Heckler I'm glad you're ok. I'm not sure how far out in to KS you are but we're only about 10 miles east of the state line. Just east of Raymore. If you need assistance on something let me know. Being a Lineman they have really made many safety advances in the trade. When I first started it was nothing to free climb an 85' pole and belt off when you got to where you were going. Now you can't leave the ground without a fall restraint on. It is all about going home the same way you left. In one piece with all the pieces in the right place.
I had a treestand accident 2 years ago and was seriously injured. I wasn't wearing any safety gear. In those 2 years, a day hasn't gone by that I don't think about the accident because of the mental trauma and lasting injuries, and I'm pretty sure that in those 2 years a day hasn't gone by where my wife hasn't thought about my accident, too. Now I wear a safety harness and have LifeLines on all my stands and a lineman's belt for when I use a my climber or hang stands. Wearing safety equipment isn't going to make you a better hunter or make you shoot a bigger deer, but it's going to allow you to come home after each hunt to the people who care about you. Don't just do it for yourself, do it for them.
I had the bottom of my climber fall out from under me this year climbing a tree I should never have been in. I fell about a foot until my harness with tree strap caught me, I never thought recovering the bottom of a climber would be so hard but when you're 18 feet up trying to use a small diameter rope to pull a 15 lb object straight up with one hand it isn't the easiest thing to do. I will never be in a tree without being tied off, because it happens in the blink of an eye.
Shocker99 I was in my 16' ladder stand last year when the main strap I was using broke (I always use 2-3 straps) well the stand dropped about 18" and I was sitting there looking straight up the tree wishing that I had used a harness or lifeline but I was in a hurry to get hunting, I felt that I didn't need a harness or lifeline since I was in a ladder stand and those are usually pretty safe. After that experience I make sure I have a harness on all the time and I always use a lifeline when climbing up or down. Just a recommendation to get yourself a harness, trust me it's no fun looking up a tree petrified that any movement you make will cause the stand to come crashing down. Stay safe out there everyone Spend Your Life Outdoors
Get a set of stabilizer straps from thirdhand archery. Never have to worry about that again. And once you reach the height you want to hunt from, just pull em tight. Make a a climber so sturdy you can swing from it Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
Thank the Lord Abvove your ok!! Thanks fopr sharing your story, safety is the most important thing. Again, glad to see your ok!
Glad you are okay man! That is scary. I am curious why that happened. Was the strap loose? Or maybe the 'V' bracket loose on the stick? A year or so ago there was a big argument thread on another site how a lineman's belt wouldn't prevent a fall, they were just for no hands working. Unfortunately, I think you proved them wrong.
I can't explain it. There was nothing wrong with the stick or the way it was positioned on the tree. Maybe it was my body position. It happened so fast. I put my right foot on the top step and it was solid. I put my left on the middle step and it gave way. It all happened in a blink of an eye.
Great reminder!! I had a close call the other night myself and was very thankful I had my harness and safety line!! Definitely kept me from being seriously injured!! I won't leave the ground without them!!
All I can say is thank goodness you were wearing a harness and you're OK. Thats the most important thing. For the life of me I can not figure out why in the heck people still climb trees without one. Very good harnesses can be purchased for $100 or less and all stands come with something. Wear it!
