Video: Quick Reminder to Strap on a Safety Harness in a Treestand

This video is a stark reminder that you need to wear a safety harness every time you are in a tree.  Better yet, use a harness attached to a “life line” so that a fall won’t leave you hanging in the air.  The stand you will see falling is a climbing model, normally one of the safest of stands.

Test for Danger

All stands are dangerous because gravity is not your friend.  If you use a permanent stand, be extra careful the first time you climb.  In months of inactivity, squirrels or porcupines could have gnawed at key steps or support beams.  The normal growth of a tree will pull nail heads through construction materials and the stand may suddenly collapse or release from the tree.  Safety first, always.

Erecting Ladder Stands

Ladder-style stands often give hunters a sense of security, yet putting them in place can be a circus.  Follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly and don’t believe that you must be 20 feet in the air.  Even if you can easily climb into your elevated perch, harness up before you hunt.

Old Style Baker

I once used a climbing tree stand that was just a platform.  To climb the tree required hugging it with your arms and lifting your legs to move the stand up the tree.  I was about 16 feet above ground using this process when the cleats of the stank broke and I slide down the tree like a fireman’s pole.  Technically, it wasn’t a fall, yet the bark of the tree nearly shredded the skin on my hands.

Watch and Heed!