Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Another safety reminder...

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
59,050
288
North Carolina
I've always double strapped my ladder stands in, that way one let's lose I still have 100% backup still there....

Not a hang on stand kinda guy so never had used the sticks, so would that be feasible too double stamp the top and bottom ones too prevent this from happening? Like I said I have no experience so this is more for my education....
 

Joel

Senior Member
3,050
124
Centerburg, Ohio
I like the idea of the second strap on the ladder stands. I'm gonna have to do that.

I do use the lifelines on these but I bet if the strap broke and I needed the harness to catch me, I'd most likely have to change my drawers.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,046
145
Constitution Ohio
I've always double strapped my ladder stands in, that way one let's lose I still have 100% backup still there....

Not a hang on stand kinda guy so never had used the sticks, so would that be feasible too double stamp the top and bottom ones too prevent this from happening? Like I said I have no experience so this is more for my education....

Yes it would! We have on some but not all. Guess what, this one was in the not all catagory.

I just got home from the hospital. Actually feel pretty good right now. We will see how it goes when the IV Tylenol wears off (Great stuff!). My future son in law has a set up for me on his property so if I'm feeling up to it maybe this weekend I will try a quick hunt.

Jesse, I was hoping you would do something like this when I sent you the message of what happened. This story needs to be told. I am one of the more safety conscious guys I know but I skipped one step. It nearly cost me everything and put my family through more than I care to put them through. If ONE guy learns from this and doesn't have to go through what me and my family have just gone through then it's worth it. Even Dandaman's comments.
 
Because of this I will not hunt a treestand I had been thinking of for Saturday morning. I hate to say it but I have yet to climb the stick and check it out since last spring. So I will hunt from my climber Saturday morning and then for the afternoon I will head over and strap myself on to the tree with a pocket full of ratchet straps and make sure everything is safe for the evenings hunt.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,046
145
Constitution Ohio
I have had a setback in my recovery. They have diagnosed it as a pinched nerve exactly where my back is bruised between my shoulder blades. I am unable to lift anything right now. I had been hunting some with a crossbow and perhaps I overdid it. I had been feeling real good but had slight pain between my shoulder blades the whole time. My fractured scapula has caused very little pain at all. I hope this passes quickly so I can at least catch a little bit of November.
 

goshenmountainman

Junior Member
18
0
Hope you have a speedy recovery Spencie, the exact same thing happened to a friend of mine in Champaign county 2 days ago, he was putting up the sticks and the third one the strap slipped and bent the stick. He tumbled to the ground but no injuries, he was by his self and no one knew where he was. He was lucky to not be hurt. I also had a bad accident on a lawnmower a few weeks back, put me in the hospital and tore me up pretty bad, I got to go hunting a few days last week and got a nice nine point, my first ohio buck. We will keep you in our prayers and pray for a speedy recovery, I know how you feel and hope everything works out for the best.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,046
145
Constitution Ohio
Thanks for the well wishes. I am going to be fine in time. I'm not in any health danger...just can't do what I'm programmed to do. The 30+mph winds are easing the pain today...tomorrow when it's perfect out I will be going crazy. Good luck to everyone out there hunting and be safe!!!
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,046
145
Constitution Ohio
Tyler and I went up a few days ago and checked out the stand/sticks where I fell. The strap did not look tampered with. Just weathered. When it broke the ladder stick started falling away from the tree. The next section down actually broke just below where the 2 sections are doubled up. It broke where the "v" bracket is bolted to the stick...right through the bolt hole. Apparently I held on as long as possible as the top section and few inches of the next section were hanging straight down attached by a sliver of metal. My backpack was below the stand to the west with the contents scattered on the ground. I don't know why or how that occurred. I "should" have fallen to the south. I still don't know what happened after I hit the ground (or how I landed) and probably never will. The only things I remember after the fall are things that involved lights...in the cabin, passing a house with a dusk to dawn light, driving through the town of Bartlett and going into the local store. Everything else is a blank...maybe for the better.

I'm not sure if this will prevent anyone else from going through something like this but I'm hoping if I can give as many details as possible maybe it will scare one person enough to be more cautious. Hitting the ground HURTS!