The report from his wife says he was upright when found, but when he passed out, he was inverted. That part itself baffles me because to get upside in a saddle, you really need to work at it. The nature of the saddle pulls you into the tree but keeps you upright. So I'm wondering if his feet weren't somehow tangled or caught in ropes or something, Thats part A. The second part, it really seems as though he may have been having a medical emergency of some kind that led to the accident, that led to his death. I haven't heard or read anymore that would confirm these things. I want to be very clear about that. This is just my thoughts based on what I do know about the situation.
100% this- if you end up inverted you could tie up a second tether line and cut your original if your feet get tangled. Or even better, hook up a life line to the linemen loops along with your bridge. Yeah it'll add a few ounces but it's your life literally on the line.
This actually got me thinking a lot about my current set ups for saddle, run and gun, regular hang ons, ladders etc. I never really have a knife readily accessible, its usually in a pack or something. I have added a pocket knife to my bino harness and also have one in my cargo pocket.. not sure I will continue to carry both but its a start. I am also looking at using webbing as a bow hoist, you can do a lot with webbing if its accessible. Even if its just extra pcord, having it accessible could be helpful. I've only been on 2 sits this season so far, but I am trying to make sure my phone isn't in my pants pocket where it could get trapped if I fall. This tragic accident has been on my mind a lot with 2 little ones at home. Even when you think you are being safe, things happen.
This is exactly my worry with tree stands and saddles. Also the trees in my area are very questionable. I've seen many "healthy" looking trees fall and even found a few stands crushed beneath fallen trees. I'm leery using my tree ladder to set up cameras. Even a sprained arm will put an end to a season. I hope the family gets some answers and the community can get clarity.
When I was in my 20s, 30s, 40s… I used to hunt alone all the time. Never occurred to me that I wouldn't make it back out of the woods. I have never had an accident in the woods, never been hurt, but at 68 years old I think about it now all the time. I am not in terrible physical condition but I am certainly not in the physical condition I was in 20 or 30 years ago. I love the bow hunt and have been doing so since I was 14. Hunting from elevated stands has always been my favorite method. The simple act of climbing up into a tree stand and climbing back down again in one piece no longer seems like a given at my age. My heart breaks for this man's family and I certainly hope that everyone who reads about it will learn from it and take precautions. Stay safe out there my friends.
A climbing system that allows someone else to follow you up to help in case of an emergency may be a better choice for some. Such as using a set of sticks vs one sticking. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I carry a small RMEF knife with a gut hook on it on my backpack waist belt just in case. It has a "trigger hole" in the base of the blade where it meets the handle, so dropping it should be impossible once I have a grip on it, even upside down. Speaking of upside down, I make a point of my preseason prep, at least one time, to hang upside in my saddle and time how long it takes before I start getting lightheaded. On average, I have three and half to four minutes to figure something out before I am concerned about losing consciousness. Hopefully, it will never be needed, but it a bad moment, I hope that knowledge will keep me from panicking long enough to correct the problem.
Very sad to hear of anyone passing while hunting... and it happens more than we know. Looked up JRB and DRT climbing methods...can see how someone could get inverted fairly easy. Personally, looks harder than using sticks.
This is the part that really has me puzzled and having more questions. I haven't been saddle hunting much, as this is my first year, but getting inverted to me, seems like a really long shot if you're using more conventional climbing methods such as sticks. These rope climbing methods just seem like a bad idea all around for hunting applications because you really need to know what you're doing and understand your gear and equipment at an arborist level, not joe schmo hunter level. The problem I see here is that these methods, while safe if you're properly trained and experienced, require far more knowledge than what you can obtain just by watching a couple Youtube videos. To get inverted using stick and a linemans rope, or one sticking with tether and linemans means things have to go seriously wrong.
My condolences to the family. Obviously things went horribly wrong. I teach deer stand safety for a local gun safety program for new hunters. Tell them about a couple of my own blunders and a few told to me. Stress to them how important it is to properly fit and adjust what ever fall restraint they're using. The BIGGEST thing I stress is to test new equipment in your backyard, a few feet off the ground. Case in point. Got a saddle last year to address the questions. Haven't heard about people being inverted. Used to see that with the early harnesses that attached to the belt. Guess I have some homework.
It is almost impossible to become inverted in a saddle unless you do it intentionally or use it improperly. I am guessing that is what happened with this guy.
I got to thinking that what if someone got set up in a saddle and than got into an unseen hornet attack. If you were being attacked by hornets you might be flailing around to get into that position. Could happen to someone in a climber as well. Just something that entered my mind when this story broke. It’s possible and is a good safety precaution to keep in mind as you look for a tree to climb.
