Tree stand accidents???

The older I get, and the more stories I read, the more paranoid I am about it. Being a big feller, I won’t climb in a lock on at all anymore.I just don’t trust them to hold. When I was younger I didn’t ever use a harness ever. But after kids came along and priorities changed I won’t hardly climb without one these days. I hear the stories but never the details. In you guys’ experience and opinions, which stands and when do most of these accidents happen? Straps breaking? Ladder folding or breaking on the way up, or a cable or platform malfunction on a climber??? Etc. Anxious to hear what y’all have to say.....

While a harness may save your life in a fall, you better have a plan to get down. After 15-20 minutes of hanging there, suspension trauma becomes very likely. Not long after that time frame, major long term health issues and death become increasingly more likely. You really don’t have long to get down.

I had an accident using Summit without a harness once. The teeth on Summit's are pretty dull and won't bite into a lot of trees. I was climbing a poplar tree with it and about 10 feet up when the teeth on the lower frame slipped and it went straight to the ground. I followed it, going straight through the upper frame and to the ground. That was the last time I climbed without a harness

BTW I am sharpening the teeth on all my Summits with a grinding wheel now ...

Ive never thought of that but that is an excellent idea!!

Life line and harness for me on all stands now days.

I have a friend who this exact same thing happened to. I’m very particular about which trees I will and won’t climb too. I stay away from the harder slick trees for this very reason. I love the white oaks. Sinks in deep and usually very quiet.

My first stand was a Baker and I will leave it at that-No way I would ever leave the ground with that death trap today! When I got serious about bowhunting in the early 80's, I bought a Summitt climber. It was made of steel and was heavy but I never had an issue whatsoever with it. I climbed every tree that I placed it on and it held like it was supposed to. This was before safety systems became popular and I never owned one. Looking back I know I was living on borrowed time, but I was extremely careful getting in and out of the stand. The bowhunting club I was in had a least 5 members to climb every day and we never had a single accident of any kind. We were all young men and we were dedicated deer killers who took hunting very serious. We even had members in their early 80's who hunted every day of the week. The best I remember no one ever owned a safety belt there.

Now I can look back at the others I knew and some I hunted with that had "accidents" while using stands. They all have the same thing in common and will tell you very quickly It was their fault." Two men simply lost their balance and fell from the stand because they were not wearing a safety system. Both survived the falls with a couple of broken bones to show for their efforts. One man I hunted with had a strap to break on a Locon as he was getting into it. He also fell to the ground and broke his arm. Could have been a lot worse! One man placed a Locon in a dead tree and the screw in step gave way in the soft wood as he pulled to get into his stand. His hand was on the chain around the Locon and his finger was pulled completely off as he fell. He is now missing a finger as a reminder of climbing the dead tree. One Man I hunted with taught Hunter Ed classes in the late 90's. He was attaching a Locon to a tree and was not wearing a safety system. He lost his grip and simply fell backwards from the tree landing on his left arm. He broke his wrist, but got real lucky as he was about 20' up the tree. These were all with individuals that I knew. All had one thing in common-They all were the result of human error and not the stands fault. I havent climbed with a climber in years and probably wont anymore as the ladder stands are my stand of choice now. Be careful out there folks!

I haven't used a climber or loc-on in 4 years. I went out and started my own business 4 years ago and just didn't feel comfortable taking certain risks. Family comes first.

My cousin fell opeing day of bow season and has been in hospital or a rehab facility since then! Can’t see his wife or kids because of covid! He has regained movement in arms and a little in his legs. I climbed one time this season his fall broke me off climbing I’ll hunt from ground or shooting house here in out

I will never use a Lockon for any reason as they are inherently dangerous imo.

Climbers - love them - but only on pine trees and thick shaggy bark hardwoods like a white oak.

Also, will not use a climber with cables. I hate cables and consider them inherently unreliable and dangerous.
I only use thick motorcycle type chains (4120) or the metal bars with teeth.

Also I used to climb as high as I could. Now my buddy makes fun of me because I rarely get over 15-20 feet anymore. A string wind keeps me closer to the ground too. Guess I’m losing my nerve in my old age. 🤷‍♂️

Same for me. When I was young (and dumb) I would climb 50 -60 feet up pine trees without a harness.

Not anymore.

Seems like 25' is about as high as I'm willing to go these days. I get to a certain height and I suddenly become tense and very aware of how high I am off the ground. Never happened like that when I was younger.

I use a 20 ft pull up rope and when I start to feel tension on the rope I'm high enough.

I haven't been very good about using a harness the last couple years, but I need to change that.

Worse is, I let one of my good friends hunt one of my properties. He runs cameras, food plots, and hangs the stands and usually puts one or two where I like to go. Then if I get a chance I just hunt out of it rather than carrying in my climber. That guy always thinks he needs to be a little higher than whatever climbing sticks or screw-ins he has handy. I've puckered a couple times trying to swing from a limb in the dark trying to get a foot on a itsy bitsy hang-on dangling at least 25 feet up. You'd think a former carrier guy, then Seabee, and carpenter would have learned some safety protocols.

I hunt from the ground or in a shooting house.

I’ve thought about getting a tree seat and doing more from the ground like I used to but I feel like I can see so much more up in a tree. And my climber is so much more comfortable. But sometimes it does seem like more hassle than it’s worth.

Loc-on’s are no more dangerous than a climber. Being complacent and careless are the problem.

I use mostly lock-ons because I like slipping up the tree quietly before daylight but I only use them if they have a life line attached. That way I am attached all the way up and all the way down.

I still do love using my climber especially rifle hunting late season. I just attach the safety rope when I get in the climber and move it up and down as I climb. I’ve done it for so many years it’s just habit.

Same here. With a strap on tree step in your harness pocket and a full length life line you could both take weight off the harness and eventually work your way down a tree.

I’m swapping to an actual climbing harness next year. Much easier to move around if you fell and won’t create suspension trauma as fast.

Only way to use lock on is a lifeline

Not from a treestand but i fell from a tree 40ft about 13yrs ago. I stopped right before i hit the ground. Should have died that day. Changed my life. Probably the best thing that ever happened to me aside from the Lord saving my soul. He saved my life that day. Wispered "i wont catch you again", as he did it.

Just a few safety tips for those just beginning to climb or someone that needs to be more cautious. I have climbed up a few different type of trees over the years usually with a stand, so maybe I can pass on a few tips. Tree stand safety requires being diligent in upkeep of any parts used to climb. I would suggest for a person climbing to carry extra straps and locking the top and bottom of the stand each time with a strap once at the top. That way neither will give away should there be any extra movement on your part. It only takes 2-3 minutes, why not just do it? If the stand slips the straps will be the backup. With lockons I prefer the chain type or if it has a strap I will always keep a newer strap to put around a stand before stepping into it and an extra strap or rope to keep attached to myself before stepping off into the stand. By what I have read it is usually stepping into or out of the lock-on when something tilts or breaks causing a fall. I would suggest a sturdy new grab be added each year to grab while stepping in the stand. It is usually best to try to step down onto the lockon instead of up or over into it. The pressure pushing down usually provides the stability at the contact points allowing the stand to grip the tree to keep it stable. Furthermore, there are just some climbers and lockons that are just not safe, learn the difference. If you are a beginner hunter ask or if just unsure ask!
Become familiar with a stand during the day and check it out before climbing in it each time. Old stands left in the woods are accidents waiting to happen. If you are just not feeling good that day stay out of a tree. With current technology why not just go ahead and text your gps coordinates to someone before you climb if available or check in/out with them with your location. Be safe!

I hunt off a turkey chair 99.9% of the time. No harness needed

Lot of good stuff in this thread. IMO, from what I've heard over the years more accidents with lock-ons occur when you're stepping into and out of the stand from climbing sticks. My usual practice is to climb the sticks and when I'm close to the top, I clip on my lineman's rope before I ever step off the sticks onto the stand. Getting out, I do the same thing - I never disconnect until I'm on the sticks. I also would suggest not climbing sticks and getting into stands you haven't personally hung - I'm not putting my life in someone else's hands.

I like my 4 LW climbing sticks and hang-on when I have those trees in a great spot that don't work well with a climber. But there are much more opportunities for a mistake/failure than a climber. Each stick has a chance of me doing something wrong. Then transitioning from sticks to the stand. The two straps holding the stand to the tree are more opportunities. It takes additional practice and attention to detail to get it right. I'll strap on the first two sticks without a safety belt, but after that, the lineman belt comes out and a safety rope. I do not go up or transition around limbs or get on a stand disconnected.

I took one section off my ladder stands this year at age 65.
No more lock on's. I used a climber one time years ago.
Not for me, even then.

No climber no me, takes me too long and noisy. I use loc ons with life line and a harness. I had a strap break last year on the top section of my sticks. Started going backwards but was able to grab a pine limb and straighten up.

I don't use a climber or a lock on, I use either a shooting house, ladder stand, or sit against a tree like turkey hunting.

Opening day 2015, after 45 years of bow hunting. Went to a loc on with climbing bar with new straps for both. I always replaced straps annually. When I got there it had new straps, a buddy had replaced them. I climbed up, attached my safety belt , then a new strap on the loc on and stepped into the stand. Hunted two hours and reversed the procedure. Half way down the steps separated and I went to the ground with a thud that echoed through the woods I still remember! Lay there a moment and said “Thank you Lord” when I realized I was still alive. Broke my wrist and suffered contusion for several weeks. Moral of the story: don’t trust anyone else’s rigging! Had killed several from m ground blinds and knew they were effective for bow hunting, some shots at 5 steps. I now own 6 blinds but can no longer pull my bows due to RA, tried a crossbow but didn’t like, just not the same, but had several opportunities this year that made me wish I had a crossbow, may try it again, particularly early season. Have a buddy who has hunted a diy saddle system , self drilling for steps. He was putting up a ladder stand alone and it slipped off the tree and he broke his lower leg . It can happen with ANY type stand.

Like most of you on here have said. When i was younger there was no such thing as a harness to me. I climbed as high as i could every time out. Some times i climbed until my pullup rope was swinging in the wind. Never bothered me. After kids and life and some years i just started feeling a little less bullet proof. What really did it was when i bought my son his Summit and he was practicing in the backyard. I couldnt bare to watch without him buckled in. That changed me and my views forever. Never get in one without a harness anymore. And that Summit will go as high as I am comfortable. I dont climb as much as i used to or near as much as i should, but these stands are much more realiable and safe than the Warren and Sweat stands i grew up in. Nothing quite as satisfying as hunting from a climber and being able to close the deal on a good buck, with a bow or rifle.

I only climb if I believe it’s absolutely necessary for sight purposes now. I have a Summit climber, all I’ve ever used and thankfully have not ever had a problem or a slip. I don’t climb slick barked trees, always look for pine or oak so I get good bite. Falling has always been a big fear so I’ve never climbed without a harness. I also make sure I’ve got a tension relief strap on my harness to take pressure off my legs if I ever did fall. With each hunting season that passes, I climb less and less. I use a Fanatic Outdoors Hammock Seat 75% of the time now. It’s easy and quick to setup, very quiet, and every bit as comfortable as my Summit. It also is nice not to be sweating profusely from the weight of a climber when you get to your hunting spot. The more I’ve ground hunted the last 4-5 years the more I’ve realized you just don’t need to climb as much as you may think. It may be your preference, but it’s not necessary to see and kill deer, especially if you hunt steep terrain.

Changed a lot for me too watching my son practice. He’s 15 now and climbed a bunch but I still make him text me when he’s settled and I’m pretty nervous the whole time while he’s in the tree. And if we are early enough I’ll watch him climb and make sure. Check on him real regularly too.

He was 13-14 when he started and i did the same thing. I would watch him climb and then go climb myself, found myself actually hunting more back then and it was much more rewarding. The entire checking on him and making sure everything is ok will never go away.... he is 24 now and i still check on him. Only now i find him checking on me. Haha.

This is exactly what happens to me. I’m totally comfortable till I begin exceeding what I mentally estimate as 18-20 feet. It’s like I take one more bite climbing and my mind starts telling me to stop. Like you said I suddenly am super aware of being elevated off the ground and every ounce of my is uncomfortable. Sometimes I push through it to gain a few more feet depending on the situation. I’m normally fine sitting still at the height, but then when I stand to begin descending (especially in the evening) it hits me again till I’m below that 18 foot or so mark. Weird

Some of you sound like democrats, do as I say not as I do. Just kidding, seeing our kids go through things wakes us up.

I have used a tree lounger tree stand for the last 30 years. It is the only climber I don't use a harness with. I have never had it slip or had any problem. I think next year I might start using a harness. Getting on up in age will be 66 this year so its maybe time. In my opinion its the safest climber made. I have two of them. The only thing I worry about is maybe a mechanical break. Its the only stand I know of you can fall asleep in and not fall out.

Same way for me too. The higher I get the more and more anxious I get. Used to not be that way. Once I get settled in I’m fine, unless the wind starts whipping pretty good. It’s the actual climbing that gets to me, once I get around that 18-20 ft mark

I have a tree walker facing the tree and I feel safer climbing with it than getting up and settled in a ladder where I have to turn around on a small platform to get seated.

You said you won’t hardly climb without one these days. What conditions cause you to not use a harness? Just curious, not busting your chops. People’s behavior under certain situations change their decision making.
Maybe think about what would always force you to use a harness.
Stay safe

Well there have been a few times when I left my rope in my other stand or my son had used mine and didn’t put the rope back, and I didn’t find out till I was ready to climb. I climbed anyway but I bet I wasn’t 15 feet off the ground. Never do I intentionally not tie off.

The only thing that scares me about climbing a tree nowadays is when I do it within sight of one of the homemade death traps I climbed as a kid. We all climbed stuff back in the day that none of us would set foot in today, but we didn’t know any better back then. And we did it without safety belts. Not to mention the old baker stands or knockoffs that we made in the welding shop. Staying sharp is the key to mental toughness and once you stop climbing it quickly becomes impossible. Just be safe, use a safety belt and lifeline if you want to, but remember once you stop doing something out of fear that chapter of your life is closed forever. Hell, you drive to your hunting land meeting cars at 55 MPH passing a few feet from yours head on and then you worry about climbing a tree. Like my Grandpaw told me, you can choke to death on a Dorito, go live your life.

Prior to about 6 years ago I never used a harness. I went back to hunt public land (by myself 90% of the time) and started using one. 1st year it was kind of a pain to get used to it. Now it's like 2nd nature and adds very little time to climbing or descending the tree with the rope style tether. I won't climb if I don't have it. This year I bought some better tension relief straps and have them with me at all times. I try to only climb pine trees as the treewalker bites damn good in them but I will climb a oak if necessary. Also, I rarely get higher than about 20 feet, sometimes higher and sometimes lower, just depends. Few years ago I killed a 6pt and I was only about 10 feet off the ground but had really good cover. I simply choose better trees with some type of cover. Bottom line is, if your in a climber, lock on or even a ladder YOU SHOULD BE WEARING A HARNESS. Unforseen things happen while hunting and climbing trees especially in the dark.

I am going to try saddle hunting this year. A lot safer from my understanding!

If it is something that I need a harness to use, I do not get in it.

For those that use one. Can any of you tell me the difference in safety in a saddle and a climber. Not being a smart ass. Just really dont know. Thanks

Got rid of my ole man climbers after a guy I know died from a fall when the pin came out.

I fell in 2011. It was before I knew what life lines were. We had I-bolts in the tree that we would strap into once up the ladders for our lok ons. I had already hunted the stand that season and others had including my larger brother. I was at the top of the stick ladder when the top strap popped and down I went from 25ft. On the way down one of the rungs tore through 3 layers and got my inner thigh but missed my giblets. I was knocked out and when I woke I slowly discovered what happened. I tied off my leg with my belt because it was the most blood I’d seen. I can text a pic if someone wants to post it

Good grief man that's a bad fall ! For the love of goodness please don't post a picture of it ....

I vote to post a pic.

Can't be worse then the pics posted in the past where someone shot their foot off with a shotgun and another where they
shot a rifle bullet through their boot and foot.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. I was always sure to show my daughter pictures of bad traffic accidents in the years before she got her driver's license.

Dang poor fella shot both of his feet lol ....

Damnitson, that overgrown brother of yours put too much pressure on those straps!

That reminds me of a time I was coming down from a lock on. I was probably 16-17 years old and was not wearing any fall restraint. My ladder was the screw in tree hooks. I was wearing oversized rubber Lacross boots. On the way down, about 8' off of the ground, my foot slipped off of one of the hooks. The hook caught me in my crotch and missed the twins by mere inches. I was literally hanging by my crotch. I crawled off of it and to the ground. I instantly pulled off my pants to make sure no parts were missing. There was blood everywhere. I was very lucky, although I didn't feel that way at the time. I have a 2-1/2" scar to remind me. I am 41 years old and that was probably the last tree I climbed without a harness.

Think I posted it here before, but I fell out of a climber when I was 16. I was about 20ft up when I lost the bottom platform (my fault). I swung to the tree next to me and the tree was dead and broke off. My ribs missed a 1ft tall and 6” wide pine stump I cut to improve visibility the week prior by about 8”. Worn a harness ever since.

Almost taken a tumble out of a climber a time or two again by just being disoriented in the dark while setting up. Haven’t talked, but I sure was glad I had the harness.

I started using the saddle and I feel more secure on that than I do with the climber with a full body harness. The saddle is always on tension and if you do slip, you can get right back up and climb down. It’s better than dangling 15’ up for hours. If you don’t trust the rope with a fairly static load of climbing, not sure how you’ll trust one with the load of a 5’ fall before it catches.

Back years ago when we built wooden stands in the trees, we used cotton picker spindles for the steps to climb up on. I never ever heard of anyone having a spindle break, or having a stand they built give way. I guarantee there were some stands that collapsed, but I have never heard about them. I spent many an hour sitting in the V of a tree on wooden 2 x 4's. Those days are over now!

Yep, that straight up climb and pulling yourself up and over into the stand was wild wearing thick coveralls and a rifle strapped to your back.

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I have apparently completely lost the ability to post a pic lol

General, that's nicer than what we used to sit on! We never put a chair in ours. We either stood or sat on it with our feet dangling off the side. It was a booger getting in those things, and I was even young then. No way I would even try it these days.

Thanks for posting that pic. It was the best we had back in the day.
B

General, now that brings back some memories right there.

Jklep that remind you of some of our old ones. Ha

Yep, brings back a few memories for sure. I am not really sure how we did not fall out of some of them honestly.

Nope... the ole office chair 40' up. Just sat on a wooden platform just barely big enough for the chair. Nails bent over the feet of the chair to hold it on. OMG. what were we thinking.

We climbed in some home made climbers that looking back were death traps. Now I don’t even like climbing a ladder stand.

True

Nope... the ole office chair 40' up. Just sat on a wooden platform just barely big enough for the chair. Nails bent over the feet of the chair to hold it on. OMG. what were we thinking.

We weren’t thinking we were dumb as hell lol! I fell out of one built in the forks of an oak, similar to cchoquette when I grabbed the top 2x4 step it pulled out of the tree. Luckily I only sprained an ankle. I had a homemade climber fashioned after the Amacker stands when I was a teen and dropped the bottom a few times before I tied them together. Between those old stands and a Honda Big Red it’s a miracles my ass is still here!

Hmmm..... Explains why you’re a little “slow.”

Posting for cchoque93:

Geez, that is gruesome.

Ol' Doc probably wanted to sew you up with some fishing line on the tailgate of the truck! That's nasty brother!

I’ve got a few stands on the ex-in-laws place that are grown into the tree and hope my nephew is not hunting out of them because they are now an accident waiting to happen.

General, little too bad for him even. Cut open from the 12-6 position if my leg were a clock. Ended up having 2 surgeries because my skin was dying. Skin grafts are not fun

Least you didn't tear your çods off