"Be careful out there"

[rp]

is a quote from Hill Street Blues which some of you may remember. But seriously, I have already heard of one soul who climbed up in a stand to check it out for the upcoming season and, you may guessed, the stand collapsed and he had to have major surgery to put that shattered bones in a hand back together. He is very lucky that was all that broke.

But I do have to wonder about the guy. How many respitory therapists do you know that chain smoke? This guy is one.

But still be careful out there checking stands.

[Mergie Master]

Good advice RP!

It's always a danger when we get off the ground. Falling is the most common stand accident, heck even a squirrel falls out of the tree sometimes!

A few years ago a guy here in Greenwood fell out of his stand and landed on his Rem M700 7mm Mags' gun barrel. When he fell the the barrel caught him under the right shoulder blade and came out his front right pectoral muscle! He literally had a gun barrel stuck through his chest!

He's ok now, but he's got some nasty scars!

[rp]

2 years ago a fellow in a neighboring club was climbing up in a metal stand early one very cold morning. He slipped on one of the steps because of the ice that fromed form his wet boots and fell into a very shallow pool of water at the base of the stand. He fell into the little patch of cold water and stayed there until found. He died of hypothermia on the way to the hospital by way of airtransport.

I dare to ask how many of us have slid down a substantial portion of a tree trunk while using a climber. I have and I will promise that it is an eye opening event for those that have not. I have not used a climber now for 3 years. Particularly when one of my old Buckshots collapsed under me and I was under the weight limits for this stand at the time. I have always "tested" my climbers at the beginning of a season.

[Mergie Master]

No doubt! I "slid" down a hardwood tree one morning while bowhunting from an old Baker stand. It was before daylight and I had just settled in, hung my bow (with an open quiver) on the side of the stand took the cap/cup off my thermos sat it tween my legs and poured a hot cup of coffee. Screwed the cap on and turned to set the thermos on the back of the stand anb all of a sudden the bottom just fell out on me. That's what it felt like, like for a second I was sitting in air! I grabbed the side of the stand seat and held on! I wasn't gonna push off and jump because my bow fell and there was several strands of old barbed wire at the base of the tree!

The stand probably only dropped 2 feet before it caught again but it scared the dog shit out of me. My heart was up under my flourescent orange cap when the stand stopped!

I gingerly climbed my ass down and sat on the ground the rest of the morning. Scalded my thghs with coffee too!!

Needless to say it made a believer out of me! I never climbed another hardwood with a Baker stand!

[tradorion]

A couple of things here- we see LOTS of tree stand accidents (#1 "hunting accident" if i am not mistaken)


Test ALL STANDS thoroughly before they go back to the woods- if they are "permanent" check them VERY CAREFULLY as you go up. Ever so often replace straps, bolts, etc etc

ALWAYS use a fall restraint system- preferably full body. They are the cheapest, most useful life insurance you will EVER see.

On permanent stands (even tower) you can tie a rope to the tree above the stand or to the upper tower- and to a stake in the ground... use a Prussic knot on this "life line" and the harness keeps you safe going up and down here as well.

Remember- this stuff is as much for your families as it is for you... kids like having parents, spouses (usually) want their significant other around, etc etc!!

[rp]

That is one good thing to check for. Wasps, not the WASP variety either. I saw a product last weekend that puts a foam on the wasp nests and just wipes out the entire group.

[rp]

Don't forget to be careful on those 4 wheelers either.

One of my friends about became one of my past friends this evening. He seperated himself from the seat of his 4 wheeler and tried to take on a tree with his noggin. The tree won and Moatsy and crew got the tree hacker delivered to them by helicopter.

It appears that he will be alright. Afterall, what is a cracked skull and a few good cuts going to do a yankee in Dixie that I could not have already done myself.

If he is alright, and I think he will be, I am going to kick his ass for the trouble and all he caused because he chose not to where a helment on a fourwheeler.

[rp]

It ends up my dumbass "buddy" has a cracked skull, broken cheek bones, a swollen brain (not to be confused with a big head), blood on the brain (at least he still has one) and some broken ribs. He is lucky he has his life and he supposedly will be alright. Hopefully he will be improved and realize he needs to be more careful.

The story is that his brakes failed. The guy who may have saved his life believes it happened during a right heavy rain storm and he may not have seen a stop sign.

The ATV is useless. My buddy is lucky.