Fall Restraint Survey
Contributors to this thread:Pennsylvania
From: Rut Nut
12-Feb-18
The PGC Board of Commissioners are considering making the use of fall restraints mandatory on State Game Lands whenever anyone is hunting from any elevated position. That would include treestands, tripod stands, or even when in a tree.
Do you agree with this? A simple YES or NO will suffice.
From: hawkeye in PA
12-Feb-18
NO
From: Stekewood
12-Feb-18
No
From: RC
12-Feb-18
Yes
From: Boobacker
12-Feb-18
Yes
From: X-Master
12-Feb-18
YES
From: Justgrad25
12-Feb-18
No.
From: DanWesson357
12-Feb-18
Yes
From: BC173
12-Feb-18
NO
From: BOWJO
12-Feb-18
Yes ... but I feel a comment is needed.
If we want to maintain hunting as one of the safest outdoor activities, we have to eliminate this liability.
From: Bob McArthur
12-Feb-18
I agree with BowJo's reasoning, however, you can pass all the regulations you want but you'll never fix, or , regulate, stupid. The same idiots that don't wear a fall restraint device now, will not wear one just because a regulation was passed. You can't save people from themselves, and frankly, I won't waste my energy trying.
From: Hoyter2804
12-Feb-18
Yes, if people don't want to wear them there not going to, but making it a law might help some people put one on that haven't been using them. Lots of people think if they have a shooting rail they don't need one which is wrong. I always wear a harness and this year in game lands the bottom of my lone wolf went out on me climbing down. So thankfully I had my harness on.
From: buc i 313
12-Feb-18
Yes,
when I was younger I never used any type of fall restraint nor did I use a quiver with a broad head cover. Of course I was much more foolish than I am now.
Remember the old saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
I for one do not wish to fall and be checking out of here. Love my bow hunting to much for that
:^}
From: Rutbuster
12-Feb-18
yes
From: rdohn
12-Feb-18
From: rdohn
12-Feb-18
100% yes yes yes! And the fine should be loss of hunting privileges for 3 years.
From: rdohn
12-Feb-18
100% yes yes yes! And the fine should be loss of hunting privileges for 3 years.
From: BC173
12-Feb-18
Just what we need...more laws. You cannot legislate sanity!!!
From: Griz
12-Feb-18
Yes
From: Jeff Durnell
12-Feb-18
No! Absolutely not. Bring back Natural Selection!
From: Rut Nut
12-Feb-18
Yes
From: rdohn
12-Feb-18
I never wore one when I was young. Now with what I have seen happens it should be a law. Some outfitters will not allow you to hunt with out a harness.
From: hawkeye in PA
12-Feb-18
I'm totally for their use, just shouldn't be a law. Is OSHA going to inspect the tree? Let's go with the KISS theme and no tree stands on PGC lands. You want fined or lose your license because your removing or putting on more clothes? Went through this with the water patrol people.
From: bowkevin
12-Feb-18
Yes!!!!!
From: Bob Hildenbrand
12-Feb-18
No. Also, no to mandatory orange.
From: hawkeye in PA
12-Feb-18
"fall restraints" Is this going past a harness and your going to need to be secured while your ascending and descending? A tree such as a large oak where you can climb on the limbs to hang your stand as well as a straight trunk tree? A "relief step" should also be mandatory in case you do cut out so you don't lose circulation from your harness. This could apply to climbing up and down ladder stands also. When I started work 40 years ago to make top class you had to be able to free climb, by the time a I retired you needed two straps on your belt so you were never ever "unsecured".
From: RC
12-Feb-18
From: Teeton
12-Feb-18
Yes 100% agree. And I think they are talking only once your in your stand.. Am I correct?? Ed
From: RC
12-Feb-18
“Some guys think they’re indestructible, and that’s what I thought too,’' said Jeff Callahan, who was left paralyzed from the neck down after he fell from a tree stand while hunting deer.
From: Red Beastmaster
13-Feb-18
So someone will be walking up to you in your stand (ruining your hunt) to see if you are strapped in? Not going to happen.
Stupid people will always be stupid. You can't force someone to behave intelligently. Gravity will sort them out.
From: RC
13-Feb-18
Yup Red, you are right. But maybe if this does become a law, even if it saves just one life, it would be worth it. But it's something to argue about in February.. :)
Maybe a compound versus stickbow war thread is in order?:) LOL
From: Boris
13-Feb-18
The only problem I have is that the EMS and Firemen and women have to give up their sleep and/ or time to find you. This question should be a no brainer. You want to be stupid, then don't cry to the world. Think about this statement: How many of you watch or have watched the TV program Americas Funnies videos. AFV.
From: hawkeye in PA
13-Feb-18
Make helmets a law.........again, also.
From: Nocktaker
13-Feb-18
YES this should be a no brainier ! IMO
From: elk yinzer
13-Feb-18
No way. Nanny governance. That said I have never once not worn one. If I forgot mine I would not climb. But by their definition my safer climbing harness would be illegal.
From: Bourbonator
13-Feb-18
No, because i'm not a fan of over regulation. It is however the smartest thing you can ever do when hunting in an elevated position. The ground comes up on ya fast and hurts like hell. I know this for a fact.
From: bill v
13-Feb-18
yes, you will not hunt with us without a harness!
From: Smoke
13-Feb-18
Yes, and they've been mandatory at the UBP 5C doe hunt for the past 12 years. Join us in Sept '18 for our 13th annual 5C doe hunt.
From: Thunderflight
14-Feb-18
YES
From: DaleHajas
14-Feb-18
This Board in its heyday actually pushed the harness agenda in this state. Long before folks were even discussing using them...... Most of us participating were NBEF instructors hence most used them and believe in them today. If you dont use one.... You will pay dearly. NO DOUBT
Having worked with government at 3 different levels, I Also find it unnecessary to give govt at any level, the opportunity to promote civil restraints. I enjoy the hell out of smoking clove cigars which I know arent healthy and can cause injury. So can snuff. Whats after safety harnesses? Any form of tobacco which is ALREADY ILLEGAL TO USE on hospital ground, city parks, school yards public facilities ETC ETC ETC. Just a hop skip and and jump over to State land.....
The attempt HAS already been made to FORCE us to wear FLO ORANGE ALL SEASONS-ALL YEAR LONG! That should never be forgotten!
I say No to creating another law. Yes to wearing them.
From: DaleHajas
14-Feb-18
I stand with da Gimp as well NO MANDATORY ORANGE!
From: RC
14-Feb-18
:)
From: Bob Hildenbrand
14-Feb-18
Justin....your spot on!
From: horsethief51
14-Feb-18
Any of you land owners require it of your hunting guests?
From: rust4brains
14-Feb-18
YES, YES, YES!!!
From: hawkeye in PA
14-Feb-18
Lets go back to banning tree stands on PG lands. They will lose the revenue from tree stand sales tax, but should recoop it from not having to patrol the PG lands. And it should benefit the deer herd, which wouldn't hurt in most areas. It would also be more traditional.
From: Red Beastmaster
14-Feb-18
You can't hunt deer from the ground!
From: Rut Nut
15-Feb-18
LMBO Justin! I am probably the FURTHEST thing from a Liberal! Just using some common sense. There ARE some stupid laws, and I am not one to support passing a law just to pass a law. But like Nocktaker says, some are just a NO BRAINER! ;-)
From: buc i 313
15-Feb-18
Since when does good and common sense become liberal or conservative ? ?
Take another look at Jeff Callahan's, comments and picture.
As stated above in my early days I certainly did some foolish things while bow hunting. After nearly falling from a stand on a couple of occasions good sense prevailed. I started to use a safety belt, graduated to a harness, then a security line from the ground up to and down from my stand.
Happy and proud of myself for making the adjustments...... Otherwise I might not have come this far in life and still be able to bow hunt.
:^}
From: DaleHajas
15-Feb-18
I'm curious then why you started wearing a harness WITHOUT any law at all? I wear one because it's common sense.
From: Jeff Durnell
15-Feb-18
I wore one too when I hunted from a stand. I just think we should be careful surrounding everything that could hurt us with laws and more government "for 'our' safety". It's a slippery slope and can easily lead to loss of freedoms and liberty. Many died for it, and some are too willing to give it away. Please, allow me the freedom to hurt myself if I do something stupid.
From: RC
15-Feb-18
See what ya started , Rut boy?:)
Do you agree with this? A simple YES or NO will suffice.
LMAO, when did that ever happen?
From: Justgrad25
15-Feb-18
Hey, I followed directions on my first post! :-) Seriously, the last thing we need is MORE laws, especially trying to regulate common sense. And yes, you are a lib if you are trying to push down more laws on others.....so there.....especially ones that are regulating common sense....with very little impact on others if said common sense is not followed.
From: bill v
15-Feb-18
ok its official. the Pa site is the new community forum
From: Bowhunting 5C
15-Feb-18
Hawkeye, ah nope. Tree stands are here to stay on public and private land. And if your against it, just visit any game land after the seasons close and stands are supposed to be out of the woods, you could literally fill months hauling out all the stands left on game lands. (and yeah, I know I know yada yada that people leave them there to reserve spots and also don't feel the need to remove them because they are "special".
Also I vote yes to harness but no to regulating them. Common sense and Pa rarely collide in any sentence but we do not need regulating.
From: Bowhunting 5C
15-Feb-18
No to FO either by the way.
From: hawkeye in PA
15-Feb-18
5C, yea I've been informed I'm trespassing on their turf while on PG lands more than once.
From: tobywon
16-Feb-18
I see both sides and wouldn't have an issue with it if it was mandatory because I will never climb a tree without using one. If it was a liability issue for the state then I wouldn't blame them for implementing it as well. At least make it mandatory for junior hunters to get them out of a bad habit or situation that a parent may put them in. However, there are decisions that we as adults must make for ourselves that shouldn't be governed by some law. There is something to be said for natural selection.
From: Vonfoust
16-Feb-18
I'm on both sides but I lean this way:
Harness OR Insurance
I shouldn't have to pay for someone else's stupidity.
From: DaleHajas
16-Feb-18
Im considering changing my mind. Im liking this - Mandatory harness AND no Texting, no tobacco, no selfie or sunrise photos from stand, no defacating or urinating in public.
From: DaleHajas
16-Feb-18
Wow maybe even safety glasses and a clapper in case you fall and cant get up? :)
From: RC
16-Feb-18
All tree stands shall be affixed with a porta jon...
Good amendment to the new law:)
From: BC173
16-Feb-18
And a magic carpet to ride. So we don’t have to worry about tripping as we walk to or from the stand.
From: Bourbonator
17-Feb-18
I'm thinking it should be ground hunting with longbow only. No compounds, or crossbows, you guys might put your eye out!
From: Jeff Durnell
17-Feb-18
lol, my worst hunting injury was self-inflicted while I was stillhunting on the ground with a longbow. Stuck a broadhead into my calf as I was stepping over a log. Nice cut. Didn't even feel it. Bled like crazy. I should only be permitted to hunt with a rock.
From: Rut Nut
20-Feb-18
LOL! You'd make a great CAVEMAN, Jeff! ;-)
From: Namvet68
20-Feb-18
The question is not if you will fall, but WHEN you will fall. I hunted 30 years before I fell 18 feet and laid in the woods with a fractured spine. Try crawling two hundred years with a broken back. You own it to your family to wear a safety harness. It's not worth it.
From: TREESHARK
21-Feb-18
YES
From: Bowhunter s
23-Feb-18
With all the safety life lines and good harness out think it's dumb not to use one, I hunt with the rescue 1 , if I would fall I pull a cord by my shoulder at it lowers you to the ground . 30 foot of cord .
From: swiggy
26-Feb-18
Yes wear them. I fell once from a portable baker stand years ago. I was lucky, no serious injury,
