Tree stand safety!  I just wanted to post this year to remind everyone to PLEASE, check any straps/stands in the woods and when one leaves the ground to stay connected to the tree the whole way until back on the ground.  There is no reason today not to, we spend time and money to enjoy the passion we all have, and to do it for long time.  I know many of you will scoff and say "I been doing this for _ _ years", yeah I know me too, but lived long enough to learn from it.  Last year, I taught a hunter education class, a parent came up after and asked if I really wear those things (harness).  I said I did, unless I was saddle hunting, but always attached to the tree, he shook his head and said not me.  This summer, seen his son and he told me, his Dad is now crippled, because he fell.  His son (16), looked at me and said, "why didn't he listen to you, I did.  Now we will never get to hunt again together".  The chance you take impacts more than you and the animal.  "STAY CONNECTED" OR STAY ON THE GROUND.

Same thing goes for seat belts in ur truck...I would ask my oldest grandson how it feels to have your neck broken in two places and have your skull crushed but DEAD men don't talk...wear the harness!!!

So many years ago almost every sport shop of any type had coffee cans collecting money for a man who fell or his family. Now I guess we do Facebook. Your family needs you guys. Even if you don't care about yourself do it for your kids. You want to see them grow, get married, want grandkids sitting on your lap. You prob want to feel that as well. Be kinda silly to realize we were mistaken in thinking it was ok to not use one and now paying a giant price. So avoidable, your family needs you. I'll add another. You don't use one, what is your son likely to do? If he falls how would you feel?  Teach em right. Please tie in boys

 

35 years ago I had a folding tree step break as I was climbing up to my stand. I swung into the tree and impaled my scrotum on a tree step. I was in great physical condition back then and was strong enough to hold on with one hand, free myself from the tree step and was able to lower myself to the next step down and get to the ground. Quick trip to the ER and 12 stitches later I was home, but unable to hunt for 2 weeks. At that time I hadn't heard of or thought of a safety line with a prussic knot to ascend and descend to and from my stand, but I did wear a 4 point harness and tie off once in the stand. Had I not been young and strong I would've removed my "manhood" and hit the ground and most likely would've been crippled or dead. DON'T take chances!

I am fortunate enough to now have my own little patch of heaven in central PA where I have a number of stands set up.  Each one has a 10 mm static line safety line with a prussik knot loop installed on the tree.  When I am there I am alone and several miles from cellphone service.  I don't start to climb until my harness is clipped to the loop.  It makes hunting so much more enjoyable!

years ago I had an incident during a factory site-survey.  I was clipped to the roof support beam when the man-lift I was in was hit by a fork-truck.  I know what it feels like when you hit the end of the tether! (The body stops - but the turds do not!)

But I walked away from the incident.  It made me a believer in fall restraint harnesses!

JMC