The farm I hunt is close to some public land I use to hunt maybe 1/2mi as the crow flies. Saturday morning I went out for the first hunt of the season and about 8:05 I heard some sirens that stopped in the area of the public ground parking lot. 20min later a helicopter is flying over the farm & from the way it sounded it landed on the road close to the parking lot. I decided to get down & drive over to see what was going on. By the time I got there the helicopter was gone but the CO was there so I talked to him. He said a hunter fell from his stand that was @ 14'. I asked what his condition was but all he would say was they thought it was serious enough to use life-flight. I use to think I didn't need to strap myself to a tree but one day after we had our first daughter I dozed off and almost fell out of the tree. That was the day that I decided I wanted to be around an able to play with my daughter and taking an extra 2-3 minutes to climb a tree was no big deal vs falling from a tree while hunting a deer. From that day on I have never climbed a tree without being connected to the tree at all times I've heard all the stories "I have good balance, if you're careful you won't fall, etc..." Guys it can happen to anyone of us and it would be a shame for one of us to fall with all the equipment available on the market to keep us safe. A harness & safety line is much cheaper than a trip to the hospital or worse! Good luck to everyone & please be safe, our family & friends need us!
It's sad that this happens. I have several hunter friends that will not use one. I am constantly on them about it, but I am out numbered in the group. I've even offered them the one's that came with my stands for free since I use a Muddy but no go.
Great reminder. I went for years not wearing a safety harness, thinking as long as I was careful nothing would happen to me. About three years ago, I was in Gander Mtn. with my wife and she saw an HSS vest. She had been on me for a few years about wearing one. When she saw it, it must have reminded her again about nagging me. She asked me again and I said; "oh, I'll get one some day." She bought it for me right then. Last season, I had two stands break while I was in them. If I hadn't been wearing the safety harness, the outcome could have been quite different. Just goes to show you,you can be as careful as you can be but you can't do anything about equipment failure, which usually occurs without warning. Blessings.....Pastorjim
I gave away 2 harnesses at the lease this weekend. I gave them to wives that nagged the husbands into wearing them!
I really hate seeing this stuff. Its a choice to wear a one or not. I get that. Those that don't, believe it will never happen to them. And it might not, but why take the chance? Think of the other people in your life when making that decision. I don't know if I have any harnesses left. I think I gave away my last extra one a couple weeks ago. If anyone here decides they should start wearing a harness, post here or PM me. I'll see if I can dig one up or if a buddy has one laying around. It will come to you at no charge. If you don't currently use a harness, please seriously consider it. Most tree stand falls are very preventable.
To add, please wear a harness or vest NOT a safety belt. I just read an article in the local paper this morning where I guy died from "positional asphyxiation" where it said they found him haning from his safety belt, & that is what killed him.
Yep, I even went one more step further this season and added a prussic life line to all of my stands so I'm hooked in from the ground up at all times. I have too much to lose to not be as careful as possible.
Good post and very well timed. Don't become complacent about your safety. Those guys in wheelchairs or in the grave never thought it could happen to them either!
I bought an HSS harness this summer after seeing there commercial where the guy falls and as he is falling he has flashbacks of his wife/kids. Not to sound like a wuss but that commercial scared the hell out of me.
