Been pondering on this subject for a while. Just found out today that a guy fell this past weekend on the WMA that I hunt in MS and is paralyzed from the waist down. 3rd guy this season that I have heard fell from a tree stand and got hurt. I don`t know any of them but this seems to be a trend every season, somebody will get hurt from a fall. We all know stands can fail and things happen while climbing a tree and hunting. Why in the hell are people not putting more effort into checking their stands thoroughly BEFORE using them and why in the hell are people still not using harnesses? This seems to be happening more and more. Get your heads out of your asses people and check your equipment BEFORE using it and wear a fu@#ing harness!

I approve this message. 👍🏼

I've had two major falls in the last two years. Although they weren't hunting related it has me convinced to add life line systems to loc-ons before next season.

MS_Hunter, I agree 100%! At this point in hunting history and gear availability if you fall from a stand, not wearing a harness or lifeline from start of climb to getting back to ground, you damn near deserve whatever comes of it. It takes one Hell of a self centered individual to not consider what CAN happen and the resulting consequences for his family. Stand or harness/lifeline malfunctions not included in this IF you're wearing your harness/lifeline.

Man, you take all the fun out of it. Some of us need that little gravity inspired adrenaline rush. 😉

No different than folks not wearing their seat belts, too much of an inconvenience. That extra minute or two it'll take to climb a tree and move the rope up/down as they go in just to difficult. I'll never understand it.

I think the hunting industry is going the opposite way with all the new slings, steps, straps, etc. I would trust my ole “Baker or Amaker” over some of this new chit.

True, but you need a mule to carry them. My first baker stand weighed about 30#.
Fir sure you wouldn't break it though.

Not wearing a harness is selfish.

Baker stands were POS death traps.

Wear your damn harness, or one day your luck may run out.

I hunt with 9 guys and only 3 of them wear a safety harness or even make their kids wear a safety harness even in ladders. It’s really no big deal to use. However I will be the first guy to say I don’t always wear a seatbelt. But there is no reason men, women and children hunting out of a stand of any kind other than a box don’t wear a harness. My 14 year old uses a climber for the first time this year. He has lifelines on all his climbers I installed when we hung the stands. And I still stand at the bottom of his stand and make sure he gets up there and is safe. No whitetail deer is worth getting hurt. Best way is always being safe!

Well, recently one of our very own all around great guy and respected Aldeer member had a fall due to an equipment failure. Dumb? Selfish? I wouldn't call the guy either one of those but we all do stupid stuff occasionally and unfortunately he had one of those moments. Sometimes those moments can get you killed. Sometimes you get away scot free without anything more than a close call and an elevated pulse. But we can all do our part to reduce those close calls by wearing a fall restraint, seat belt, hard had or whatever the situation calls for. Driving a safe speed, designated drivers, open breech at the range, etc., will accomplish the same. If you're one of those guys that likes to play the odds, the odds say that X# of close calls = an actual accident and X# of accidents = 1 or more fatalities. Play the odds in your head before you play them with your own or someone else's life.

The majority of folks I hunt with don't think ladders are as dangerous and lock ons and climbers, and don't wear a harness. I do, every time. But I haven't always.

No harness, no climbing at my house. I haven’t climbed since I hurt my back but I won’t let my son climb without one.

I approve this message too. I’ve always worn a harness but hooked up once I reached hunting height. That ain’t good enough.
My wife says I’m not climbing anymore. If I do, I’ll be hooked in as soon as I step up in the stand. I’m dang lucky I’m not paralyzed from the chest down.
You can’t preach safety enough. I’ll tell you one thing. If I’ve had worse pain than fractured vertebrae, I don’t remember it. The good news is I’m getting a little better every day. Most of my hunting this year was from blinds. My running and gunning in the future will be from Millennium seat or a turkey lounger.

I have historically been bad about NOT being tied off on my way up and down the tree. But, I always attach my harness when I stop climbing. My hunting partner and I have talked about this exact scenario. Selfishly, I've not wanted to tie off as I climb because it takes twice as long. But that's well worth the time if I make it home without injury. I have committed to using my harness both up and down, no matter how long it takes.

I haven't sat in a ladder stand one single hunt this year for this reason. I have lifelines to put out on all of them, just haven't gotten around to it yet. I rarely climb anymore, but when I do I'm strapped in from the bottom.

I honestly don't see much point in tying off once you're up there. I bet 80-90% of falls are when you're going up or down. Falling while sitting seems pretty unlikely.

You fall and hit your head?

Thankfully no. I think the data backs up my statement. I am happy to be proven wrong, and I always use a harness, from the ground up.