throwingStarr

be safe,, hunt safe ,we wanna hear from you next time around.

GSPsnFORDs

^^^^^EXACTLY!!! That's why I decided to share my story(s). Because she is training an awareness course, I just figured I would share my input. When the time comes that you "think" you know it all.....well, you don't. I know guys (deer hunters and various other hunters) that think they know it all but don't know anything at all. I know of a few personal experiences from hunting. I know of a few personal experiences but did not end in anything harmful, but another experience was a result of a friend of my father's that ended with a negative consequence (not deadly, but tragic at the same time......loss of one eye and parital hearing in one ear). I just hope that you all learn that safey comes FIRST!! Don't care what the circumstances are.......whether it's a world record buck or the biggest long tailed rooster you'll ever see!!! SAFETY is THE number 1 factor in hunting....which hopefully will ultimately will preserve it. Just teach them that safety comes first!! Then the tradition and values will come after! Good luck!

nodog

Lesson. Take a friend along. Mr Nodose.

adams

I've taken a small fall. When I was about sixteen I made some wooden treestands(had no money to buy a stand) and I made the ladders out of some small trees I cut. These worked great for two or three years. I on occasion had to change out the rungs to the ladders with new ones that I cut.

I had finninshed hunting one evening and after lowering my bow started climbing down the ladder. I got both feet on about the third rung from the top when it let go and broke in half. I ended up taking about a 10-12 footer and landed with a thud, square on my back. I was a little slow getting up but very lucky. To this day I wear a harness when I'm on stand and I don't hunt out of stands made of wood.

hoyt3

about five years ago I was bowhunting some land with a bud. I took my loc on in but didn't like the steps I was using and trekked back to the truck on two different occasions in 60 degree heat. after getting the loc on up, I realized that I had forgotten my pull rope. I just threw the bow over my shoulder (yeah, it gets better) and climbed up, with no safety belt. after seeing only one deer, and needing the stand for another spot, I started my descent. I hung my bow on the holder attatched to the floor of the stand and started to get down. right foot, then it was suppose to be followed by the left, but it never made it. it was dark and I missed the step. after I woke up I could hardly breath. I had fallen an estimated 23 feet. I couldn't yell for my bud and we had left the two way radios back at the truck. I stumbled back to the truck (which was about 250 yds up hill) and honked the horn. no response. my buddy finally shows up, I tell him what happened. we rush to the hospital and I am in suprisingly good spirits and shape, at least for the ride in which takes 20 mins. once at the hospital I get x rays, catscans, and pain medication. i had a concussion, two seperated shoulders, internal bleeding, four cracked or broken ribs, and a five inch gash on my right leg. not to mention a hell of a headache and feeling sick to my stomach. Looking back many things stick in my mind. one, I was tired when I finally got in my stand, it was warm, my steps were way too far apart, no safety belt, no pull rope. that and I thought I was invincible. all good ingredients to this accident. I was scared for some time to put up a treestand above 10-12 feet. I finally got a climber, safety belt and my nerve back. it still haunts me though, even with all the precautions I now take.

MasterBlaster

One time 3 seasons ago i got to the top of the tree (about 25 ft) and secured the top part of my climber. Next I did something stupid. Instead of taking one foot at a time out of the foot straps, like i had hundreds of times before I took both feet at the same time (i was sitting on the seat of the climber facing the tree). Then my bottom fell but luckily I had a rope tying both parts togather so I was able to pull it back up. I was not wearing my saftey belt. This was very scary! I realized that if i slipped I would fall a long way and maybe die. I used to wait until I was set up to put it on. After having the crap scared out of me I now wear the harness all the time.

Have a friend who fell 23 ft from a climber while he was trying to adjust the cable on the the standing platform of his climber after he had climbed up the tree. He was not wearing a belt. he spent 2 weeks in intensive care and 4 more weeks in the hospital. Luckily he made a full recovery.

Lessons learned:
1. Always wear a harness.
2. ALways have a rope connecting your sitting and standing platforms.
3. Dont be stupid enought to try to adjust your standing platform while after you are up in the tree.

justhunt

My story is a little different, but hopefully it will save someone some pain. About 13 years ago I was hanging a stand. I was using those screw in steps. All was good, the stand was hung, shooting lanes cleared, and I was climbing down. I was just one step from the ground when I thought, I'll just jump the last 3 feet to the ground bypassing the lowest step. I forgot to mention that I was using those folding steps with the serated edges. Well, my wedding ring caught on the step. Luckily the ring bent and released me from the step, but before it did, the ring cut through to the bone. I came real close to losing a finger. I haven't worn a ring since.

rush creek

i will admit i break the rules sometimes like when i use a hang on i don't wear a saftey belt on the way up but put it on as soon as i get in the stand. here are some tips that i live by. 1 if you use screw in steps don't put the steps to fare apart 2 if you use a climber use the safety belt on the way up as well as when you get situated 3 hunt w/ a buddy when possible and use 2-way radios to communicate 4 if you use a hang on use a saftey belt once you get in the stand, immidiatly not after you get your bow up and situated 5 if you don't hunt w/ a buddy carry a cell phone to call for help 6 pay the extra $ and get a good full body harness that id easy to use and safe. last but not lease i have read several post where they missed a step or a limb, something i alway tell myself is take your time and don't get in a hurry, ever!!!

saft hunting to all!!!

idahoelkinstructor

T Thank you for your input, IMO you are correct that saftey is the #1 factor. I work construction and I worrie about getting hurt all the time. I always think man if I get hurt that sure could put a damper in my elk hunting. I am a big guy and people look at me and think I am strong and can move a mountain. But thats not true at all, in fact I have a very bad back. I was swinging on a rope when I was a teenager (tarzan style) and smacked into a tree against my back. That darn near put me in a wheelchair, and because of it I have to be carefull for the rest of my life. Right now as I type this I am at home because of my back, I was lifting some very heavy kitchen cabnits, (again,[:@] you would think I would learn) last week and instead of waiting for my dad and brothers to help me I pick my end up by myself with two other guys at the other end. I am driving my wife hikchick nuts right now, but at least I get to teach the archery class with her tonigt that will help relieve the stress of being stuck at home.

GRIZZLYMAN

I was hunting with my new Summit Viper last year and was coming down from my favorite tree. I had tied the upper and lower units with the supplied rope. The mistake I made was tying them the entire length of the rope (at the ends). The lower unit slipped while climbing down and I'm sitting on the outside rail with my feet locked around the tree, pulling the lower unit back up a long way. The lesson here is; don't leave too much rope between the upper/lower units.