be careful in the trees!!!!!

[ghitch75]

Agency: Indiana hunter dies trying to remove tree stand - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

 

[Deet]

Sad story, prayers to his family. I hunt on the ground, mainly because tree stands can be dangerous.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

In this case a full body harness does not help. The tree was dead and it broke at the base dropping him, tree, stand and all 18 feet to the ground. You seldom hear talk about tree stands in dead trees, but it is definitely dangerous. It can happen. Inspect those trees carefully especially if climbing in the dark, first time up a tree, look for signs the bark is coming off, dead limbs, etc. Be sure you are climbing a live tree.

This unfortunate fellow was apparently trying to retrieve a stand from a dead tree. Doesn't say it was from last year, but that's pretty common. Some leave stands out all year, then find the tree a stand was left in is dead. One good reason to NOT leave stands out all year.

Be safe out there! Gravity works. Every time.

 

[Leadeye]

Might have been last years stand in an ash tree, those things are dying fast.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Sad story, prayers to his family. I hunt on the ground, mainly because tree stands can be dangerous.

Me too, because I mostly hunt the National Forest ground in Jackson Co. I still remember dragging out a deer one year on the last day, up and over ridge after ridge, after dark, while carrying my gun and the tree-stand, wondering why I'd picked a spot so far away from the road. Now I keeps my feet on the ground.

 

[mainjet]

I have been thinking that I need to move one of my stands. The tree it's in is good but a tree several feet away is in bad shape and leaning. If it falls it's going to hit my stand. So I think I need to move.

 

[ghitch75]

Might have been last years stand in an ash tree, those things are dying fast.

i have a bunch of ash's that are dead from the borers.......

 

[LtScott14]

Use to stand hunt for years. Since we all age, last stand hunt I noticed a slight vertigo with the tree blowing, leaves flying, cooler temps.
After climbing down was much relieved to be on solid ground. Didn't feel sick, but was easier to walk out, not dragging a stand. Now I use a dove stool, seat cushion and lean against a tree on ground level. Much better, enjoy stool hunting as much as 8-10 ft in the air. Probably hurting my scent hiding, but like using cover scent when sitting.
Yes, be carefull on the stand, and use a safety strap!

 

[phylodog]

I stand hunt almost exclusively with the tallest being about 35' up. I do wear a safety harness and clip in as soon as I'm up in the stand. I need to get life lines installed one of these days.

 

[clfergus]

I stand hunt almost exclusively with the tallest being about 35' up. I do wear a safety harness and clip in as soon as I'm up in the stand. I need to get life lines installed one of these days.

Dicks has the HSS ones on sale right now. I bought a couple last year and boy do I have to say I feel really good when I am clipped in at the bottom. When i get up to the top and make that final pull up with my pack on and its wet from dew with leaves it is nice to know I am safe if god forbid.

 

[Dirty Steve]

I gave tree stands up about 10 years ago. After having a close call hunting by myself (with a harness on too), I decided it was not worth it. I figured if I could kill elk, mule deer, antelope and caribou on the ground, I could kill deer with my feet planted on dirt as well. I have killed almost many whitetails on the ground as I have out of a stand and my biggest to date from the ground. Wind, concealment, motion control and a knowledge of the area and patterns is what it's all about. Sure, I give up some visibility, but that's a trade I'm willing to make. Nothing against stand hunting at all, it's just not worth the risk for me anymore. A life line, in addition to a full body harness is an absolute must.

Dirty Steve

 

[Leadeye]

i have a bunch of ash's that are dead from the borers.......

Those are steadily being converted into firewood at my place.

 

[ghitch75]

Those are steadily being converted into firewood at my place.

mine are too to feed my boiler.....

 

[gtpilot21]

This is a sad story. My stands I don't trust the straps that come with it and I use the ratchet straps heavy duty ones and re-enforce the stand at the top and in the middle using those straps. You can never be to safe. I use a harness to. I once watched my Father in law on a climbing tree stand struggle when one of his bolts broke. Since then he changes all the bolts every year before each hunt on his climber.

 

[Mark 1911]

Some species of bees or wasps make nests in dead trees, another good reason to avoid them.

 

[amboy49]

Stnds

I stand hunt almost exclusively with the tallest being about 35' up. I do wear a safety harness and clip in as soon as I'm up in the stand. I need to get life lines installed one of these days.

In a younger life I did some roofing. There weren't too many people who were comfortable working 35' off the ground.

Why would you ever need to climb 35' off the ground in a stand ? Especially if you're bow hunting - the shot angle from that height would make for an extremely difficult shot. Difficult if not impossible to effect a double lung shot and giving a very small target for heart or liver.

If you're gun hunting perhaps, but even then I can't see the need for climbing to 35'.

As far as your comment re: a lifeline - didn't quite understand that (?). I hope you're not implying you're not using a safety harness and tether. If so, hope you have your will up to date !

 

[dancrichy]

Wow that's scary. One of my buddies who hunts from tree stands always tether's himself to a limb just so this doesn't happen. It can be a little cumbersome but can also save a life. Prayers go out to the family.

 

[phylodog]

In a younger life I did some roofing. There weren't too many people who were comfortable working 35' off the ground.

Why would you ever need to climb 35' off the ground in a stand ? Especially if you're bow hunting - the shot angle from that height would make for an extremely difficult shot. Difficult if not impossible to effect a double lung shot and giving a very small target for heart or liver.

If you're gun hunting perhaps, but even then I can't see the need for climbing to 35'.

As far as your comment re: a lifeline - didn't quite understand that (?). I hope you're not implying you're not using a safety harness and tether. If so, hope you have your will up to date !

If your stand is in a tree at the bottom of a small ravine you've got to get up a bit higher than normal to be above the deer that come in on either side of the ravine.

A lifeline is a safety rope running from the base of the tree up to the stand with a Prusik knot. You clip in on the ground and slide the knot up the line as you climb. Once you're up you clip in to the tree strap and step onto the stand. I've been wearing a Hunter Safety Systems harness for the last two seasons, just got a Gorilla today, it seems a bit better made and should be a bit cooler to wear also, the HSS trapped a lot of heat with the fabric it had on it.

 

[MRP2003]

heard about this from the landowner who's land I hunt. It happened right across the street from the land that I hunt. Surprised they found him so quickly as where he hunts is pretty wooded and there are not any houses in shouting distance. Since this, the landowner who's land we hunt has questioned us to how safe our stands are as she is too old to get back to where they are. Fortunately, we have wooden box stands that would not fall over if the tree next to them fell and the trees are big healthy hard woods.