Have you fallen from a treestand ?

[dan]

Just wondering how many of you have fallen from a treestand or out of a tree while hunting? I have fallen several times. Mostly when I was youger and bounced a little, now I think it would be more of a splat than a bounce. My worst fall came many years ago when hunting out of a home made treestand I welded out of angle iron. Apparently, I tried to hard to keep it light and skimped on the metal. A freind ( John ) and I were planning on getting some good practice for the upcomeing bow deer season, by whacking squirles on a bait pile out of our tree stands. So I get this stand way up this tree. Maybe 25 or 30 feet.. not sure but it was WAY up there. John puts his up on the other side of the bait pile across from me. The plan was to take turns whacking squirles till we had our limet. So the 1st thing to come walking in is a buck deer... Go figure?
So I lean way out at the end of my newly welded stand to get a good look. The small angle braces started bending apparently. I never noticed. So suddenly it must of bent far enough to release the chain, and it just popped off of the tree. So there I go on a trip to earth. Luckly, I hitt (and broke ) a bunch of large pine limbs during my travels. That must of slowed me down a little. I landed flat on my back on top of the twisted wreck I had created with a welder and some cheap angle. It knocked the wind out of me, and I could not speak, or even move.So, John is panicing, flying out of his tree down his steps yelling, YOU ALRIGHT.... DAN... DAN... And I can't anser him. He runs towards the truck,
then stops turns around and runs back. He gets up to me and I slowly got to my feet.. and said you and the dang squirls are on your own!!! I never hurt that bad any other time. The next day I had a huge bruise that was almost black covering my entire back.

[huntinnurse]

I have been fortunate to have not ever fallen out of a tree stand. I do wear a harness every time I am in a tree. Have not even had a close call. Knock on wood and Thank God!!!! I don't push my luck where that is concerned as I have been known to fall off flip flops!!!!!

[chad]

When I first started bowhunting I didn't use a treestand I just found a tree I could climb up and found a crotch or limb to sit on or stand, on my decent of a big oak, I stepped on a dead limb and fell about 15 feet onto a pile of stones from the farm feild, I hit my head on the rocks and was knocked out for a bit.... I suppose it didn't help I was climbing up and down with my bow in hand also....

[PLB]

Yes! About 13 years ago in Early bow season HOT! I got overheated and passed out after getting settled in! I came to and I was hanging alongside my climber by my waist style safety belt Luckily I was able to get back on the stand and finish my hunt but I don;t think I smelled too good with all the crap in my pants

[dan]

I don;t think I smelled too good with all the crap in my pants

OMG

When I was younger I used to work myself nearly to death putting in tons of hours. I worked a 10 hour day, and then ran a side business ( machine shop ) for 4 to 6 sometimes more hours... Then on top of that I would leave for hunting a couple times a week and would be so tired I would doze off a little... You know, back in the old days when no one ever wore a safety harness
One day I was up in a tree about 18 / 20 feet and fell sound asleep... I did not wake up till late at night well after dark. ( good thing a warden didn't come along, would never believe that, eh? ) So, I was really used to going home and sitting on "the chair" till I dozed off and then waking up some time during the night in the darkness and stumbling up to bed... So when I woke up on the treestand I got up and started walking towards the bedroom I don't know how, but somehow when that 1st step did not hit a floor and kept going down I was able to come to my senses and spin around and grab the seat or the tree or something. Officially, that one was not a "fall" but it was a shocker... For a minute, I had no idea where I was.

[Scot]

No,and I don't intend to.Climbing belt going up the tree to set up a stand.Braided nylon rope with a prusic hitch if it is a stand that is going to stay in the tree.I am attached all the time.I can still climb like a monkey but at age 51 I don't heal as quickly as I used to!

[Mountain Man]

I have never fallen or had a close call and I hope I never do. I'm glad to hear those that have fallen were o.k.

[GyrPer1]

Nope. Just my ground blind.

[tresleggos]

i never wear a harness and i need too...... i fell one time adjusting a stand in the winter and i fell hard nothing happened but im very very lucky ....must be the beast in me

[PLB]

I started bowhunting out of those old Baker style homemade stands with the plywood platform. I used to bear hug the tree on the way up, tearing up my chest and ruining my hunting clothes. Most of the time I didn't wear a safety belt! Man those things would slip on the way up when you least expected it!! I didn't know any better and my dad didn't have the funds so all my gear was hand me downs! I'm lucky to be here telling you all this I guess! Man times have changed for the better imo as far as equipment is concerned!

[stikbow26]

Yep one word also Baker tree stands ok maybe 3 words.. Yes many times when I was younger. Never now that I am older I always wear a saftey harness now..Walt

[PeteJ]

I fell 2 times setting up my tree stand last summer.on the last fall a tree branch stabbed me in my arm pit . man i had tears in my eyes. I will be buying linemen belt this year!

[hotterthantiffany]

my brother and I were fixing my treestand ( homemade), when the platform gavr way. He fell to the ground like a ton of bricks, and I managed to grab the tree with both armsand got hung up by a step. my bother had some broken ribs too, but scary when you are up north and 911 is more like a death sentance.

[tim]

funny i read this today, just got back from the dr, from what i believe to be nagging injuries from a fall about ten years ago in 2000 or so. the first time i tested my newly purchased treesteps/stand from lonewolf. my first stick--first step broke on climb number one? i thought hmm,thats a fluke. all was well after, so i threw that stick in the trunk and used the other three, that is till one day i was on stick number 2 on step number 3 about 10-11 feet and placing foot on stick number 3 while holding my stand . the 3rd step broke on stick number 2, i was on my decent when my left leg caught the step and ripped my leg wide open then proceeded to throw me back on a fall to my back/upper back. i also layed there with the wind knocked out of me, also landed on my binoculars. 16 stitches,nerve damage to back of leg, broken binoculars and now pulling muscles in my neck/back 1-2 times a year. and pain in back/ neck 24 hours a day. seems to get worse the older i get. so today was my breaking point, i went to the dr again and had multiple x-rays done to see if there is anything significant wrong cause just cant deal with the pain any longer. wow , didnt mean to make this post so long.... i never sit a stand without a harness.......

[Casper]

I fell while hanging a stand on a rainy day a few years ago. Landed on my feet and didnt hurt anything, some scratches and a bunch of holes in my pants from the pegs. I rarely wear a harness because I hate my HSS. I'm going to buy a Muddy harness this Summer and wear it every time I hunt this coming Fall hopefully.