I'm not sure of the tree but its off a T in and atv trail and they cruise the atv path a lot but it was logged so there is saplings everywhere. I was in a tree 20yards from this one last year sitting still as could be 20ft up and had several deer see me that I passed when they would walk south and turn east heading right at me they would look up at me. the tree I'm in now has 3 trucks at the top so I'm hidden in the trunks. I'm 6ft6 300lbs I need somewhere to hide. LOL. I usually only do 18ft or so but this one in particular needed to be in that tree at that height.Portable tree stands are a lot better, and safer than they first started out. The first climbing ones (anyone else have an original "Baker" still?) we called "death traps", cause they were flimsily built and had no secondary means of keeping them to the tree, other than the cam action of the grab bars. First safety harnesses weren't much better. Lots of good stuff out there, one just needs to use it along with common sense. Most dangerous time using a tree stand is getting into and outta it when using steps/ladder. This is also the time when most remove their harness. For the most part, I've yet to find the scenario where one needs to get more than 12-15 feet off the ground, especially when using a bow. Knowing the wind and keeping still works much better than getting higher up and creating a severe shooting angle. There's times on steep hillsides, when I've found I do not need to get more than 6' off the ground. Years ago Minnesota had a law against being higher than 6' in any platform. Still, the use of a good harness is a good choice and a wise investment. Glad to hear you were wearing yours.
I'm not sure of the tree but its off a T in and atv trail and they cruise the atv path a lot but it was logged so there is saplings everywhere. I was in a tree 20yards from this one last year sitting still as could be 20ft up and had several deer see me that I passed when they would walk south and turn east heading right at me they would look up at me. the tree I'm in now has 3 trucks at the top so I'm hidden in the trunks. I'm 6ft6 300lbs I need somewhere to hide. LOL. I usually only do 18ft or so but this one in particular needed to be in that tree at that height.
The first climbing ones (anyone else have an original "Baker" still?) we called "death traps", cause they were flimsily built and had no secondary means of keeping them to the tree, other than the cam action of the grab bars.
Great advice - I never go more than about 8 feet in a climber or hang-on without a harness, and never go more than 12 feet in a ladder or tripod stand without a harness (ladders are less likely to have a falling mishap).
I once had my climbing stand bottom half give out about 14 feet up and two things saved me: Yes, the harness caught me and yes, I had tied the top to the bottom with a small rope like you're supposed to, so that the bottom was hanging, too, and I was able to pull myself up into the chair in the top part, pull the bottom up and re-attach it. Please note three things about this situation with climbers .... first, had I not had the upper body strength to pull my self up into the chair, which wasn't easy, I would have been hanging until someone came out and found me (with all that that entails, including death if it has gotten cold enough while waiting), as there was no way I could maneuver to re-attach the bottom part while hanging. Second, the cause was the fact that my boot laces got caught up in the cotter pin retention loop (since the cable on the bottom half attaches on each side down near where the boot toes go under a strap to allow lifting with the feet). The loop swung open and the pin worked its way out as I went up. Finally, since the cotter pin was on the ground, had I not had a long straight piece of strong steel in my fanny pack (which was a tree screw-in hook improvised as a new cotter pin), I still could not have made a repair and climbed back down - however, I could have been at ease up in my seat rather than hanging and thus been able to call someone on the cell phone or whatnot, and even get into a position where I could have dis-attached the harness and shimmied down the tree - again, something I could not have done if I was just hanging due to lack of strength to weight ratio to pull myself up into the seat. So there's a LOT of bad stuff that can happen quickly even with a harness, but obviously it's much worse without a harness. Hang-ons are the most dangerous, followed by climbers. I recommend not using either unless young and/or in very good shape (or unless you stay at under 8 feet), and take that spare cotter pin up with you in a pocket or fanny pack with climbers.
P.S. I can't imagine going 30 feet up but to each his own. I only rarely go even 20 feet, and usually only 6 to 10 feet.
Most ladder stands come with a harness, but you need to be a mechanical engineer to put one on. There are several good ones on the market that aren't complicated. I have a Hunter's Safety System that is as easy as putting on a pair of pants. I gave all of the spares (4) away as prizes when we were teaching archery to VET's. We shot a 3D course and the high score got a harness. Served two purposes. It might save a life, plus, it cleaned out my garage.
I had many occasions to put on a safety harness to climb up columns or pipe racks. So, I do kinda have a PhD in safety harnesses.
buy a hunter safety systems. the ones that come with stands are junk and put in there for insurance purposes so they don't get sued. they make a HSS lifeline that attaches to the top of the tree and you connect to it going up and down. In a climber i suggest a treestand wingman or HSS tree rope to attach to.Anyone have any idea what proportion of tree stand falls are from portable/climber stands vs. ladder stands? I only use ladder stands and I never use a harness even though I know I should. As one poster stated, every harness I've tried is ridiculously complicated and I'm not sure how to connect it so it would help me while I'm climbing up or down, which is when I'm most likely to fall.
they make a HSS lifeline that attaches to the top of the tree and you connect to it going up and down.
And that's the tricky part. Because someone had to go up that tree (probably you) to hang that line, without a lifeline.
Again, how does it get there?
the ones that come with stands are junk and put in there for insurance purposes so they don't get sued.
really!! go hop on a normal hunting site and everyone will tell you they are JUNK!. the one that came with my muddy stand has bungee material where the legs are and plastic buckles you feed the material threw. I've never seen plastic and bungee material on a seat belt have you? Now the one that came with my $350 summit is good and ive used it and actually gave it away to someone who didn't trust the one that comes with a $50 ladder stand. How about you go get private land, scout all summer and have a landowner tell you that its you, your buddy and one other guy hunting or you and a father and son and have someone else who apparently didn't get permission cause they feel entitled cause they are part of a hunt club tell you when, where and how you can hunt or go slap up 50 stands all over the place, drive their truck through the atv trail and park in the woods so they can walk 50yards to a stand because they are lazy, piss on your cameras, sit in your stands, constantly harass you, etc and see how you feel. Its actually kind of funny that when I hunted public I was a lot happier cause I didn't have to deal with hillbillies that think they have more right than you cause they are part of a hunt club.The rope is hearty and long enough that you should be able to pitch it up and over a limb above or close to above your stand and secure it that way. If it isn't long enough, you can always fasten an extra 10-20 feet of paracord to allow it to reach the desired limb. No climbing involved.....
The liability is lifted from the company upon purchase. They have warnings on the box and on the products themselves. The harnesses that are included are not junk. They're probably not as simple to use nor are they as comfortable, but they are effective. The materials they use are good enough to save your life in a car wreck, they are certainly good enough to stop you from falling a few feet. I think you need to step down from your pedestal and get back in touch with reality. Stop being so negative with every single post. It seems like the world is out to get you with the things you post. Everybody else is encroaching on your space and ruining all of your hunts. Take some accountability and maybe entertain the idea that, perhaps, you are the one encroaching on their hunting spaces.
Starting to think you might should take up knitting.
I just try and be civil and work with people. I left a guy a note on his stand when it appeared a week before season letting him know who I was and I hunt there too cause I walked past his camera a few times on accident. At first the texts were a little heated over me not having permission and the farmers brother not knowing me. again he didn't get it from the actual owner. He began texting when he was hunting and me the same until one day he says ill be there in 10min to check cameras and we talked for over an hour and I even showed him my written slip so there wasn't any tension and now he texts me when he will be hunting and where. the other guy just wanted to yell and curse everyone and play game warden so I packed up and left.Ohihunter, I’ve read a lot of your hunting threads lately and you are having a rough year. I don’t hunt from a stand, mostly because they are stolen or shot out of the tree when I’ve tried to use them.
I’ve experienced some similar things you’ve dealt with when trying to hunt public land in Ohio, and that is why I am not going to hunt Ohio again for deer for a good while. Ohio deer woods are too crowded, exacerbated by the hunting magazines talking about Ohio Monster Bucks! I’ve seen deer season bring out the worst in people, which takes away some of the enjoyment for me.
With volleys of gunfire on opening day and people acting crazy on 4 wheelers, it can be frustrating. Certainly not an environment to teach kids about hunting and the outdoors.
Good luck this year. After all you’ve went through, I hope you get a nice one. Stay safe.
Ohio does have some very good squirrel hunting, with very little pressure....
I made this thread to try and help someone but some people grow an ego on the internet just like they do when they have a weapon in the woods and try and start trouble.