This incident happened to me last year in Ohio hunting on public land. I've been meaning to share it here for a while but it's a long story so I've been putting it off. The story posted earlier today about the man being killed in Michigan after a fall gave me the kick in the ass needed to post my story.
I've been using climbers since 2012. They are my favorite stands to use and I have 2 of them. Summit Goliath's to be exact. I bought one in 2012 and the other was brand new last year. The reason they are my favorite is I feel they are the safest. Once I've hooked both sections of the stand to the tree I attach a rope style tree strap with a prussit knot to the tree, hook my tether in to the carabiner and I'm ready to go. From the ground up and back down I'm always attached to the tree. I felt very secure like this and as you guys know security some times changes to cockiness or complacency. I used them enough that I got to the point I felt could get in to just about any tree with them.
Last year I was hunting a state forest and I had found a spot with lots of deer sign and plenty of climbing trees. I went out one day for an all day sit. Around noon the wind switched so I got down and looked for a new tree. I found one I liked but it had a huge blowdown under it. Screw it I said to myself. I climbed up the blow down about 5 or 6 feet off the ground, hooked in my stand and up I went. I hunted that night and the next morning. Came back the next afternoon and went up the tree for a fourth time. This was the newer stand by the way. It had only been used a handful times. It got dark so I started down. On my second step down something wasn't right. I couldn't get the platform to engage to the tree. I looked down and saw my cable was unhooked! I knew right away I was screwed. To make matters worse my buddy was hunting a total different part of the forest. It was actually the first time we'd done that. I was supposed to pick him up after I was done. I went to call him but it went straight to voice mail. Then I remembered cell service where he was wasn't good. So now, I'm sitting 20 feet up, on the rail of my top section facing the tree. My feet are still hooked to the platform but it's attached to nothing. I think about getting out of the stand and trying to shimmee down the tree but with the big blowdown below me I figure that's not a good idea. With all the branches sticking up If I fall I could easily be impaled. I quickly realize my only option is to call 911. I hate to because I'll feel like a fool but I really had no choice. If I could have got a hold of my buddy he could have come over with his climber, climbed up and reattached my cable. I call 911, give them directions as to where I am and wait. About 10 minutes after calling 911 my buddy calls me. He got in to cell range and got my message. He's probably a mile or so away and is walking up the road. by this time, my legs are starting to go numb and I'm hanging on to my cellphone with a death grip. My biggest fear was dropping it. As I'm talking to my buddy I hear the sirens coming down the road. Once I hear them stop I figure they are at the area I parked. As the 911 operator instructed me to do, I start hollering. It takes them a while to locate me but they do. By now I've been in the tree for almost 2 hours and my legs are numb from the middle of my thighs down. They put a ladder up, climb up and reattach the cable. 5 minutes later I was back on the ground. I was embarrassed for getting in to that situation but happy as hell to feel dirt under my feet.
So as I stated this was my newer climber. I had only used it a few times before going to Ohio. I had thought it was funny the cables weren't in as snug as my old one and there was space between the clip and cable. But I just thought it was a change they made to make the cables easier to move. The stand still worked fine. Well, it wasn't fine and the cable slipped out at the worst time. If you go to use your Summit climber and see this gap between the cable and the clip don't use it. Call Summit and they will tell you how to fix it.
I've replayed this whole thing in my head a hundred times and there's a few things I should have done different.
#1 I should have called Summit the first time I used the stand and it didn't feel right. The phone call would have taken a few minutes and it would have prevented this problem.
#2 My buddy and I should not have hunted separate areas, especially with his area having little to no cell service. If we had done what we normally do (hunt with 500-1000 yards of each other) He could have been there quickly and got me down.
#3 I should not have set up over a blowdown. If the ground was clear of rocks and debris I probably would have felt confident enough to free climb down. Even if I fell it would have been a much softer landing than a huge pile of brush.
Now for you guys who don't use safety harnesses, ropes or liflelines PLEASE start doing so immediately. The only thing that kept me calm was knowing I was hooked in. With all the safety equipment out there today there's really no excuse for not using it.
Lastly, I'd like to tell you guys a few things I've changed for this season.
#1 I bought a new HSS vest with the bino straps on it. I also bough a cellphone holder with a carabiner that I hook to one of the bino straps whenever I go up or down a tree or ladderstand. That way it's always hooked to me ready to use and I don't have to worry about dropping it.
#2 I bought the pack of 3 HSS accessory pouches. I have one that's always hooked to my safety vest and it holds 2 folding screw in steps. These can be used in a emergency to get down the tree without having to free climb your way down.
#3 I check my cables and clips every time I use a climber.
#4 I will always make sure if I'm hunting an area with no cell service I'll have another form of communication with me. Every place I hunt here has good cell service but my buddy and I will be bringing a set of walkie talkies with us to Ohio just in case.
#5 I now have my suspension relief strap attached to my vest at all times. I just stuff it in my front pants pocket to keep it out of the way. I always thought I would just attach it when I needed it. After this incident that may not be as easy as it sounds. Every thing is easy to do on the ground, in the daylight and in normal conditions. Change the situation to 20 feet off the ground, dark outside and you're in a state of panic and doing simple things like hooking on a strap become much more difficult.
Sorry guys for the long story but I figured it needed to be told. Best advice I can give anyone hunting off the ground is buy the right equipment, read and follow all the instructions of your equipment and if something doesn't look or feel right stay on the ground. It's better than the alternative.
I've been using climbers since 2012. They are my favorite stands to use and I have 2 of them. Summit Goliath's to be exact. I bought one in 2012 and the other was brand new last year. The reason they are my favorite is I feel they are the safest. Once I've hooked both sections of the stand to the tree I attach a rope style tree strap with a prussit knot to the tree, hook my tether in to the carabiner and I'm ready to go. From the ground up and back down I'm always attached to the tree. I felt very secure like this and as you guys know security some times changes to cockiness or complacency. I used them enough that I got to the point I felt could get in to just about any tree with them.
Last year I was hunting a state forest and I had found a spot with lots of deer sign and plenty of climbing trees. I went out one day for an all day sit. Around noon the wind switched so I got down and looked for a new tree. I found one I liked but it had a huge blowdown under it. Screw it I said to myself. I climbed up the blow down about 5 or 6 feet off the ground, hooked in my stand and up I went. I hunted that night and the next morning. Came back the next afternoon and went up the tree for a fourth time. This was the newer stand by the way. It had only been used a handful times. It got dark so I started down. On my second step down something wasn't right. I couldn't get the platform to engage to the tree. I looked down and saw my cable was unhooked! I knew right away I was screwed. To make matters worse my buddy was hunting a total different part of the forest. It was actually the first time we'd done that. I was supposed to pick him up after I was done. I went to call him but it went straight to voice mail. Then I remembered cell service where he was wasn't good. So now, I'm sitting 20 feet up, on the rail of my top section facing the tree. My feet are still hooked to the platform but it's attached to nothing. I think about getting out of the stand and trying to shimmee down the tree but with the big blowdown below me I figure that's not a good idea. With all the branches sticking up If I fall I could easily be impaled. I quickly realize my only option is to call 911. I hate to because I'll feel like a fool but I really had no choice. If I could have got a hold of my buddy he could have come over with his climber, climbed up and reattached my cable. I call 911, give them directions as to where I am and wait. About 10 minutes after calling 911 my buddy calls me. He got in to cell range and got my message. He's probably a mile or so away and is walking up the road. by this time, my legs are starting to go numb and I'm hanging on to my cellphone with a death grip. My biggest fear was dropping it. As I'm talking to my buddy I hear the sirens coming down the road. Once I hear them stop I figure they are at the area I parked. As the 911 operator instructed me to do, I start hollering. It takes them a while to locate me but they do. By now I've been in the tree for almost 2 hours and my legs are numb from the middle of my thighs down. They put a ladder up, climb up and reattach the cable. 5 minutes later I was back on the ground. I was embarrassed for getting in to that situation but happy as hell to feel dirt under my feet.
So as I stated this was my newer climber. I had only used it a few times before going to Ohio. I had thought it was funny the cables weren't in as snug as my old one and there was space between the clip and cable. But I just thought it was a change they made to make the cables easier to move. The stand still worked fine. Well, it wasn't fine and the cable slipped out at the worst time. If you go to use your Summit climber and see this gap between the cable and the clip don't use it. Call Summit and they will tell you how to fix it.
I've replayed this whole thing in my head a hundred times and there's a few things I should have done different.
#1 I should have called Summit the first time I used the stand and it didn't feel right. The phone call would have taken a few minutes and it would have prevented this problem.
#2 My buddy and I should not have hunted separate areas, especially with his area having little to no cell service. If we had done what we normally do (hunt with 500-1000 yards of each other) He could have been there quickly and got me down.
#3 I should not have set up over a blowdown. If the ground was clear of rocks and debris I probably would have felt confident enough to free climb down. Even if I fell it would have been a much softer landing than a huge pile of brush.
Now for you guys who don't use safety harnesses, ropes or liflelines PLEASE start doing so immediately. The only thing that kept me calm was knowing I was hooked in. With all the safety equipment out there today there's really no excuse for not using it.
Lastly, I'd like to tell you guys a few things I've changed for this season.
#1 I bought a new HSS vest with the bino straps on it. I also bough a cellphone holder with a carabiner that I hook to one of the bino straps whenever I go up or down a tree or ladderstand. That way it's always hooked to me ready to use and I don't have to worry about dropping it.
#2 I bought the pack of 3 HSS accessory pouches. I have one that's always hooked to my safety vest and it holds 2 folding screw in steps. These can be used in a emergency to get down the tree without having to free climb your way down.
#3 I check my cables and clips every time I use a climber.
#4 I will always make sure if I'm hunting an area with no cell service I'll have another form of communication with me. Every place I hunt here has good cell service but my buddy and I will be bringing a set of walkie talkies with us to Ohio just in case.
#5 I now have my suspension relief strap attached to my vest at all times. I just stuff it in my front pants pocket to keep it out of the way. I always thought I would just attach it when I needed it. After this incident that may not be as easy as it sounds. Every thing is easy to do on the ground, in the daylight and in normal conditions. Change the situation to 20 feet off the ground, dark outside and you're in a state of panic and doing simple things like hooking on a strap become much more difficult.
Sorry guys for the long story but I figured it needed to be told. Best advice I can give anyone hunting off the ground is buy the right equipment, read and follow all the instructions of your equipment and if something doesn't look or feel right stay on the ground. It's better than the alternative.
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