Saftey harness,climb ropes

[buckdeer1]

So how many out there still don't use safety harness and or a safety climb rope? For us that do lets convince those that don't that it's just not worth it not to be safe.

 

[ghilliehunter]

Agree buckdeer. 30 years ago I hunted out of homemade stands with no safety device. I then graduated to using a waist belt tied off to the tree. Finally got smart and only use manufactured treestands and a safety harness. No deer is worth getting hurt or dying for.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I use a harness in all of my stands. And I use safety climb ropes for my hang-ons. I do not use a safety climb rope in my ladder stands. Thoughts about this? I just never saw the need for one when ascending or descending a ladder...but I'd be happy to be convinced otherwise.

 

[WTNUT]

I have described what I do, and will do it again. First, I NEVER get in a stand without a body harness on. I have tried nearly all of them and Hunter Safety System is my favorite. I keep at least 20 in the building for guests who forget one, just in case.

A very good fried of mine that visited the farm often fell while getting out of his stand 5-7 years ago and died. I have always thought the most dangerous time was ascending and descending. So now, when I hang a hang on stand, I use a lag bold to secure a climbing anchor to the tree above the stand. Envision a J-hook being attached to the tree. From it I hand a loop of parachute cord. The loop hangs from the hook and the two ends are tied together at the base of the tree. I carry 60 feet of climbing rope with me to the stand (good rope is soft, not heavy and priceless). When I get to the stand I tie the climbing rope to one side of the parachute cord and use the cord to raise the climbing rope up, over the J-hook and back down to the ground with hand over hand motion. I tied both ends of the climbing rope off at the base of the tree. Then attach a Prusik Knot to the climbing rope, attach my lanyard and start climbing. I am always tied off.

Finally, carry a section of cord to help take the weight off your harness if you fall. And, practice a time or two at low elevation getting out of a mess after a fall. We are not all 25 year old scrapping farm studs anymore ....... okay, some of us never were :)

Use a harness guys. The guy that is coming to my farm tonight to hunt this week, fell 18 feet from a climbing stand and got real lucky no injuries. That is one in a million.


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[buckdeer1]

What is to stop a squirrel chewed strap to break on a ladder stand or even if your middle brace come detached from tree and ladder folds.I actually fell from a ladder that I just ran up real quick to break a limb after hunting another stand that morning.You can make your own safety ropes out of cimbing rope and prussic knots but it won't save you much money than buying the summits ropes on sale,Too many what ifs,what if you are climbing into ladder stand 20 ft up early season and nest of yellow jackets nails you,theres lots of possibles and I have decided the price of a piece of rope is worth it

 

[scott44]

I have used safety harnesses for probably 15 yrs in all my hang ons and ladder stands and life lines for the the last 5 yrs on the hang ons. I really haven't felt the need for lifelines in my ladder stands but maybe I should. Once you get used to hunting with them you really don't notice them. it's just second nature.

 

[WTNUT]

For whatever reason Victoria Secrets is shown as a sponsor to this thread on my phone .... I take that as a sure sign directly from God that says “USE FALL PROTECTION” :)


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[gwm]

I have a lifeline for every stand. If I buy a new stand, I make sure I have a lifeline to go with it. Everyone that hunts my property wears a safety harness. We're connected from the ground up. No exceptions. Forget your harness, you don't hunt or you move to a blind.

I have kids and a wife that hunt. My wife hunts as much as I do. A lifeline and safety harness gives us all a little more piece of mind that we're all coming home safely.

Also, use a lineman's belt to hang and take down stands. Easier and safer to do.

And if you leave stands up year round, and just check on them in the off season, please wear a lineman's belt or harness to do that too. Many will wear them to hunt but think they don't need one to quickly climb into a stand and check it over.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

What is to stop a squirrel chewed strap to break on a ladder stand or even if your middle brace come detached from tree and ladder folds.I actually fell from a ladder that I just ran up real quick to break a limb after hunting another stand that morning.You can make your own safety ropes out of cimbing rope and prussic knots but it won't save you much money than buying the summits ropes on sale,Too many what ifs,what if you are climbing into ladder stand 20 ft up early season and nest of yellow jackets nails you,theres lots of possibles and I have decided the price of a piece of rope is worth it

I hear you, and you're right of course. For the price of a piece of climbing rope and a prussic knot there is really no reason not to put a vertical safety rope on a ladder stand. I have multiple straps on my ladders. I check and adjust them every year. Even if a strap were to break as I was climbing it, the stand really wouldn't go anywhere. To me the risk is so minimal that I am probably just being stubborn. I climb ladders all year long around my house, working on barns, cleaning chimneys, etc. I never use a safety rope on those. For some reason I just don't see the need on a ladder stand.

 

[buckdeer1]

I have seen the ladder stands bend right over and they do it pretty quick and you are hoping it slows down so you can jump when low

 

[buckdeer1]

I buy the summit 3 pack you can find on sale for 79.00,don't know why this is in bold

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I have seen the ladder stands bend right over and they do it pretty quick and you are hoping it slows down so you can jump when low

O.K. You've convinced me. Thanks for a good thread. I actually have 3 or 4 sets of ropes and prussic knots that I bought on sale last year after the season ended. No reason not to get them on my ladder stands...besides pure stubbornness, of course.

 

[buckdeer1]

Hope you never need to test them,Alsoi be careful on those climbers article on bowsite about a guy that was trapped upside down for 2 hours

 

[ksgobbler]

I use lifelines. Didnt the first year. Only clipped in when I got in the stand. Had a close call transitioning from ladder to stand.

Buddy shattered both ankles in a fall in a climber in which him and his stand came down.

 

[davidhelmly]

There is no reason not to use a safety harness and a lifeline in a lock on or a ladder stand, on the lease I manage it is mandatory to use both! I had to call a members wife about 8 years ago and tell her that he was being life-flighted to a trauma center in Atlanta from a fall he had just taken, I never want to do that again.

 

[ssesox]

Has anyone ever fallen out of their treestand or off the ladder/steps while climbing with a lifeline? Every time I go up a tree with my lifeline I wonder what the experience would be like being attached to the lifeline. I can't imagine it would be pleasant but it would be much better than hitting the ground. I hope like hell that prussic knot holds! I'm sure there some swinging involved and impacting the tree while dropping until you take the slack out. I might have to put on a clean pair of underwear as well.

 

[Buckly]

The whole object is not to hit the ground of course. It’s best not to fall in a system more than a couple of feet that’s why it’s important to have the knot well above you as you climb. If you only fall 1/2 a foot your just going to swing around. At any rate you could catch your face or other parts on the ladder or tree. And if you fall several feet into the harness it’s going to hurt and may injure your back but hitting your head on things is most important to avoid. Having a system is good but, you still have to use it properly not to get hurt. Keep that knot as far up from you as possible

 

[buckdeer1]

I can promise it won't hurt as bad as hitting the ground.Bowsite used to test their harnesses by stepping off stands.They always said it hurt the guys more than the women

 

[WTNUT]

Has anyone ever fallen out of their treestand or off the ladder/steps while climbing with a lifeline? Every time I go up a tree with my lifeline I wonder what the experience would be like being attached to the lifeline. I can't imagine it would be pleasant but it would be much better than hitting the ground. I hope like hell that prussic knot holds! I'm sure there some swinging involved and impacting the tree while dropping until you take the slack out. I might have to put on a clean pair of underwear as well.

As I mentioned above, hang a stand a few feet off the ground so that when you fall/jump off your feet don’t hit the ground. Have a buddy or wife there and fall out intentionally. You will learn a lot real fast.


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[trampledbyturtles]

Started with a harness last year.
Added life lines to every stand this yr.

So a question to everyone with a little more experience with this.

Are you removing the lifelines from the tree an storing them indoors after the season? Then reattaching them before season?

Or do u just leave them in place?