# Well that was crazy. Be safe hanging stands.



## kernal83 (Mar 25, 2005)

Was hunting last night hunt a stand prior to the hunt and hung it incorrectly. Hunt out of a climber 80% of the time but wanted to get on this field edge k had been seeing deer. Hadn't hunted from my lone wolf hang on in several years and for some reason I thought you just could use he quick hang loop without the bottom strap. Dumb I know but it happened. Was 100% my fault. I checked it from my steps. Was disconnected from linemans belt. Stood on it for maybe 30 seconds had not yet connected the strap to the tree and bam the stand broke free. Strap still connected at the top not sure what happened but I Went straight down 18-20 feet. So lucky to have walked away with a really banged up shoulder. Hurts bad but it's not my spine. I will never climb without staying connected the whole way. Be safe out there guys!


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## Flatty01 (Aug 9, 2008)

Glad your "OK". Let's be safe out there.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Scary stuff for sure. I had a tree step pull out around 18 ft up and I slid all the way down to the ground clinging to the tree and had a lower tree step rip me pretty good from my upper thigh to my neck. I thought I had been gutted. Fortunately just torn clothes, and a superficial 2 ft cut and big yellow and purple bruises for a couple of weeks. For a whole bunch of years I used to climb trees with my Loc-On stand on my back screwing steps as I went, no safety rope or harness of any kind and most often hunting alone. I was very fortunate over all of those years and on the day I finally had a mishap to not ever get seriously injured.

That was around 15 years ago and was the last time I ever climbed into any kind of stand where it wasn't a LADDER stand.

As a very sobering reminder. I shot the IBO Triple Crown in Nelsonville one of the years in the peer groups with this guy. It can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime.


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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

I'm guilty of not wearing a harness. I always tell myself to, especially since I'm not to comfortable in the stand. Thanks for the reminder. Glad you're alright.


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## Gills63 (Mar 29, 2012)

It takes 30 seconds to strap in or it takes a second to hit the ground. Those extra 29 seconds are well worth it.


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## KayakBass11 (Mar 25, 2015)

I never had one because I couldn't afford it. Well I fell out of the tree once when the stand gave out. Found the cash real fast to buy a good harness... never hunt without one again.... my wifes uncle fell out of his stand and broke his back, crawled 1.5 miles to his truck to call for help...he wears a harness now too.


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## Redman1776 (Jul 14, 2014)

If anyone on here needs a harness. Pm please. I have more than I know what to do with from all of the stands I have bought. I'm tired of the excuses-money, comfort, convenience. You owe it to your family to be as safe as possible and return home safe.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

For those saying that they're too expensive, they are the cheapest life insurance you can buy!


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## Ant (Mar 27, 2013)

I use to roof and hang gutter when I was younger and never wore a harness but one time.But for some reason every time I got in a tree stand I was scared to death.I bought a self climber that came with a harness And it was so easy to use that I never even gave it a second thought.Thank god I never had a fall.Except off a few roofs.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

most hunting accidents are caused from falling out of a tree.

I hunted for many yrs from hanging tree stands then a loggy bayou climbing stand without using a safety harness. then I upgraded to a summit viper and gave my oldest son the old loggy bayou. then bought him a summit viper and then his wife started hunting with us so I bought her a summit viper. I bought all of us a nice safety harness but none of us liked the new harnesses. but I was worried one of them might fall. so we tried the harness that came with the summit stands and have been wearing them ever since. I wasn't worried enough about myself to wear a harness but by me wearing one its easy to get them to wear there's. I now know it was foolish to hunt from a stand and let my son hunt from a stand without a safety harness.
sherman


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## bwarrenuk (Jan 4, 2015)

Life line systems are a good idea too. Especially if your hunting out of hang on stands. Keeps you connected all the up and down. There relatively cheap or pretty easy too make your self.


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## turkeyt (Apr 13, 2006)

Get and use... I fell from a stand and was off work 8 months
Get your construction trade buddy or go on Ebay to get a 5/8" 30 foot or so life line rope, a construction grade harness with bungee and a rope grab. Tie off the rope above your stand and to the ground. Attach the grab to the rope. Attach the bungee to your harness and grab and then you are attached going up and down. You will be glad you did when you fall not if you fall.....


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## kernal83 (Mar 25, 2005)

I am planning on buying the hss lifelines for all hang on stands. Anyone have a good was of getting up there to attach it the first time and being attached? 

Walked by the stand where I fell tonight have to admit it gave me the creeps.


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## cbranig161 (Jul 25, 2014)

This past Monday I had my API outdoors climber foot platform collapse on me on my way down. Thankful I wasn't left hanging, had another tree 3 ft next to me and was able to get down safely. Yes I did have my harness on. Went to fin after that and picked up a summit Goliath, a lot more sturdier than the API. Just make sure your harnesses and stands are in good shape before climbing!


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## Gills63 (Mar 29, 2012)

Also mind how steep of angle you start your climbers. I slid down a tree an opening morning of shotgun a few years back. I didn't slid far but my face didn't appreciate being scrapped down an oak tree.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

I use lifelines on all my hanging stands, and they're the best idea yet. However, I haven't figured out a foolproof method to install them totally risk free. But, I have an idea.

I wear my harness and use the lineman's belt when putting up the stick ladder and hanging the stand. But there comes a point where the belt has to be disconnected and maneuvered around the stand. That's the scary part. But, what if you had TWO lineman's belts.

I watched a guy take down the neighbor's big maple that had been damaged in a storm. He was using tree spikes, a harness, and lineman's belt to climb one of the trunks and came to a fork. What would he do now? Turns out he had another lineman's belt dangling from one of the d-rings. He got up to the fork, flipped the second belt around the trunk he wished to go up, tensioned it, took the tension off the other letting it dangle, and went on his way. Best solution I've seen so far.


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