Ohio Man Dies After Falling From A Treestand - Huron County Michigan

[Big_Holla]

Hate to read these stories about people falling from treestands. This one had an Ohio connection. Sounds like he fell some time after shooting a deer and attempting to get down out of his stand.

http://www.miheadlines.com/2015/10/02/ohio-man-dies-after-falling-from-tree-stand-in-huron-county/

 

[Bigslam51]

They say 75% of treestand accidents occur getting in or out of your stand. All could of been avoided if he'd of had a lifeline, which I don't own and should probably get. Also read somewhere that 3 out of 5 hunters will fall at some point during their hunting career.

 

[MK111]

What a shame. For 49 yrs I never used a lifeline but I already bought 3 for this year. I just started using a safety vest while in the ladder stand 2 years ago.
I did have a ladder stand throw me out of the stand 25 yrs ago when I was moving for a shot at a nice but it was only 8 ft. Sad thing is I straighten the stand out and got back up only to get tossed out again. Then I went home and the next day put the stand on a larger tree and shot the same buck that I scared the night before when I fell.

 

[themedic]

I didn't use a safety harness untill last season when I realized I owe it to my family. But last night I hunted all night and realized when prepping to climb down I never actually clipped in.....oops

 

[finelyshedded]

Very sad!

 

[ajupsman]

Hey guys, I had an incident last year getting down from a tree in a climber. I ended up needing help getting down. I was actually stuck in the tree for over 2 hours. I've been meaning to post the story here but haven't taken the time to do it (it's a long story). Needless to say the only thing that kept me calm was knowing I had my safety vest on and it was clipped to the rope style tree strap on the tree.

 

[Hortontoter]

Terrible to hear. I'm glad I don't climb at all.

 

[cotty16]

Horrible to hear this.

Brings up a good question... When use my climber or hang on, I'm always attached to the tree because you can just keep moving the strap up the tree. However, with a ladder stand that isn't possible with the ladder being a good distance from the tree. How do you guys stay attached while climbing a ladder stand? They always seem so sturdy, but I guess you never know.

 

[joejoe8]

I fell the first day of our season here in Nc Sep 12. I do a bunch of hang an hunts with a lone wolf sticks an loc on. The hunt was over an I was climbing down an I forgot my bow hanger. Luckily I use my linesmens belt to wrap around the stand itself. Not the way I do it now but it did save me from a 25ft fall. I step in the stand with one foot an had to duck under a limb. I guess i put a lil to much pressure on the limb, it broke at the same time I pushed of with my other foot. Don't think i could have jumped out of it as fast as I fell. Fell about 10ft before everything come tight, scared the crap out of me. I still have buddys that don't wear safety harnesses, I've offered to buy them for them.

 

[Boarhead]

Sad news.
Been wearing a safety harness for years but may put up some lifelines next season.
Back in the 80s we just climbed in and hunted nobody ever talked about safety much.

 

[MK111]

Horrible to hear this.

Brings up a good question... When use my climber or hang on, I'm always attached to the tree because you can just keep moving the strap up the tree. However, with a ladder stand that isn't possible with the ladder being a good distance from the tree. How do you guys stay attached while climbing a ladder stand? They always seem so sturdy, but I guess you never know.

Using ladder stands is the reason I bought the life lines this year. Attached to the tree above head high and attached to the tree 3-4 ft from the ground. Attach your safety harness of safety vest to the life line and push the attachment point up the rope as you climb. Do the reverse in coming down. Only down size is 1st time up you have no life line to use. I bought 3 so I will leave the life line attached to each stand.

 

[teej89]

Not only do you have to wear them you gotta INSPECT them. My dad was hanging a stand two years ago and the last thing he heard was a metallic ping then he woke up some time later. Found out one of his buckles broke on his harness and he ended up falling 15ft onto his back and got knocked out.

When I'm using a climber I always stay strapped in however coming down with lone wolf sticks, if they're staying on the tree I don't use my linemans belt. It typically gets tangled and adds more problems, I should just get a life line.

 

[COB-TY]

Terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be careful out there guys/gals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[giles]

I need to spend the money and get one I don't mind wearing…

 

[Fluteman]

Very sad indeed. I always wear a harness, but I am guilty of not using a lifeline. Anymore, I use a lineman's belt going up and down the tree, regardless of the sticks already hung, and I don't unbuckle it until I'm strapped into the tether as well.

Mike and I had a talk a while back about building lifelines, maybe we should look into a starting a thread about them.

 

[Bigslam51]

I was hanging a stand last year and was 20 feet up leaning back against my lineman's belt. I heard a rip in my safety harness where the lineman's belt attaches. If it would of totally ripped out I might not be typing this right now.

 

[brock ratcliff]

I have pretty much quit using anything but ladder stands, though I have heard most falls are from ladder stands... I am too old, stiff, arthritic, fat to be climbing around like a monkey anymore. And, it always scared me to death anyway. I fell one time just before KR and I got married. She was with me, and I was still setting steps on the way up. This was a tree I always hung about 25-30 feet. I slipped off a step about 10 feet up, thump. It hurt, but no lasting effect, thankfully. I came out of that tree so quick, there was no hope of hanging on, and I tried. I tore off a finger nail in the effort. It was clear then, I'm no squirrel, got no business pretending to be! Additionally, I know two fellas that are paralyzed from the waist down from falls. One was hanging a stand, one had just shot his biggest buck. I don't want to have that happen...

 

[cotty16]

I just grabbed a 3 pack of HSS lifeline on Sportsman's Guide. Not just for me, but for my boys. We have the vests, just always waited til we got up to latch on. No use taking the chance.

 

[Joel]

Those life lines are nice. I bought one for each stand last year and I only use ladder stands.

 

[cotty16]

For buddy stands, do I have to use two lines? I was hoping there was a way to go up and then send the guide (or whatever you call it) back down for the boy.