The topic i am using is making fall arrest harnesses a legal requirement when hunting from a stand. Do you all know of any states that already have this law in effect? is Ohio one of them? how do you all feel about a law such as this?
A law requiring the use of a safety harness when hunting from a treestand will be viewed like a seat belt, or helmet law. People will complain that someone shouldn't be able to tell them they need to wear one, but the fact is, some people are too dumb. They need someone telling them what to do. Its just a fact. I think the law makes sense. Treestand falls can cause death or serious injury, and they are easily preventable. Its a very small change with high reward. Safety should always be a high priority when it comes to hunting.
I think it should be a law, but what all would such a law entail? Would you be required to wear one while hanging Xmas lights? Would one be required to wear a harness anytime you’re elevated above the ground? There are too many scenarios to consider when pushing a law such as this. Most likely it wouldn't get passes. It takes money to pass laws and most governments are broke.
I was thinking the same thing and I am all for not having a law that forces people to be safe as long as they are not allowed to turn around and sue someone for not making them wear said seatbelt, helmet or safety harness. I don't mind the laws like this but they are more feelgood than do-good. It's not like the GW will be wandering around the woods writing tickets for no harness so how could it be enforced? I guess they could come to the hospital and write the ticket while the person is laying there paralyzed from the neck down.
Unless you are hanging xmas lights on your treestand, I don't see how this applies as a hunting law. I don't think it requires too many stipulations. I'm sure there would be specifications regarding when a harness would need to be worn. I think you can rule out things like elevated box blinds.
True, they would not be out looking for them. It would be such a law that you hope people follow simple because it is a law. And not wearing one would be breaking said law. Most hunters chose to follow game laws. Kind of like wearing blaze orange during gun season. I could easily hunt without blaze orange on and likely never get caught, but I choose to follow the law. If a CO catches someone trespassing, and he/she catches him/her in a treestand without a harness, then its just another thing they can nail them with.
In the plant i worked in you had to wear a harness as soon as your feet were 6' or more off the ground as even at 6' a fatal fall can occur. If its good enough for work why not hobbies. 6' and above requires a harness and yes i know it would be tough to police but isn't poaching or trespassing hard to police with out the help of fellow hunters? I know this brings up another point of who is going to turn in a friend that doesn't use a harness, but wouldn't you if you knew that at some point down the road you might be saving his life. With harnesses getting lighter, easier to put on and more comfortable shouldn't it be required to have some sort of harness even at 6'?
I don't think it should be a law.. I know people who have hunted 40 years and never fell out... If they do make it a law.. It should be like 12 ft and higher are required.. Because I jump out of my 12 footer all the time for fun lol, Im still doing fine! The thing is, a lot of people are going to disobey this law and no one will ever know. The tree stand Im hunting out of right now is about 14-16 foot.. Most of the time I don't wear a safety harness because you would have to be an idiot to fall out of that stand..
No, I would not turn in a friend. I also wouldn't call the police if I was riding in car and a friend didn't have his seat belt on. If I had a friend that wasn't wearing one, I would certainly suggest he/she should be. I think the law is a good idea in that it will hopefully persuade hunters to wear them.
I know people that have been driving that long, and have never been in a car accident. They are still required to wear a safety belt. Big difference between purposely jumping off something and preparing for it, versus accidentally falling. No one that chooses not wear a safety harness thinks they are going to fall. Otherwise, they would wear one.
Like the speed limit. I hear what you're saying and don't necessarily disagree but I just don't particularly care for unenforceable laws. The more you have, the more folks learn to ignore the law. People that tend to follow the law probably tend to wear a safety harness anyway.
i think it should not be a law but educating hunters on the use of it should be continued. you can't make a person be safe but sometimes people have to learn that lesson the hard way.
Those are OSHA rules and are set in place to protect workers. They are by no means against the law. My point about the Xmas lights is that when a law is presented to lawmakers they will have to determine the value of such a law and how it would protect/aid the people they represent. It would most likely affect more than just hunters in stands, because hunters make up the minority of most states, so why spend government money on passing a law that would only help the lowest population of said state. A law imposed on hunters wearing safety harness while in a stand would most likely be a offshoot to a principle law with reference to wearing harnesses.
That is not a bad assumption. If the law saves one life, I think it is worth it. Especially since its such a small inconvenience, if you can even call it that. I get what you're saying, Bruce, about unenforceable laws. But with so few COs and GWs, I think many of hunting laws now are "unenforceable". I know some hunters will cite the cost of having to purchase one. Perhaps the state could have a program where people donate harnesses. I know a number of people on this forum have donated harnesses over the years. I have given them to friends, and people I have never met.
I seriously doubt you could make it a law in a sense like its a law to wear a seatbelt while driving. Here in PA, for example, cops must pull you over for something else and then, if they find you not wearing a seatbelt, they can get you for that too. Perhaps the same law could be in effect for safety harnesses? I hate seeing people not wearing a harness in a tree. But, I can't tell someone else what to do. If they knowingly don't wear one, then its their problem if they fall. Harsh, yes, but its the reality of it. I feel the same way about seat belts in cars. If you don't wear one, and fly through the windshield in a crash, it was your decision and you'll be the one paying the consequences for your own actions or lack thereof. I know lots of guys who refuse to wear one. I tell them each time I see them they should really give one a try, they're not that bad and in the end, keep you from getting busted up or worse, dead, if you would happen to fall. And yes, some of these guys have been climbing trees for years. All it takes is one slip. The older you get, the less nimble you become and sooner or later, it could happen. Each person who climbs into a treestand has to make the choice of wearing or not wearing. No one should have to play big brother and make sure of your safety. I choose to wear one. I love hunting and above all else, I love my family. I want to come home after hunting to them and I want to return to the woods year after year and do what I love most.
Michigan has roughly 555,000 licensed motorcycle drivers, and they are required by law to wear a helmet. Michigan has roughly 700,000 licensed deer hunters.
Vito i like your idea of a state program for helping hunters to get their hands on harnesses. How many stand companies actually include a harness in the box with a new stand? I know these aren't the most comfortable harnesses ever but i am assuming they get the job done just the same. would the DNR really need to put it to a vote or could they just make it a law?
[TABLE="width: 95%, align: center"] [TR] [TD] Since 2004 TMA members have been required to include a Full Body Harness/ Fall Arrest System that meets TMS 06 standards with all Treestands [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] There are quite a few treestand manufacturers in the TMA. You could say it includes all the major manufacturers. http://www.tmastands.com/_member.html
Funny, that's an awesome topic idea, I'm taking a speech class as well and I wrote an informative speech about whitetail hunting and an interesting speech about hunting as well may need to steal that in a couple weeks when I have to write a persuasive speech
