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Won't happen to me !

Well guys it did . Forty years of serious bowhunting and yesterday was the scare of my life. I rarely post on this site but do follow your info and jokes.Many of you know me and my wife already and know our passion for bow hunting and archery . Last year a very good friend had a horrible fall and it truly made me believe it could happen to any of us. I relive the horror of what that must have felt like. Yesterday when my wife came home we headed to a spot very close to our house that we only hunt once the guns start going off . She hopped in a ladder stand and I went to a fixed stand 1/4 mile away. Luckily I had a lifeline I attached to ,got up to last step and next I was swinging by my tether. I was able to get a step in to right myself cut the strap and get down. Pretty banged up now but alive. Looking back tree steps in tree for 3 years , got overconfident and lazy and look what happened. I sit in my chair this morning thinking how horrible I would feel if I put my wife in this stand or one of my buddy's . All , please be careful, take nothing for granted and please learn from my mistake. Lifelines are just that, buy them and use them I've hunted with outfitters that don't pull stands or steps down every year , insist they use them before you go or don't go ,it's not worth it . Many of you are getting older like myself with years of experience, don't let a fall ruin your life or your family's . I'm a believer now !

Wow, that is scary T. Glad you were tethered, JUST LIKE EVRYONE SHOULD BE. We really stress this in our bow classes, BE SAFE AND BE TETHERED!!

What exactly happened? Did the step break/snap? Was it a screw in treestep or climbing sticks?

Not sure yet , I'm heading out now to check. It was a Crawford ex climb step.... Keep you posted

Glad you're safe, I only use ladder stands and I've been strapping myself in since I heard about the guy who fell about a week ago. I am guilty of not pulling my stands, but after the season is over, I'm pulling all three. Best of luck and glad your story didn't turn out worse.

Thank you

I have had 2 steps break on me. I don't use them anymore only the strap on 20 foot ladders.

Glad ur alright bud

Just checked the spot , threads totally rusted so nothing holding it in. You can bet I'm placing an order for lots of tree steps . Beware everybody and thanks

Welcome to the falling out of tree stand club,glad you are ok!!!...i too fell a couple of weeks back.the bolt holding the support on the sticks snapped off.i replaced all the bolts this past spring with what I thought were stainless from home depot..lesson learned,buy top quality hardware when replacing bolts and chains..

Dodged a bullet! Glad your ok! Never like hearing about anyone getting hurt enjoying hunting or the outdoor!

elk

first of all glad you're ok. What's really important is you're willingness to share your mishap with the group as it's a lesson that should never be learned the hard way.

I'm also part of the falling club. Didn't tie into the tree while climbing (never did, nothing ever happened) and the platform kicked out from under me at about 10ft and I was left holding onto the hand climber with my arms straight from the shoulders down,....ouch!!

You truly have something to be thankful about on Thursday.

I hope everyone who reads this post takes this very seriously as Ted is one of the most hardcore and safe hunters that I am fortunate enough to know. This accident can happen to any of us and thank God that he was using a lifeline attached to his fall restraint harness otherwise the outcome could have been horrific. I'm glad you're okay brother and live to hunt another day!

Thanks so much , glad I could walk in and check that camera , don't think for minute that wasn't on my mind every step of the way.

Wow, scary stuff!

Great reminder to everyone!

For those who use climbing sticks - beware of internal rust and corrosion from water sitting against center post. I found mine like this when getting stands ready this season. Not sure if someone else tried to climb or not?

"to right myself"

Elk, Are you using only a waist belt? A full body harness should keep you upright.

This fall I tossed a stand that had water inside from sometime last season. Over the winter it had frozen, swollen and split.

No , I use a hunters safety vest and lifeline . The problem is while your hanging you need to get down. All steps were unreachable , I carry a spare step and a knife in my vest, had to screw a step in to get weight off strap then be able to reach up and cut the tether to get down. Always have 2 steps, a knife and a cellphone in your vest at all times if you don't you could be hanging there along time possibly freezing to death if it's cold out at night.

Thank god you are ok Elk95!!! Horrible experience.

I've been using a life line the last few years, and am a believer. That said, I have to consider what to do with the climber - even though you are strapped to the tree (safety rope) from the ground up, I've never used a life line in the climber. I may start...

That said, the more I see this stuff, the more I think hunting from the ground has a lot of positives...

using a climber, get a HSS tree strap rope and wrap it around the tree and just move it up and down with you as you climb and descend. I get the stand on the tree, get on the stand and then attach the rope.

also, third hand stabilizer straps are great and lock the top to the bottom section solidly. Much better than the stock Lone wolf straps with the plastic buckles.

I feel so much safer in my lone wolf than I do in ladders. My hang-ons all have HSS lifelines. Same deal, I hook up to the line the second my feet leave.

Noticed some wiggle in my lone wolf sit and climb seat section. Pulled this bent bolt out of one of the weight bearing pivots. Could have been an accident in the making? Snaking the tree safety rope up as I climb is a pain but I know the day I don't use it I will fall. Stay safe.

It is a pain to wiggle the rope but I always tell myself in my head "if you don't do this, you're just going to be up the tree 2 minutes quicker. whats the difference?"

Scary on that bolt. Check your stand hardware occasionally.

Some great lessons here thanks for shearing all this info and glad everyone is ok . I'll have to start using that tether going up the tree and start putting that safety rope for the climber sections I've had some of those situations happen to me but was young and dumb 3 babies at home I need to wake up and start the good practice's . Thanks for the wake up guy's

BucknDoe I hate how the rope keeps falling and that the others with the wide strap have a loud buckle. This year i got the Q Safe strap that I really like. It is a little pricey but it is spring loaded and holds to the tree where ever you place it. I can place over head and make two climbs before moving it again. I also bought a climbers carabiner, which is much lighter then some of the others out there.

http://www.amazon.com/Tree-Stand-Up-DESU004-Q-Safe/dp/B008D6WBG4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448330115&sr=8-1&keywords=q-safe+safety+strap

I'm glad your ok. I took my first fall last year for the first time of climbing in 30 years. it happens so fast you don't know what happen. of course I still climb, but I've done a lot of ground hunting this year. though haven't seen many in my area by staking around I've kicked a couple out of their beds. I'm off of work tomorrow thru next Tuesday. hopefully I can connect with one.

When I first started treestand hunting, the only type of safety belt I found, had a metal buckle to fasten the strap to the tree. That was a lot of time taken to just move the loop up the tree. I can understand how some hunters waited to get to the top, before fastening the loop. I then bought a Summit stand that came with a harness. The tether line had a steel gated clip, attached to the tether with a prussic knot. That seemed to me like a leap in technology that made constant attachment to the tree both practical and speedy. The tether was a soft braided nylon, and with much use on various barks, began to fuzz and became difficult to slide the prussic. I then constructed my own tether from 7/16" static line, 8MM climbers line and a climbing grade carabiner. It worked like the Summit tether, but was more resistant to wear from use and bark contact. The only drawback seemed to be when I reached my elevation. The loop would loosen around the tree and slide down. That would present the hazard of allowing me to go too far below the platform, if I fell. At first, I tried to offset the carabiner to a side of the tree, and keep the distance short to my harness. That became restrictive and made some shots impossible. I have since resolved that loosening with an additional cord, which draws the carabiner tight to the tether, beyond the point where the tether goes through it. Upon reaching my hunt elevation, I set the tether to allow me to reach the bottom platform with my hands, by putting a slight strain on the tether. I have to do that anyway, to wrap the toe strap buckle in a fleece bag(which holds my harness with the stand)so as to muffle any contact with the metal platform and thus spook game. In that way, should I fall, my shoulders should remain above the platform, and make it easier to climb back up on it again.

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