Falls

[ninepointer]

In the most recent issue of Ontario Out of Doors I read a shocking statistic (U.S., I think) that 1 out of 3 treestand users will fall !!! If any of you have ever fallen from your stands, would you mind sharing what happened and in particular, what went wrong to cause the fall? I do not want to fall and I'm sure there are some lessons that can be learned from those who have gone through this misfortune. Please, no casting judgement on those who share their stories. Thanks.

Ninepointer

[raydaughety]

Ninepointer, I know that this doesn't answer your question about how some get hurt in treestand accidents but this shows what the results could be. I think that the TMA (Treestand Makers Association of America) should require that all fixed positioned treestands, tree climbers and ladders stands come with a full body harness "equivalent to the Hunter Safety System Pro Series. Some will disagree with me saying that it is their choice weather to wear such a device or not. IMHO, this is no different than the seat belt laws that are on the books right now that save lives everyday. Here were the results for a friend of mine:

I'm sitting in my office trying to get some work done, but I just can't. You see, We had the horrific task of attending the funeral of one of our members yesterday afternoon. He was only 16 yrs old. and His death was totally uncalled for. He went for a quick afternoon hunt with His father on tuesday. When He didn't show up at the truck shortly after dark, his dad went to his stand and found him hanging from his chest strap style safety harness. He was dead. . The emergency room Doctor said that he probably died from asphyxiation because of the marks from the strap under his diaphragm. His rubber boots lay under the stand as a sign of his struggle. Guys, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE use a full body safety harness. It's not worth it. I think I'll go pick my son up from school and go sit in our blind this afternoon.

Thanks for listening to my troubles.

God Bless and please remember that 100 dollars could be the difference between you coming home to your family or the State Police and a Chaplin knocking at your door asking if your wife is home. I don't want to offend anyone but this is something that I'm extremely passionate about. You guys know what you mean to Tyler and I and the thought of losing one of you to such a senseless tragedy would be..don't want to go there.

God Bless,

[Pydpiper]

When I first started my quest for a decent tree stand I got onto Google and started typing, I came across so many horror stories that at one point I didn't even want to risk it. I work in a mostly elevated environment and certainly have no fear of heights, what I do fear is an injury that may prevent me from coming home to my family, or supporting them if I did make it home.
I am prepared to be in a stand now, but still have my reservations as to whether I will actually climb or not, I don't want to judge a successful hunt by whether I make it home or not.

[ranger66]

One tip I can share with you all is when installing screw in tree steps never put them near a branch, I learned the hard way, although it wasn't a very far fall(10 feet) it was a fall nevertheless.
I had just shot a deer and a buddy was coming over to help me recover, so I stayed up in the stand to point him out where the deer was because the tall goldenrod would have made it difficult to locate the deer while on the ground. Well he was stillhaving a hard time so I said hang on and I will come down and show you. I lowered my encased rifle with a rope and proceeded to climb down, got about halfway when SNAP! a branch that was above the screw in step let go, I thought I was on the step. Down I went and and was rolling around the ground with the wind knocked outta me and my buddy yelling, are you ok, all I could do was moan and groan. It could have been alot worse cause there were some large rocks at the base of the tree that I narrowly missed. Upon getting up and assessing my injuries, some scrapes on my hands from trying to hold myself and a sore shoulder from the jolt when the branch broke I tried to figure out why that step came out and realizing that it was a branch I had stepped on instead of the step. I vowed never to put a step anywhere near a branch again and if there was a branch in the way that I would cut it off real close to the tree. So a lesson was learned. I am still leary about climbing trees but I have done it again, and now try to hunt from the ground or ladder stands.

[ninepointer]

I vowed never to put a step anywhere near a branch again and if there was a branch in the way that I would cut it off real close to the tree.

I do the same thing. No matter how healthy a branch might look, if its located anywhere along my climb I cut it off in order to prevent the temptation of using it as a foothold/handhold.

Another thing I do with my screw-in steps is to arrange such that I am always stepping slightly DOWN onto my stand from my highest step. The balance is much better this way.

[flbuckmaster]

17 YEARS AGO A TREESTAND COLLAPSE PARALIZED ME AND PUT ME IN A WHEELCHAIR. IT WAS OPENING DAY OF FLORIDA'S ARCHERY SEASON (SEPT 29TH, 1990). THE HOMEMADE LADDER STAND I FELL FROM WAS SO FAR BACK IN THE BUSH THAT I DID NOT CHECK IT IN THE PRE-SEASON. I AM ALSO A TROPHY HUNTER AND DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE MY SCENT IN THE STAND AREA THAT MIGHT SPOOK A MATURE BUCK INTO NOT USING THE NATURAL FUNNEL WHERE IT WAS LOCATED.
AN HOUR BEFORE DAYLIGHT I DROPPED OFF A FRIEND AT MY #1 STAND (THE ONE I HAD CHECKED THE WEEK BEFORE) AND CONTINUED ON TO MY #2 (SECONDARY)STAND. UPON ARRIVING BEFORE DAYLIGHT AT THE STAND, I QUICKLY CLIMBED UP THE 10 FOOT LADDER AND TURNED A 5 GALLON BUCKET I KEPT TIED TO THE STAND OVER AND REMOVED A CUSHION FROM INSIDE. I PULLED UP MY BOW WITH A ROPE AND STARTED TO SIT DOWN ON TOP OF THE BUCKET AND CUSHION. JUST AS MY WEIGHT SETTLED ON THE BUCKET, THE STAND COLLAPSED SENDING ME FALLING BACKWARDS INTO THE DARKNESS. WHEN I HIT THE GROUND I HEARD THE LOUD SNAP OF MY SPINAL COLUMN SHATTERING ON A SMALL CYPRESS KNEE. AS I CAUGHT MY BREATH I YELLED FOR MY FRIEND AND HE EVENTUALLY FOUND ME AT THE EDGE OF THE SWAMP WITH THE LADDER ON TOP OF ME. IT TOOK 6 PEOPLE 5 HOURS TO CARRY ME OUT TO WHERE A HELICOPTER COULD LAND AND TAKE ME TO THE HOSPITAL.
BACK THEN THERE WHERE NO SAFETY HARNESS'S AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE. NOW THERE ARE ALOT OF QUALITY MODELS AVAILABLE. PLEASE FOLKS.......FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR FAMILY, NEVER GET INTO A TREESTAND WITHOUT A SAFTEY HARNESS ON! I WOULD NEVER WANT TO HAVE ANYONE ELSE GO THROUGH WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SINCE MY FALL.

JAY

[sumner4991]

I used to hunt from a stand 30 years ago. Back then it was more like a tree house platform that I built with a couple of 2X4's and plywood. I had no ladder, I would just climb the tree the best I could. For a harness, I used some old baling twine that I found on the farm on the way to my stand. I would tie one end around my waist and the other end around the tree.

I remember losing my balance while looking over the edge of the platform once. Fortunately, the string was short enough and caught me before I actually fell. Otherwise, things would have gotten ugly. I never got back into a tree stand after that. Just that brief feeling of falling turned me against hunting from a tree. It simply scared me.

Most people get hurt not because they do dangerous things, but, because they do careless things. You must respect the danger in the activities in which you participate. Otherwise, you get careless. Treat every time you climb into your stand like it's the first time. Take all the precautions EVERYTIME you partake in a dangerous activity and you most likely will never have an accident. Most accidents happen AFTER you feel comfortable with performing a dangerous activity. Never get comfortable.

[LV2HNT]

Great question.

My father and I have used hanging stands that are strapped to the tree for many years. We use the folding screw in style steps to get up the tree. The closest I have come to injury would be the many times I was nodding off without a safety harness and woke up with just enough time to grab something and pull myself back into my stand. Not too smart, I know. Luckily I am still alive to talk about it. We now use a harness when ever we are up there.

The most dangerouse time for us is when we are hanging the stand because there are so many things that can go wrong... I could write a book about this, so to try and avoid that, I will try to cover some of the most important ones.

1. Always inspect your equipment before the season and periodicaly throughout the season. Every year when we pull out our stands and dust them off, we find loose screws and bolts that must be tightened. The platform of the stands are made of ply wood so it has to be replaced from time to time when it starts to flex under our feet. The steps need to be checked regularly for bends or cracks. My father had a step break on him one year and he dropped straight down the tree. Luckily he had his arms around the tree at the time so he managed to stop his fall by hugging the tree tightly. Unfortunately, at least a couple other steps were drug between his body and the tree before he managed to stop which resulted in some pretty bad chest wounds.

2. Always use a harness. There was a guy who died a while back where I hunt because he used a strap that he tied to the tree and around his chest. He fell and the strap tightened making it impossible for him to breath. I don't do it yet but I should keep a small knife handy so I can cut the strap incase I fall and the harness is restricting my breathing.

3. As Bstout said always use a three point hold. I never had a name for it but it has saved me before. I realized that was important after my dad had his fall. I always try to keep each foot on two steps and if I have to put all of my weight on one step I am also holding on to the tree with both hands. It is also worth while to carry extra steps even though they add to weight. I like to put a couple steps side by side at the top where I am going to mount the stand so both feet can be anchored while I use my hands to hang the stand. I also put a step a couple feet above where I will hang the stand so I can have a good hold for one hand while hanging the stand and for pulling myself up and into the stand. It is extra work and time but it is worth it.

4. Practice hanging your stand with someone present before the season starts. This will help you to get to know your stand, it's quircks, and draw backs while you have someone to help if something goes wrong. It will also help you develope muscles that you may have lost in the off season. I have to screw in all my steps and then go down for my stand which I carry back up on my back slung over a shoulder. Then I have to get it off of my shoulder and attach it to the tree. The whole process can be extremely exhausting. It is never as easy in the beginning of the season as it was at the end of the last season. It is my biggest chance for injury because I don't use a harness while hanging the stand. Only when I am in the stand.

5. As previously stated, be carefull of and watchfull for limbs that may be mistaken as steps.

6. Don't try to hang your stand with excesive or loose clothing. Too many clothes will hurt your flexibility and manuverability which could cause problems or hurt your chances of getting out of problems, and loose clothing can snag on branches or steps and cause mishaps.

Thats it for now. I would like to note that these are issues that I have thought of that pertain to hanging stands. I also have a climber that seems safer and easier but I use it less because it is so heavy and it scares me because it seems too easy. If any of you know of issues I should be aware of I would love to hear them. The only things that come to mind now are to carry extra straps so that the two pieces of the stand can be secured to the tree to keep them from sliding down the tree. Also so that the top can be secured to the bottom to help keep the bottom from dropping out under your feet (One of my biggest nightmares).

[Cossack]

I fell WITH my ladder stand last year. Hunting in a place with few mature trees I had to use one that wasn't very straight, causing my ladder to be quite vertial. I hunted there without incidence but taking it down was another matter. The wind was blowing at me quite hard. I unfastendd the top strap and started down. Went only 2 steps and I felt the stand blowing over. I tried to get down as fast as possible but had to jump from about 8 feet when it started going sideways. Fell with my shoulder on a stump of a tree I had cut off resulting in a bone spur that plagues me since.
Things I learned. Don't use a tree that isn't straight enough so the lateral straps can't work as intened. Don't take a stand down on a windy day. Use a safety rope to keep the ladder stand against the tree while desending. Use at least 15 degree list.
Also lost the bottom part of a 2 piece climber stand years ago. Nothing hurt but my ego from being stuck 20 feet up. Took some 45 minutes to inch down without the rest oof the stand.
I personally know of 3 guys that were hurt falling from tree stands. One broke his knee and spent 2 hrs crawing out. The other hurt his back when the railing he was sitting on broke. (Duh!) Neither had saftely harnesses.
No my way now to remodel a permanent stand...safety harness in tow.

[wabi]

Got a new 2-man ladder stand so my son could get in a stand with me. I've been preaching safety to him and set it up with a climbing rope & prussic knot attachment so he's attached from the ground up. Been preaching the 3-point hold to him, too.
Took him with me yesterday evening to see if we could see any deer. He did fine with the stand, but he got a bit excited when a small buck started our way. He was setting beside me looking the other direction when I heard, "DEER - DEER - IT'S A BUCK!" in a very loud whisper that the buck heard, too.
Oh well, it was a small one he educated.
Getting ready for the climb:

Notice he IS wearing a full body harness in his size. Not easy to find them for kids, but they are made!
We had a long talk on the way home about the need for setting still and being quiet (again). He does pretty good, but the sight of a buck after almost a year of not hunting & seeing them frequently was just too much excitement for him. Matter of fact, it kind of gets my heart racing, too.

I did get a reminder this summer when I was re-locating a ladder stand. A tree that was leaning quite a bit and the stand shifted while I was climbing to secure it. It was roped to the tree and couldn't fall, but I got a ride halfway around the tree and ended up climbing down the backside of the ladder. My feet were only about 6' off the ground, so I could hve dropped if I had to. Not really in danger, but I took it as a wake-up call to remember to think safety at all times when you leave the ground!

[LV2HNT]

Sumner hit on a very important safety measure.
Always keep the strap between your harness and the tree short enough to prevent you from falling completely out of your stand. I know it's troublesome to not be able to turn in full circles or whatever but it is so worthwhile to feel like you are falling only to stop while still above your stand, instead of dropping five + feet to a sudden, possibly painfull stop with little hope of getting back up into the stand or maybe even over to the tree.

Also, always use a rope to hoist your gear into the tree instead of carrying it up with you, and always attach your harness first thing after you get in the stand. Don't fool around with anything else until you are secured.

[DuckHunt]

I haven't fell, but have a neighbor that spent hours in the woods after a nasty fall. He had compound fractures in both legs and broke a few ribs. He couldn't move from the tree.

#1 tip: Wear a safety harness. It can and will save your life if you use it.

And a personal lesson learned from last season: Put on your harness BEFORE you climb the tree if you are hunting from a small hang-on stand. There is nothing more dangerous than doing the one-legged hop in a hang-on stand 24ft up a tree at 5:30am on opening day in the rain trying to get your harness on straight.

Also, if you find yourself sleepy head for the ground.

DuckHunt

[raydaughety]

I do the exact same thing as Wabi. Tyler has his own safety harness and is attached from the time he takes his first step onto the ladder until he puts his feet back on the ground and I do the same.

[Farmer]

I have had 2 close calls and will not chance a 3rd . While using screw in pegs to climb into my stand I had 1 snap off. Luckily ,I was able to grab a branch to catch myself. I had spaced them to far apart ( because of cost and to try to keep other people out of my stand ). Foolish at best .

the 2nd incident happened last year while bear hunting . I had moved stands and for got my harness . No time to go back it is a ladder stand I will be OK.

The stand did not have the stiffener bar in place and was home made from thin wall aluminum tubing. There was no seat just a platform so I sat on it and placed my feet on the rungs. Needless to say while climbing up it was plenty springy.

About 20 minutes before legal shooting time ended,a bear came to the bait. I was shifting my weight and leaning over the edge of the platform with my exocet in my lap at this time . No time to move, just make the shot .

The shot was true but the bear slammed into the ladder with enough force I almost got ejected head first to the ground . By luck I was able to grab the corner of the ladder with my trigger hand as I was going head 1st out of the stand .

I can laugh a bit about it now, but it scared me to death. 15 feet to the ground on my head or neck. Someone was watching over me that night . I was still shaking over this 30 minutes later .


Please take No Chances, they could be your last.

[sumner4991]

If you want to learn the proper use of a harness, then complete a "Ropes" course. I did one in Lake George, NY and it was awesome. They stress proper use of the harness and have had no injuries resulting from a fall. They used a double hook system and I was hooked to a ladder or a safety line at all times. I'll bet there are few hunters that use the harness in this fashion. Mainly because there would be a lot of tedious work involved in setting this up at each location. However, if done, I'd guarantee you would not fall, if set up and used properly.

Here is a picture of my wife going up a part of the course . . .you can see the double hooks and the safety loops. The idea is to have at least one of these hooks secured to a safety line at all times. The safety loops/lines were on everything, the ladders, the platforms, the trees, and the zip lines.



This rope course got progressively harder. The first course is a beginner's course, the second one is a little harder. The idea is for you to quit on the one that challanges you, but you can still complete. Our kids had to quit on the third one . . .my wife, our neice, nephew and I made it through the entire course. The last course is all arms . . .you are extremely tired after finishing. Here is a picture of me giving the kids a hard time for not making it to the last course . . .



You can see here how the loops and the red safety line are hooked up. On the platforms, you had complete freedom of motion and were completely safe. You can also see that it's a lot of set-up work . . .well worth the time and trouble, ask anyone that has fallen.