Hunters, anyone fall out of a tree stand?

[michael Brooks]

Anyone fall out of a tree stand and care to share about it? I am doing a show segment on accidents to hunters, if you care to share what happened and how it could have been prevented, I may use this in a book project for accident prevention. Thanks for your help..

Dr. Mike
mbrooks33@aol.com


__________________
Dr. Mike

[Steve]

No I haven't and I'm buying one of those new harnesses with the leg straps and the full nine yards this year.

[rabbit whacker]

Never have, or even come close. Would like to keep it that way.

[Kevin]

No, I wear my harness.

If you do not mind my asking, what is the nature of this show? When and where does it air? If we have a (even minor) celeb in our midst, I am sure we would all like to know.

[Robert W. McCoy Jr]

No I have never fell from a tree stand.

Nore has anyone in our group.

My group firmly believes in wearing proper safety harneses.

[Luv2hunteup]

No, never fell out of a tree while hunting.

Before they come out with commercial belts and harnesses I made one out of a shoulder harness from a '71 Chevy Nova.

I always felt safer hunting while tied off.

Include a part on the use of a prusic knot while climbing, it may save a life.

[PITBULL]

Just once; about 25 years ago I just started bow hunting and found a stand on state land, Just some 2x4s in a tree. It did'nt have a ladder or any real steps you just climb up branches. At that time I did'nt have a quiver so I tied my arrows to my tow rope attached it to my belt and started climbing up. Guess what? rope too short! the arrows caught on a limb and I could'nt go any higher. I tried to yank on it but it was hung up. so I grabbed the rope with both hands leaned up aginst the trunk and pulled hard. needless to say the limb that I was standing on broke and I was airborn. I landed on my neck and shoulders and I think I was out for a couple of minuits I ended up very dazed but nothing was broken. I guess that explains alot. I learned to always use a safety strap and do not use a stand that you just come across, you dont know how long it has been in the woods or how safe it is.

[Hipskindt]

Last year I was involved in a freak accident with my treestand. It was totally a case of human error. In the dark I offset the screw in knobs instead of being set on 4 and 4 I had it set on 4 and 3 settings. I was 30 feet up the tree minding my own business when the treestand just snapped off at the base. I had my safety belt on and I had to repel down the tree doing a prusix climb by sliding the gerth hitch down the tree as I lowered my weight to the ground. I was at total musle failure by the time I reached the ground and covered in sweat.
Bottom line wear your saftey belt it could keep you alive or keep you from becoming paralysed.

Tom

[SALMONATOR]

Never fell out of my stand (alway's strapped in), but I took a fall climbing down in the dark last year. when I hung the stand on state land last year, I knew I couldn't use the screw in steps, and couldn't afford a bunch of the strap-on types, so I found a tree in the area with plenty of solid branches I could use to climb up and down. Problem was, there were a few dead ones too that I failed to remove in the hanging process and quickly found out that I couldnt really tell the difference between the good and bad branches by feel in the dark. I'm sure you can guess what happened next. Yup. Grabbed hold of a dead limb and it broke in my hand as I was in mid stride to the next step down. Landed flat on my right side, thanking God no harm was done. I was only 8'-10' off the ground when it happened. Learned a valuable lesson though. I get rid of the dead/questionable branches in stands like this well before I intend to use them.

Al

[flyer]

I never fell but know of three who did,One three times. the one person fell asleep, the other had a limb break while climbing up the tree the other had the s hook on his home made climbing tree stand brake, he fell asleep twice. this is all twenty years ago before harnesses

[Steve]

Salmonator due to hearing about experiences like yours I may also purchase the "hook in" accessory for my harness that allows you to hook into a rope strung from your stand down to the ground and stops your fall in such a situation (much like what mountain climbers use).

[SALMONATOR]

That may well be worth looking into Steve.;) I felt pretty dumb laying there on the ground.

Al

[redwinger00]

Climbing down out of my stand one day I slipped on a screw in step. I grasped for anything to hold onto and was able to grab the peg I had just slipped from. Well the weight of my body and the momentum swung me part way around the tree as where as I proceeded to take the next tree peg right in the breast bone. the gash was about 4" long right up to my throat. Nearly lost some teeth as I hit my chin on the same peg falling the rest of the way down. That was mearly a glancing blow and resulted in a minor cut on my chin.
I have concluded that if I were to fall in this manner again I will just push myself away from the tree and "tuck and roll" the rest of the way. :)

[The Nailer]

Steve-

You don't need a special hook just the right type of line and cord using a Prussic Knot. It is very, very simple and can be slid up and down w/ ease.

Check this site out- www.utas.edu.au/docs/climbing_club/TUCC/knots/prussic.html

I bought 150' of line and 25' of cord last year and that outfitted four stands for the course of the year. I bought everything at a reasonable price from karstsports.com. I called them and they were very helpful in helping me make the right line size choices.

[PITBULL]

I read once that most falls happen when climbing into or when climbing down from a stand. From what is posted already this seems to be true.

[Beeg]

I always and I mean always have a safety belt on when in a stand. I have a real nice climbing belt to use when hanging a stand. I own 14 tree stands. 2 ladder and 12 hang on stands. I have as many as 8 or 9 up for a week long bow hunt. The climbing belt to me is more of a fall hazard when climbing as it catches on the tree and also has to be disconnected to go above and below branches. I made 4 steel ladders and 4 aluminum ladders that are 3 ft long ad 6 inches wide inside. They stand out from the tree 5 inches and are held with a slip rope going around the tree with a hook on the end to attach to the ladder. When I get to a tree that I want to put a stand in I install two aluminum ladders and one or two steel to the tree and pull the two aluminum as I leave. On our private land I leave them all up. As far as falling, one of the permanent stands we built got me. It was naild up with new oak boards and nailed to the tree with pole barn nails. Pole barn nail are a big NO-NO as they are hardened This stand was nailed up between two black oaks about 15 inches in diameter. With the flexing of the trees in the wind the nails broke where the bark attaches to to tree. I was pulling myself up to step on the stand and when I was pulling up it was OK as about an inch of the nail was in the bark and when I went to step up I was pulling straight out and the step pulled out and I went to the ground. It was rifle season and my rifle was tied to the rope and leaning against the side of one of the trees. I had my back pack on with a wool shirt and a wool sweater inside of it and my wool coat straped to the outside of it. They cushioned my fall a little. I fell 14 ft. It seemed like forever before I hit the ground. When I realized I was OK I rolled over to my knees and THANKED GOD I was not hurt. The moral of this story is: If you are going to use permanent stands only use the ones that you build and prior to season check each one. In addition use large nails that are NOT hardened and pre drill the steps and use LONG lag bolts. We check each one around Labor Day weekend each year by pounding on each step to be sure they are secured. I would NEVER get into a permanent that I was not familiar with.

[Lunker]

Freind of mine fell just 5 feet from the bottom coming down. Compressed a few vertebrea and lost use of his legs for awhile. Had to learn how to use them again and still walks with a limp. Very Scary...this guy was a sniper in the millitary and has alot of bucks on the wall. It can happen to anyone.

[OTIS]

A couple years ago fell about 15ft right on the back of my neck. Neck has not been the same since. I always wear a belt when In my stand but this happened while I was climbing down out of my tree with my climber. A freak accident which almost cost me big time.

[marco]

About 3 years ago I took a fall while climbing a tree to hang my stand. Had a branch break on me. I came crashing down only about 15' but I bruised me up pretty good. I learned to take my time when climbing and I bought a climbing belt that I am still trying to get used to.

[fairfax1]

I've had 3 incidents in 35 years of hunting out of trees. All turned out to be minor:

[fairfax1]

I've had 3 incidents in 35 years of hunting out of trees. All turned out minor:

Two of them, several years apart, were snap-offs of the screw-in steps. Both, amazingly, were the very first step so the falls if you could call 'em that were only about 30" and I stayed upright both times...scraped shins and lost confidence was the only damage. Both steps were the one-piece vinyl coated Deer-Me steps.

The third, about 22 years ago, was fall or slide of about 8ft. I was using a commercial stand that utilized a hinged & pointed brace rod that supported the chained-on mesh platform. The tree was an old basswood that had a substantial lean. The punky wood could not hold the pointed end of the support rod when I put my full weight on the platform. The rod slid out of and down the trunk and the platform gave way like a trapdoor. I slid down the leaning trunk. Again, I was only scraped up a bit .....and tore some clothing.

I now use a harness the goes around my chest and over my shoulders. And, I go up and down with 24' aluminum extension ladders.

[LReed]

Never fell from my stand and always, always, always wear a safety belt while in a treestand. With that said, I did however have a step break on me once. But the good Lord was smiling on me that day and I was only 8 feet up and not injured.

[Garret]

I fell once when I was a kid while putting up a stand. Fell about 12 ft. and landed on my feet and backside. Felt a scary tingle in my legs for about 15 seconds. Thank god it was in the swamp and I landed on soft ground covered with moss. Probably saved me? That was way back when I didn't use a safety strap. I think back to those days and realize how stupid I was, sometimes being up 25-30 ft. and not being strapped in.

[William H Bonney]

Never had a fall, I'm always strapped in, once I'm up there. Outta all the guys that had branches break on them, don't you use the "3 point system" 2 hands, 1 foot or 2 feet , 1 hand. on the branches or steps at all times . I've had plenty of branches break on me,,, going up and down but I've never fallen, using this technique.

[deepwoods]

.......about 5 years ago. It was one of those warm, sunny, beautiful fall days that I live for and I fell alseep. No pun intended. I am the first to admit how stupid that was so please don't pile on. I was wearing a safety strap, thank God, or I believe I would have died. I'm up about 20 feet or more.

A word of advice to all hunters. I was using one of those big loop type straps that you wrap around the tree and then around yourself. It seems simple enough. Be careful with (2) things. Don't leave too much slack because if you fall even a few feet before it tightens it will jerk the daylights out of you. Literally! Secondly by putting that loop around yourself when you do fall it will tighten up and tighten up hard. I had strap burns under my arms and felt like I broke ribs. I have broken them before, not hunting, and it hurt like hell. Be careful with these kind of safety straps. I dont use them anymore.

[Garret]

Great point deepwoods. My good friend's father-in-law took a spill while getting out of his stand and was left dangling upside down using a single loop safety strap.

He's a big man and couldn't right himself. He started to lose his breath, feeling dizzy due to the pressure that the strap had on his midriff. He was blacking out and ended up pulling out his knife and cutting the strap. He took a horrible fall. He caught a branch across the throat and broke some bones on the way down. he's very lucky he didn't die.

[deepwoods]

I hope he's alright Garret.

With my weight on that strap I felt like I was being strangled by a boa-constricter. If I had been unable to get my foot on my step to lift myself I think I would have passed out from being unable to take a breath.

[SALMONATOR]

Outta all the guys that had branches break on them, don't you use the "3 point system" 2 hands, 1 foot or 2 feet , 1 hand. on the branches or steps at all times .

On the fall that I described, I had both feet planted on limbs, and my left hand on another. As I reached down with my right hand to the next limb below, the one in my left hand broke. fell not straight down, but away from the tree, and away from the branch I was reaching for. wasn't much I could do at that point but pray for a soft landing. So, I guess I was using the three point method described above, but bottom line is you've still got to be very careful, and I'd recomend clearing out any branches that look suspect in the daylight, well before you use the stand. Be safe this year.

Al

[One Eye]

One fall, and two near misses.

18 years ago, I was running around all night with friends, and hunting during the day. Of course, the result is terrible sleep deprivation. I was hunting one morning about 25 feet up (no safety belt). The warm sun began to make me doze. I jerked awake, nearly losing my balance and most likely my life.

Later that same fall, I tried to climb a large oak with very large limbs. The plan was to sit on a limb for a morning hunt. I got about 6 feet up, and the limb broke. The next thing I realized, I was flat on my back going through a mental checklist to make sure that everything worked.

I have worn a safety belt ever since. My last close call came while descending a tree with a climbing stand. I had shot a nice buck, and I wanted to descend the tree quickly. I lowered all of my stuff. I then went to take my first stretch down, only to have the stand slip out of my boot straps and crash to the ground. I was left hanging from my hand climber, over 25 feet in the air. My buddy thought I was fooling around, so he was at the base of my tree laughing!

I had to do some serious gymnastics to get my legs wrapped around the tree and shimmy down. I have since switched to a sit down, stand up climber.

Scary stuff!

Dan

[William H Bonney]

Man, you guys are really starting to scare the "you know what " outta me. What scares me even more is the stories you hear about the "straps" on the actual stand breaking or coming apart.

[buck37]

I've taken 2 spills in 25 years. One was in 1990. I was climbing up into a permanent blind and the step came off in my hand. Luckily it was in a marsh, so when I fell it was a soft landing on my back.

The second was just last weekend. I was trimming a permanent blind and a board came loose, I lost my balance and fell backwards onto the other trunk of the tree and caught myself. It could have been a real mess. It literally scared the s##t out of me. My knees were shaking bad when I got back on the platform.

I was doing routine inspections of the permanent blinds that I use. After that episode, all of the permanent blind are very secure. I had a hammer and nails, and also a cordless and screws and made sure all of my blinds were safe.

I have a cousin who fell 8 feet last year. He landed on his feet, but there was a rock were he landed and it sheared his foot almost off. He had major surgeries, and almost lost his foot. He is ok now a year later, but claims he will never get in another tree.
Be carefull guys.

Ryan

[bounty hunter]

I have never fell but one time while comming down i skiped the bottom step and swung myself to the ground which was abot 2-3 feet from my boots. When I hit I ended up landing on a large rock and twisted my ankle and I'll tell you it hurt so bad about an hour later it almost brought tears to my eyes..

[Mirth1]

YES,,,, I fell about 8 years ago.

The last screw in step 18ft up I steped on, pull straight out of the tree as I reached up to grab my stand, and I came straight down with a mighty THUD. Fell right on top of my bow (luckley I didnt end up with an arrow in my *****) I had 2 steps punchture my clothing to the skin and I took multiple branches down with me.
I was very lucky!

I learned not to use those screw in steps in Pine trees with heavy bark and have my safety strap on me while climbing,,,, its kind of a pain but it may save my life someday.

[jimmyboy]

Back in '90 I too took a tumble while hurriedly exiting a permanent treestand.In the process,one of the wooden steps I had nailed-on gave way at about the 12ft level and I landed on my back with the step in my hand. I wiggled my feet and legs and everything seemed to work,so I managed to get up by handclimbing a close small pine and walked ever so painfully to the house,about 150 yds away.I laid on my back in bed for a couple of hrs and the pain only got worse so I climbed into the car and my wife drove me to the hospital.On arrival,I again walked into the ER where a corpsman got me into a wheelchair.I am mentioning all this to point out that every move I made from the time of my fall was THE WRONG THING TO DO! I could have severely injured my spinal cord by any one of these actions as I had a compression fracture of L1 vertabra,I was later to find out.Only goes to show that God looks out for fools,namely me in this instance.If any of you should have the misfortune to fall and suffer an injury,or even SUSPECT one, CALL FOR HELP and get EMS on the scene. I carry a cell phone now every time I go hunting just in case I should need help in future. A cell ph doesn't have to be on active service to dial 911. All operable cells will call 911 regardless(a little known fact).Just keep the batt chg'ed and carry it wiyh you.It might save your life or use of your limbs.Needless to say,I wear a safety harness now and anyone not doing so is in jeopardy.I didn't for 15 yrs and got away with it but looking back now, see how foolhardy I was. Several instances of treestep failure have been cited. I now use strap-on 4ft climbing ladders in most cases for surer entry & exit. The prussic knot sounds like the answer for the safest method to employ . Hope my misfortune will influence others to BE SAFE when hunting high.

[mich buckmaster]

IVe had two clost friends about die falling out of tree stands.

ONe had to be air lifted a few years back with two broken hips, wrists, legs, and arms. He almost died and is still not the same and wont be!!!!!

The other fell and broke most of his ribs and had to walk home to his house without being able to breath. He crawled all the way home and was hospitalized for weeks. The air went into his body and ballooned up his body!!!!!!

KNOCK ON WOOD, I have never fallen and hope not to!