’t guarantee you won’t get hurt in case of an accident but it drastically reduces the chance of serious injury.

But I absolutely get what you are saying. I was free climbing trees over 20’ around 8-10 years old. We used to jump off the second story balcony of the apartment complex I grew up in just to pretend we were ninjas.

Now a days it’s illegal for a kid to ride a bike or a horse? without a helmet. Not saying it’s a bad thing, just different.

[RiverBottoms]

People do die from treestand falls, but I am more concerned about getting injured (realistically) which takes me out of the game. I'm sure many of us know a guy that either fell out of a tree, or off a roof etc. and they can't draw back a bow anymore. Shoulder / elbow / back injuries can be a beast

[strehb18]

I work at a very large manufacturer, and the requirement for harnesses here is 4 ft off the ground. You also need to be tied in anytime a gate is open on an upper level area even with all the other protective railings are in place. I'm not sure what the OSHA standards are in the construction industry are, but I'd suspect those workers you saw were to be tied in somehow and just were not following protocol.

Without adding to others rants, using a tree harness takes very little effort and can save your life in certain situations. Seems like the risk/work/reward payoff is low enough that clipping two or three buckles is 100% worth it.

[isitseasonyet?]

Believe this was taken the wrong way. Guess I did a poor job of explaining so I will take another crack at it....

Will start by saying I one stick climb so I always have a harness on. I said usually wear one cause in some cases I hunt tucked back in cedar trees around 6 ft high and with all the limbs it’s just isn’t feasible to use a climbing belt. If If I get seriously injured falling a few feet out of a cedar Bush that’s just a risk I’m prepared to take.

What I don’t wanna see happen and the point of this ramble is I don’t wanna see hunting end up like fishing. Where u r required by law to have a laundry list of safety stuff in the boat. Being a good idea is irrelevant! I don’t like being told what I must do for my own personal safety. I don’t want the gustapo checking my hunting gear for harnesses and flare guns.

Ok, now I’m picking up what you’re laying down and I’m in total agreement. Everything we’ve all described here are PERSONAL choices and should stay that way.

I agree with that too, if I want to wear or not wear a harness. That is my business....

I just wanted to make sure that everyone who read the post truly understands the risk, and has the ability to make an informed decision about the risks involved....

Personally, I wear a harness anytime I’m hunting more than 6’ off the ground.... my biggest gap in safety is that I use my lineman’s belt as my tether, and that requires me to be unhooked for a period of time to re configure...

[Net Guy]

Believe this was taken the wrong way. Guess I did a poor job of explaining so I will take another crack at it....

Will start by saying I one stick climb so I always have a harness on. I said usually wear one cause in some cases I hunt tucked back in cedar trees around 6 ft high and with all the limbs it’s just isn’t feasible to use a climbing belt. If If I get seriously injured falling a few feet out of a cedar Bush that’s just a risk I’m prepared to take.

What I don’t wanna see happen and the point of this ramble is I don’t wanna see hunting end up like fishing. Where u r required by law to have a laundry list of safety stuff in the boat. Being a good idea is irrelevant! I don’t like being told what I must do for my own personal safety. I don’t want the gustapo checking my hunting gear for harnesses and flare guns.

Ok, now I’m picking up what you’re laying down and I’m in total agreement. Everything we’ve all described here are PERSONAL choices and should stay that way.

I agree with that too, if I want to wear or not wear a harness. That is my business....

I just wanted to make sure that everyone who read the post truly understands the risk, and has the ability to make an informed decision about the risks involved....

Personally, I wear a harness anytime I’m hunting more than 6’ off the ground.... my biggest gap in safety is that I use my lineman’s belt as my tether, and that requires me to be unhooked for a period of time to re configure...

I dislocated my shoulder last year during this exact scenario. About 18' up it dislocated as I was stepping onto my platform and I wasn't connected to the tree. Without a doubt, one of the scariests moments of my life, especially knowing I had to climb down with 1 arm and without the ability to use my linemans belt. I was extremely fortunate I didn't fall from the tree when it happened and have since changed the way I climb trees/hunt. Was definitely an eye-opener.

The fallout from it is that I had surgery last week to basically get a new labrum and will miss this hunting season entirely. Better than what the alternative could have been though.

[kher]

A harness is really important because the unknown can happen. People get sleepy in their stands, people get buck fever or get tunnel vision and misjudge some things and accidents happen. It's like a seat belt for a car, you don't have to wear it while driving, but if worse comes to worse and something tragic happens, you bet you'd want a seatbelt on.

I remember hearing a guy from one of the forums say he had an accident falling form a tree because as soon as he set up, a deer came within shooting range. Without clipping in his harness, he leaned into the shot with his harness and fell out of his stand.

[Drenalin]

I'm not sure what the OSHA standards are in the construction industry are, but I'd suspect those workers you saw were to be tied in somehow and just were not following protocol.

Not necessarily tied in. In commercial construction, we can get by with a warning line and a safety monitor. I'd be shocked, at least anywhere near my area, to see OSHA regs either considered or enforced on a residential build - I realize they could be, it just isn't a reality at this point.

[john1984]

Its feminization of man. Its all about being over protected like a overly protective mother like in the movie Psycho.

Take for instance workers who are forced to wear helmets and glasses. Helmets make you taller and uncomfortable. Saftety Glasses fog up and obstruct your vision but you'll get fired if you take them off or wipe them off every minute. . A guy can trip on safety equipment

[muddy]

Freak accidents happen all the time. My buddy fell on ice and will never pull a bow again. I fell 15 feet and was fine. You never know when your time comes. I wear my harnes because I dont want to take the chance that my kids have to wipe my but for the next 40 years.

I get what you're saying but, to me, it's a common sense thing. Why NOT wear a safety harness. If a guy falls and ends up eating pudding through a straw for the rest of his life it's own fault.

[Moose]

I had to take an OHSA class and they said with a 6ft fall you have a 50% chance of death! That sounds ridiculous but that's what was said.

[Dewey]

I had to take an OHSA class and they said with a 6ft fall you have a 50% chance of death! That sounds ridiculous but that's what was said.

Depends how you land. Head first is never good. Lots of people paralyzed from the neck down from diving into the shallow end of a pool.

[Moose]

I had to take an OHSA class and they said with a 6ft fall you have a 50% chance of death! That sounds ridiculous but that's what was said.

Depends how you land. Head first is never good. Lots of people paralyzed from the neck down from diving into the shallow end of a pool.

No doubt! Treestand height is usally alot higher thats why i posted that.

[treeroot]

I agree it shouldn't be a law. We have to many laws as it is.

With that said, I fell flat on my back from 12' while climbing down. My back has never been the same.

Even if I ignored the safety aspect, using a linemans belt to set my climbing sticks makes it easier, quicker and quieter. For that reason alone I always use one now.

[ThePreBanMan]

I don't have a foot leave the ground without my harness on and being attached to the tree. I like being alive and not being crippled. I think it's a minor inconvenience to continue that.

One thing not mentioned here too.... For all the stories about falls and injury resulting from not having a harness, I'm sure there are just as many where a whoopsie moment happened and the harness saved the day! , you hunt long enough and it probably happens to most. Stand kicks out, stick kicks out, slip on wet equipment, the wind blows that just a bit too small tree you're trying to get up into just the right way, miss a step in the dark, doze off in the stand.... ... whatever...

[Yankee301]

We should definitely wear harnesses. Are we wearing the correct harnesses though? If you are unable to self rescue from most hunting harnesses you will begin to quickly experience trauma. Most of the relief loops don't work very well even if you are uninjured enough to use them. I switched to a rock climbing harness for a few reasons. It will turn you toward the tree with a greater chance of self rescue and I should be able to sit in it for quite some time. They do sell full body styles and chest harnesses for the sit versions if you are worried about slipping out of it. Also make sure we are using a proper tether and using it correctly to reduce or eliminate the trauma of a fall. I know this can be a hotly debated topic but I believe I am safer with the RC harness. I have a whistle connected to my jacket zipper and a communication device zipped in a pocket. Many of you beast style hunters may have to wait awhile for any help so it is just something to think about.