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

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
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

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
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.
 
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themedic

Junior Member
755
0
OHIO
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
 

ajupsman

*Supporting Member*
811
70
New Hampshire
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.
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
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

Junior Member
387
61
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.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
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

Senior Member
2,288
48
NE PA
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

Retired to the happy hunting grounds above.
2,555
0
Ohio
Terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be careful out there guys/gals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
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

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
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

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
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...