Bowsite.com

My treestand failed and I fell.

A most of you bowhunters know, I am an instructor for the VDGIF and the IBEP. I believe in both programs for the education it gives the students as well as the instructors. My specialty is the IBEP course because I am more of a bowhunter than a gun hunter.

Tonyo credits Myself and Bogun for saving his life. The realality is we gave him the instruction, knowledge and the tools. He took these things, applied them and saved his own life. I am just glad that he is ok and unhurt from his ordeal.

On 11/28/2011 I went to one of my hunting properties to pull a stand. When I got there I noticed deer in the field near my stand so I decided to hunt first. I quickly got dressed and hurried out to my stand. When I got to my stand I realized that I had forgotten my rope that goes around the tree and hooks to my harness. I figured " I don't need it, it's only a quick hunt". Well, that little voice in my head said "you know better, look what happened to Tony", so I walked back up to the truck and got the rope.

I was in the tree about 10 minutes and a hunting friend texted me a picture of a deer he just killed. I was texting him back then I felt something tap me on the shoulder about five times and then I was hanging out in mid air. It seems that the treestand strap broke and ejected me forward off the stand. This particular stand is 30 feet up due to the terrain that I am hunting. The tapping I felt was the folds of the harness popping slowing my fall. The harness and safety rope worked as the should have, stopping me from hitting the ground. After hanging a few minutes, I regained my composure and realized that I was ok and still holding my cell phone. I took a few pictures and shot a quick video of the everything, spun around to my climbing sticks and descended the tree. After I was on the ground, I sat down on a log to think about what had just happened. The pictures will follow on another post.

If I would not have gone back to get the safety rope and used my equipment properly, I would not be here writing this. I probably would have done a header off the stand and broke my neck, killing me. The only injuries I have is a black eyelid and a stoved middle finger on my left hand.

The IBEP class works, Tony is proof, I am proof. I know there other stories out there that end up the same way and some end up tragic. If I can stress anything to all you guys it is...Buy a harness, I don't care what brand, and use it EVERYTIME you leave the ground. It saved my life, it can save yours..

Words to live by!

Glad you are safe Mark.

Thanks for sharing your story.

Tony

As a member of ABA I am glad to see one of my brothers is safe and sound! U need anything let me know

Any soreness or whiplash ?

My neck and lower back got painful about two weeks after my event.

I little motrin cleared that up.

While I don't teach it during my Hunter Ed classes, I've started using another ratchet strap to supplement the strap that comes with my hang-on stands. Don't know why I've started doing that, but after your experience, I plan on teaching and doing it all the time. Glad you survived. I don't know if you teach this in your classes, but I tell the students that there are two kinds of treestand hunters; those that have fallen and those that are going to fall.

Glad you're still in one piece. Does anyone have any close call stories with a climber?

Update on my first post. I have no lingering injuries, but my back was tight for a few days. I hunted on another property from a high stand so climbing is not a problem. This stand had doubled up straps with a ratchet backup.

I was looking at the straps for the first time yesterday, showing them to a couple of co-workers. Afterwards they all said it looks like both straps were cut partially through. The VGIF will be getting a call first thing Monday morning.

Check you equipment before getting in your stand guys!

A squirrel vandal or a two legged vandal?

Glad you were disciplined enough to provide for your own safety.

Sorry to post a two legged kind. Both straps "failed" at the same spot. Makes me sick someone would do this kind of thing. I have been hunting this property for years so this whole thing troubles me.

Real shame.

Instead of using the straps for the lock-on stands, I use a chain and wrap the chain in camo tape. I suggest you hunters not trust the straps.

Instead of using the straps for the lock-on stands, I use a chain and wrap the chain in camo tape. I suggest you hunters not trust the straps.

TTT

Register here to reply to this topic