Tree stand safety

[Bowzone_Mikey]

as the season approaches ...alot of people I know have had tree stand accidents in the past ... A friend of mine In Alberta was out hanging stands with a buddy of his on Saturday, his friend lost his ring finger because he wasnt wearing a harness properly ...

here is an online refresher course/test
How do you do???
http://www.hunterexam.com/treestandsafety/

[CanuckShooter]

If your climbing you should ditch the rings, and jewelry around your neck....it would save life and limb!! Many a ring finger has gone along with the wedding band.:cry:

[Bow Walker]

Another thing...don't be in a hurry. Take the necessary time to do it right the first time. It'll pay dividends in the long run. The most obvious dividend is that you'll be able to continue hunting the rest of the season and for years to come.

[hardnocks]

I have rigged up on of those prussic life lines .
I am not a very safety conscious person . most people think i am more then a little crazy.
but i hunt in some pretty remote places by myself. and will never climb with out a safety harness.

[gamehunter6o]

Thanks for the heads up on this. I've taken to climbing trees and am real carefull. Our trees have limbs to climb on but if you slip in the wet, it's curtains.:cry:

[killman]

Where is a good place to get a harness?

[Bowzone_Mikey]

I imagine you can get them at Troutfitters ... But honestly you would get a better quality one at Acklands as the ones NTF has are probally the "hunter speciality" ones ... they usually come in better quality treestand boxes as well ...

Acklands is over by DHL off of 22nd towards ospika from CNC ...up from Lordco

[quaywe]

gentlemen, and I'm sure a few of you are :twisted:


as an ex climber and S & R tech I strongly recommend once you have decided on an appropriate harness and anchoring system and you are now all set to rock and roll, then ...

PRACTICE recovering yourself from a suspended position, especially if using a prussic knot sling for backup or as an auxiliary climbing aid. The prussic is a great knot but can "lock" onto the primary line if not handled correctly, it also only works well on climbing rope, it does not work very well at all on most other ropes.

In addition some harnesses can put pressure on delicate parts of the anatomy and worse still make breathing difficult.

Best to try everything out where you have help and the time to assess how best your equipment matches your build, strength & general fitness.

Cheers & be safe,

Geoff

[greybark]

:-D Your choise of tree stand design will pay dividens . I suggest a stand with a slung seat with a rail out and around your front . The rail is at mid thigh height and will also stabilize you when standing . This rail also strenghens the upper portion of your stand and prevents creaking and poping while standing up or sitting down during cold weather .
:-D This stand is the self climber and don`t be lulled by the security of it and wear your safety harness ..
Good post Mikey

[aggiehunter]

I know this won't meet with approval but I suggest staying a little lower...I found a bow stand last year that was over 25 feet in the air. Work on your concealment at lower elevations and the much better shot angle. I'm not saying a 12 foot fall is any better so keep the harness on!

[Shootingblanks]

Does anyone have any suggestions on brand of treestand and how high one should be placed?

[Bow Walker]

The brand is pretty much up to you but I've heard very good things about Lone Wolf stands.

How high? 12 - 18 feet ought to get the job done. No need to go higher as the deer in Canada do not have the hunting pressure that their Southern brothers and sisters get every year.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Does anyone have any suggestions on brand of treestand and how high one should be placed?

I like My gorillas .....

over 10 feet and under 20 is plenty good IME anyway

I have a set of Lone wolf Climbing sticks that I really like as well

[Shootingblanks]

Awesome...thanks guys:)

[rollingrock]

And...lose some weight. :D Even though most treestands are rated at 300 lbs, a lighter body will help a bit. ;)

[shawnwells]

ya Bowzone Mikey i got a guy picking those climbing sticks up for me at cabelas next week...in your opinion wouldnt those make it a little safer? because if you did take a header out of your stand you could probably scramble your ass back up the ladder?

[Bowzone_Mikey]

I am not certain I understand the question....
with screw in pegs you are creating your own ladder .. ..ladder stands have one built in, climbing sticks are just that a stick with steps on it that are easily transportable ....

Are they safer than just climbing a tree old school like when we were kids ...? Ya they are

[shawnwells]

oh i guess i mean quick sticks...the 5' sections of ladder you ratchet strap right ot the tree creating a solid permanent (until you decide otherwise) ladder to your stand...i like the idea of these because i got thinking about treestand safety arfter reading this thread and i like to hunt by myself too....i think it would make it safer because theyre fairly solid and pending a guy wasnt knocked out cold you could just pull yourself back up to your stand and shoot your 6x6

[Bowzone_Mikey]

ya I'll agree with that .... ladder stands are the same way .... I am not a big fan of screw in pegs ... I guess from my time in southern AB where poplar trees are king and the bark can be inches thick and come off easy ...

Given the choice I prefer ladder stands ... but they are not very portable and if left in a comunal spot it invites others to hunt from it ... quick sticks, climbing sticks etc...you can take with you pretty easy