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STRAPPING IN

alaskanwhtail

alaskanwhtail

New Member
I WAS WONDERING WHY ALOT OF HUNTERS DON'T WEAR SAFTY HARNESS WHILE IN STAND. MY UNCLE WAS HUNTING OUT OF STATE IN PENNSYLVANIA IN 1987 AND FELL OUTTA HIS TREESTAND AT 30 FEET. NOW HE IS A QUAD. THAT DAY HE PURCHASED ONE BUT LET MY FATHER TEST IT THAT EVENING. FOR THE GUYS THAT DON'T WEAR THEM I'M JUST CURIOUS AS WHY YOU DON'T WEAR ONE.I AM GOING TO POST A PIC IN MY GALLERY OF THE BOW I HELPED CREATE FOR HIM.
 
Thats a very good question Alaskan, I myself was one of the ones who never used to wear one, i thought it was for sissies, that were scared to be in trees. but i seen the light when muddy, fell out of his tree and his safety belt saved him, i figured if it could happen to him, it could happen to me. so now i wont leave home without it, ive found it useful in many ways, not just as a safety harness. Has it saved me, no, will it? it just might over the next 40+ years that I have left of hunting. so I will be strapped in for life
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for you guys that dont wear one, i was just like you, figured why wear one im not gonna fall, that may be true, and most likely is but why risk your life, and not being able to do what you love best and that is be 20 feet up in the air hunting whitetails, i couldnt imagine not being able to hunt, thats why i wear one
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I admitt I dont wear one.But I spend most of my time in the air working off ladders, roofing, scaffolding, and such.Im probably more likely to fall at work then I am while hunting and at work safety harnesses of any sort get in the way more than anything.But mainly I guesse its because I spend more time hunting off the ground anymore than I do out of a tree.When I do goto a tree its usually a last minute decision and I dont have one handy anyway.
 
I never wore any kind of safety belt because I always thought I had pretty good balance. At the beginning of the season I had a friend fall straight to the ground when his treestand gave away. He hurt his back pretty good so I decided I'd better wear mine. During the season I was leaning out over my stand to get a shot at a buck and the stand shifted. My strap caught me and and gave me enough time to grab the tree otherwise I would have fallen out without the strap. Could have been a real bad deal.

Tomo
 
Alway's srap in now because I hunt with a guy that just got me to thinking about the safty part of treestand hunting more.I used to never use one,just thought they were one more thing I did not want to haul in but all it take's is one second and your entire hunting career can be over or worse yet your life.
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if you don't use a safety belt i think you're just asking for trouble. i never wore one until a few years ago when i took a minor tumble from about 10 feet up. last season, most of you know, i took a spill from 25-30 feet. my safety harness probably saved my life that day as i only went about 2 feet before my life line kicked in.

no one ever expects to fall from a tree. just like no one ever expects to get into a car accident, slip on the ice, fall down the stairs, etc, etc, etc.

better safe than sorry.
 
I ALWAYS wear a safety belt. In the past it was hit or miss but I guess with age comes the reality that I am mortal and my wounds don't heal as fast as they used to. A couple of times in the past year or two I have forgotten mine and I felt real uncomfortable.

If you don't wear one for yourself, wear one for those you love.
 
i too never go up without the belt. to me it's manditory. if i would happen to forget it(which has happened once or twice) i won't even go up more than 6 or 8 feet off the ground and really that's too high without a belt atleast in my book. i also had a friend who has now passed away but was a quad becase of a treestand fall from only 12 feet! by the way i have a treestand forsale! ya'll know anyone who wants one! it's a tree-lounge bowhunters edition with standing platform and camo cushion! great stand!!!!!!
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I always use one I don't know if it would hold me or not & I hope I never have to test it. But I feel much safer with one on.
 
Always wear mine and make my 8 year old wear his. Sometimes it's awfully tempting to not wear it, especially when hunting out of my two man ladder stand, but I'd hate to not be wearing it that one time something goes wrong.
 
If you are not using a safety harness, you should have your head examined! It's like saying I'm not going to wear my seat belt because "I'm a good driver." Or "it's too much hassle."

Besides, I speak with some authority on this subject -- as indicated by my sign in name. Preventative measures always seem less important until we wish we had taken them. So strap in guys! I'd hate to see any of you join the ranks of those who SHOULD have.
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I had a chain break last fall and was to embarassed to talk about it here on the site. I wear a strap but have always strugled with mobility durning the installation. I paid last fall. My youngest boy just about didn't get out of my way as I made my rapid descent. Then I caught a heavy home made stand on my chin. 15 feet, man were we both lucky. Makes me feel real small too. Who makes the best safty harness for all hunting applications. I have had a name giving to me only to have forgotten it. Right now I am still wearing a strap.
 
I started to wear a saftey belt pretty religiously starting after a 25 foot fall in the mid-1990's. I was lucky that nothing major happened to me during that fall, but my back does now act up from time to time and my flexability is poorer.

I always wear a belt when I am in my treestand, but I have not found a good belt to use while you are climbing up or down. The belt always seems to get in the way and hung up on a tree step, branch, bark etc. Has anyone found a belt that minimizes this during the climbing process?? Later
 
Ironwood- Try a Seat-of-the-Pants brand full body saftey harness, they are very nice and much better than a belt
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Mine saved my butt 2 years ago. I adjusted my stand in the dark that morning and 4 hours later when preparing to leave the stand suddenly dropped out from under me. Apparently I had not properly reattached the stand in the dark. Trust me, you WILL NOT HAVE TIME TO REACT!! I would have fallen 22 feet before I knew what happened.
I really dont find harnesses to be that much in the way anymore, and am amazed that I hunted for years with nothing at all.
 
Thanks Timberpig, that is the harnness that keeps getting the recommendation. Now I am going to go buy one for myself and one for both of the boys.
 
I am scared of extreme heights and Chris talked me into the S.O.P. Although I needed to add some strap length to the torso strap (beer gut from the 80's) I am getting more confident with each use. I think if you asked anyone that has fallen if they would rather spend $50 or fall they choice is obvious.
 
Wear it. I had my fall while going up to set my stand. Instead of using all my steps I thought the tree branch was ok. It was the first time up but not on the way down. Nothing hurt but my pride Thank God!! We all love our sport but our loved ones are why we are able to enjoy our sport (understanding wife, a dad who taught you all about the sport, ect) Be safe and strap in...
 
TRUST ME! 1arrow is right on this one. I had the pleasure of watching, or was it listening, to him come down out of his tree. It sounded like the world's largest racoon was coming down the tree to get me!
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You ever see on ESPN, those lumberjack competitions where they go up the pole and then come flying down and warp speed. Well let's just say that 1arrow would have won the gold medal that day. I wear mine more than ever because of a safety conscious hunting partner. (Except the suicide stand - whole other story there!) :&psych
 
Okay, while on the topic. Has anybody ever used the Rocky brand safety vest? Looks like you just put it on like any other vest and seems much simpler to use. Is there anyone who can say they've used it? Thanks for any input.
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I never used it but did look into buying it. Went with the Seat O the Pants instead. I can wear that under my scent lock. The Rocky vest I didn't know how much it would get in the way of my bowhunting. Although for a vest it did look like it should work pretty good.
 
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