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Post by chewbacca on Oct 13, 2016 12:09:54 GMT -5
A topic that has come up a lot lately in my circle of hunting buddies is about the use of tree stand safety harnesses. Most of my hunting friends do not wear them but I've told them that I feel in today's world we are probably in the minority. 20 years ago I never even thought of hunting with a harness. I'm not even sure what was even available then. I'm curious, do you, or do you not, wear one? Why or why not? This post is not meant to shame anyone for their style of hunting. I'll be the first to admit that I have a harness vest but I do not always wear it. I only wear it if I'm sitting in a hang on stand or if I'm sitting in our stand we call the skyscraper. I have my reasons that I'll explain later. Remember, this post isn't meant to bash anyone. We all have the right to hunt either way. Looking forward to the responses.
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Post by bill9068 on Oct 13, 2016 12:23:16 GMT -5
Good topic, yes I wear a vest, have for at least 20 years. Used to climb without any harness or vest. Fell once when I was about 14 or 15 but didn't learn anything back then. I wear a vest because a friend of mine back in the early 90s fell out of a tree and was paralyzed, his wife left him shortly after and he overdosed on medications a couple years after that and died. With so many things that could go wrong I figure why add something else to that list. If you have not had a accident or scare while hunting elevated, odds are you probably will in your hunting life. I hope you do not, but why take the chance.
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Post by ms660 on Oct 13, 2016 12:24:44 GMT -5
I WILL NOT leave the ground without my HSS harness on period.If I forget it I stay on the ground or go home. Anyone who hunts without a safety harness out of a tree stand, I will say a prayer for them. Nobody expects to fall, but every year the hunting boards are all full of horror stories of some getting killed or crippled for life from falling from a tree stand. I could say anybody that doesn't wear a harness is a fool, but I wont. That's all I'm going to say on this subject .
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Post by woody1071 on Oct 13, 2016 12:30:27 GMT -5
I wear a TreeHopper safety belt in all but two of my stands. It also works as a climbing belt when setting up stands. On the other two of higher ones i wear a harness and tie onto a lifeline. I don't have enough lifelines to do this for every stand. As my son hunts more, every stand that he gets in will have a lifeline on it and he will wear his harness. |
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Post by salt on Oct 13, 2016 12:32:37 GMT -5
I always wear a harness. I already have bulging discs in both my neck and lower back. I know that it would take much of a fall at to do me in.
I also know of a guy who fell a few years ago and died. He laid on the ground for hours before someone found him. He was on life support for a few days when the doctors told him and his family that he would need continual care for the rest of his life. He and his family decide to remove the machines. He passed away soon after leaving a wife and an unborn child.
I love my wife and kids too much to not do everything I can to come home after the hunt.
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Post by dbd870 on Oct 13, 2016 12:55:48 GMT -5
I use a HSS as well; won't go up anything without it. I forget the tree strap once, only had the harness - I hunted from the ground.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 12:58:44 GMT -5
I used to this year only tie in at the tree and never used the lifeline. I have never fallen, but after some great response on this site on safety I have gone from ground up to ground down never disconnecting from the lifeline. You can buy an average good harness for around $50 and a lifeline for around $20. Very low investment verse the outcome of a fall. I would say no limitation on mobility. When I work at a plant anything over 4 foot requires to be tied always. Same mentality for hunting. I posted a safety video link in "Tree Climbers" post a couple days ago. I've also watched a dozen hunting videos and non mentioned using them, but saw a couple using one when they showed the hunter after a shot. If not looking, you would not notice.
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Oct 13, 2016 13:19:35 GMT -5
I love my wife and kids too much to not do everything I can to come home after the hunt. This is my reasoning as well. No reason to risk a life over hunting. Harness and lifelines are pretty cheap investments compared to hospital bills or funerals. |
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Post by tynimiller on Oct 13, 2016 13:29:26 GMT -5
(To be clear the following is not directed at anyone specifically)
This is quite possibly the only topic in hunting I will be blunt and have total disregard for feelings hurt or offenses made: WEAR A D*** HARNESS!!!
There is ZERO reasons to justify not using one, whether those reasons be thoughts in someone's tiny brain, coming out of their mouth or quite frankly from their sphincter.
Accidents happen, and even a 10 foot fall can be deadly....shoot I know a guy that fell from a 3 foot desk changing a light at a school and was paralyzed for awhile.
YOU ARE AN IDIOT IF YOU DO NOT WEAR ONE.
Now I understand lifelines are not the cheapest thing in the world so as to stay 100% connected from departure to descent...and even I have some laying on my deck right now instead of installed at trees...but for the love of your family and your stinking self the second (before if you have hook up in tree already) you get on stand it is the VERY FIRST thing you do!
If you can't hook onto something (I'll use a branch if no lifeline or pre hung hookup) before you step foot on to your platform visually inspect platform straps, step, hang hook up and instantly hook on. THEN proceed to prep for the hunt, get bow up and everything else.
I have zero tolerance for idiots that especially have loved ones expecting them to come home whether that be a wife/husband or kids. YOU OWE THEM the ability to come back home instead of funeral arrangements.
I seriously kid you not, I will openly question ANYONE's love of their children if they do not believe in wearing a safety harness.
Love your family, WEAR A D*** HARNESS.
That said I have many that have come with stands over the years...if you need one please let me know I'll send you one. They are not the most comfortable kind, and don't have leg straps and such like the ones I believe everyone should wear but they just might save your life someday!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 13:50:00 GMT -5
Not just tree safety harness and lifeline, but there is another one. Make sure you check you gun/rifle barrel often. A clogged barrel will explode and seriously hurt you and one's around you. I've seen it happen to a friend. Almost lost his life. A piece missed his heart by a fraction. He was back from morning hunt and just wanted to do some target practicing.
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Post by bill9068 on Oct 13, 2016 14:08:22 GMT -5
While were talking about this subject, I've been using a spyder tree decent system. Basically what is does is connect between you and the tree and lowers you down at a controlled speed if you fall. Its small and only weighs a pound or two, got it for Christmas last year. Looked online and cost about 70 bucks but its easy to take with you if you use a climber. Hope I never have to test it but seems like a good option for me and how I move around during the season from property to property and tree to tree.
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Post by swilk on Oct 13, 2016 14:12:02 GMT -5
I wear a vest and use lifelines on each hanging stand. On ladders I have a line at the top I clip into.
I just ordered a couple hundred feet of additional rope that I am going to make myself an adjustable linemans belt that also has an additional strap to lock it around the tree once Im at the top of my sticks and ready to hang an actual stand.
Ive neglected to wear anything while hanging stands most of the time but I figure Ive been pressing my luck and as I get older its only a matter of time till I would fall.
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Post by HuntMeister on Oct 13, 2016 14:41:44 GMT -5
Harness and lifeline user here. Just no good reason not to be safe fellas.
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Post by scrub-buster on Oct 13, 2016 15:13:32 GMT -5
I started wearing one after I fell from a ladder stand several years ago. I was lucky and wasn't injured. Since then I don't feel comfortable in a tree without a harness on.
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Post by goosepondmonster on Oct 13, 2016 15:15:16 GMT -5
I wear a harness always. I use lifelines on my ladder stands and a rope strap for my climber.
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Post by nfalls116 on Oct 13, 2016 15:17:04 GMT -5
It's a lost battle there are still people who will argue that seatbelts don't save lives.
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Post by GS1 on Oct 13, 2016 16:40:17 GMT -5
Staying alive is better than any excuse for not wearing a harness.
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Post by chewbacca on Oct 13, 2016 17:39:18 GMT -5
Guys thanks for the replies. Keep them coming.
Here is my situation...this will be lengthy. Let me start off by saying I only hunt from ladder stands anymore. I still have 3 hang ons but they are sitting in my garage because I don't like/trust them. My ladder stands all have a minimum of 2 straps on them. Almost all of them are strapped to 2 different trees for added stability. All my stands have at least one other tree right next to it besides the main one the back of the stand sits against. I do this because it gives me added cover and I feel more secure with multiple trees "within reach". With that being said, several years ago I was hunting a stand that sits right along a river that cuts through my woods. The stand sat up inside a clump of 4 trees. It was a great setup until one day the tree I was harnessed to fell! Luckily, it fell right into the river and of course it took me with it! I always tied off to this tree because I knew if it ever did fall (what's the likelihood of that, right) it would be better to hit water and not land. Fortunately I only broke a couple of ribs when I landed on the tree.
Many years ago, long before I had ever heard of a harness I was hunting opening morning of bow season and it was ridiculously windy. Probably shouldn't have been hunting but I was young and dumb. I was getting leery of a limb way up above me from the creaking and cracking it was making. All of a sudden it broke loose and I had no choice but to jump from my stand so I wouldn't get crushed. Ended up hitting the corner of the stand and busting one of the legs and breaking my ratchet strap.
So, with all that being said, I have a crazy fear being attached to tree that will limit my ability to abort or even worse, could fall (extremely unlikely) at any time.
However, as I sit here typing this I am watching 5 does feed in a winter wheat field and I'm also harnessed properly to the tree😉
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Post by dusty20 on Oct 13, 2016 18:48:00 GMT -5
Guys thanks for the replies. Keep them coming. Here is my situation...this will be lengthy. Let me start off by saying I only hunt from ladder stands anymore. I still have 3 hang ons but they are sitting in my garage because I don't like/trust them. My ladder stands all have a minimum of 2 straps on them. Almost all of them are strapped to 2 different trees for added stability. All my stands have at least one other tree right next to it besides the main one the back of the stand sits against. I do this because it gives me added cover and I feel more secure with multiple trees "within reach". With that being said, several years ago I was hunting a stand that sits right along a river that cuts through my woods. The stand sat up inside a clump of 4 trees. It was a great setup until one day the tree I was harnessed to fell! Luckily, it fell right into the river and of course it took me with it! I always tied off to this tree because I knew if it ever did fall (what's the likelihood of that, right) it would be better to hit water and not land. Fortunately I only broke a couple of ribs when I landed on the tree. Many years ago, long before I had ever heard of a harness I was hunting opening morning of bow season and it was ridiculously windy. Probably shouldn't have been hunting but I was young and dumb. I was getting leery of a limb way up above me from the creaking and cracking it was making. All of a sudden it broke loose and I had no choice but to jump from my stand so I wouldn't get crushed. Ended up hitting the corner of the stand and busting one of the legs and breaking my ratchet strap. So, with all that being said, I have a crazy fear being attached to tree that will limit my ability to abort or even worse, could fall (extremely unlikely) at any time. However, as I sit here typing this I am watching 5 does feed in a winter wheat field and I'm also harnessed properly to the tree😉 I have been fearful of this happening as well. I am not the most educated person regarding trees but I would often like to think I can spot a live or dead one. Sometimes I am shocked when I see a tree that appears alive and well toppled over . I wear a harness and lifeline when in a tree. My brother fell and fractured two vertebrae and surgery on his ankle. Couldn't work for 3 months. He had a harness but before we got to the top to put on the lifeline we were using a rope as a makeshift lineman's belt. Won't make that mistake again. I'm still waiting for a better way to put up a ladder stand. I hate being 16' high on a wobbly piece of junk steel swaying in the wind trying to fasten a ratchet strap. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 19:09:34 GMT -5
I hang my stands in August and then it's easy to see if dead or alive. I also don't hunt if very windy in a tree. I will go to the ground blinds
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