Beat a Dead Horse But Do It

[dogghr]

I know we have talked it relentlessly but.... just ran in to a buddy asking how his hunting season was in Missouri. He slipped coming down ladder stand in Nov, compound fracture of leg. Fell only 6 ft. Called his brother and took 2 hours for him to get there then 3 hours to hospital by ambulance. Long stay in trauma center and rehap of 6+ wks. 30000$ hospital bill not counting loss of income and ruined hunting season. Was preaching ground to stand rope on all his stands now.
I've had those on all my stands for quite a while and hope each of you invest in a cheap fix preventing a fall. Like most of you, I've taken a few falls from climbers years ago and was lucky. Stands, including ladder stands are dangerous stuff.
Don't be stupid, don't climb unattached. I don't have time to come to your funeral.

 

[lakngolf]

I have a grandson ready to start bow hunting. Please fill me in on ground to stand rope.
Also, what about safety vests for little guys?

 

[dogghr]

Lak there are several brands but I have the Hunter Specialtie brand I bought on sale in 3 paks for 20$ a few years ago. Upper part wraps around tree at stand then bottom ties around tree. They have what is called a Prussic?knot that you attach your safety harness to and it slides up rope as you climb. In event of fall, it grabs climbing rope as it tightens and prevents fall to ground. You bassically are connected from ground to stand even tho I do switch to another connection once on stand but not neccesary.
The harnesses and vests come in differents sizes for children so shouldn't be a problem. Once you start usuing, they are addicting and climbing unattached becomes scary.

 

[Hoosierhunting]

I have a grandson ready to start bow hunting. Please fill me in on ground to stand rope.
Also, what about safety vests for little guys?

Lak, not much to it, you need a rope that runs from the ground to above your tree stand. This rope will have a lead tied onto it with a prussic knot. The other end of this lead will attach to your harness via a carabiner. Most treestands are including the whole works with the stand nowadays. You can buy one from hunter safety systems or if you’re cheap like me you can buy a spool of good climbing rope off Amazon and make your own. There’s not much to the prussic knot, 5 minutes on YouTube and you’ll be a pro. You tie a loop in one end of the main line and run the tag end through it to secure the rope around the tree above your treestand. Needs to be higher than treestand so you can comfortably stand to shoot. The rope will need to be under some tension so that you can slide the prussic knot up and down as you’re getting into and out of the tree stand. I tie mine off on the bottom ladder rung. If you fall the prussic knot will tighten and stop your fall, but for climbing in and out of the stand it just slides up and down the rope. I use only one carabiner and keep it attached to my harness. Muddy and Hunter Safety Systems both make youth harnesses and I’m sure others do too. If you make your own my .02 is, buy decent climbing rope, use a lineman’s rope when installing them and wrap your carabiner in tape so it doesn’t clank on the ladder. Best to get the grandson started right and he’ll always think there’s only one way to do it. I think those of us who grew up on screw in steps and being monkeys have a harder time coming around to being always secured.


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[Hoosierhunting]

Dogghr’s response wasn’t there when I started....so apologies for the redundancy


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[dogghr]

Yours is a better description. And your last statement of making us change after climbing like monkees is so true. Used to just climb and sit on limb with no thot to it. Episodes sometimes makes us smarter. Sometimes.

 

[MarkDarvin]

Damn good reason why I keep a disability policy outside the workplace. Who knows if disability would kick in a, in a situation like this, but I'm trying.

 

[buckdeer1]

Summit also makes a good harness,the seat of pants.I had to get my neighbor out just day before yesterday.He called and said he had fallen working stands and broke his back.I called my dispatch and we got guys there to get him out.He had to crawl to his truck as he didn't have his cell,it was in his truck.He had surgery yesterday to fix a broken vertebrae .He was taking down a ladder stand when it buckled

 

[weekender21]

I started saddle hunting this season, never felt safer. While it might seem like more "monkeying around" from afar, it's safer than a stand in my opinion.

Whatever you do, stay safe!

 

[Tap]

I started saddle hunting this season, never felt safer. While it might seem like more "monkeying around" from afar, it's safer than a stand in my opinion.

This^^^