Sunday, August 13, 2006
One Facet Of Tree Stand Safety
I know hunters who climb into a tree stand with their bow slung over their shoulder, and a quiver filled with arrows near their neck. One would assume the arrows were tightly inserted into the bow quiver.
But I’ve also seen those same people catch the feathers or vanes of an arrow on a twig or branch, and knock the arrow loose from the quiver. Sometimes the arrow falls to the ground, and sometimes the arrow is sticking out at an awkward angle near the neck or body.
So what do they do? I’ve watched people wiggle around, ease the bow off their shoulder, all while standing on one or two feet and using one hand to try controlling where the loose arrow will go.
Such things are accidents waiting for a place to happen, and the hunter is standing in the right spot. They could lose their grip, lose their balance, and could fall. They could bounce off one or two big limbs, driving a broadhead into their back or neck, or fall to the ground and land on an arrow or miss the arrow and break a leg or back.
Many tree stand accidents occur for a number of reasons: doing stupid things, taking chances, not having two hand-holds and one foot or two feet firmly placed and using both hands to climb. Sometimes an accident occurs when a foot or hand-hold slips.
Know this: most tree stand accidents occur while climbing into, climbing out of or while sitting or standing in a tree stand. There is no room for error when hunting from a tree stand.
But one thing a hunter should never do, with bow or firearm, is to climb into or out of a stand with a bow or firearm over their shoulder. If they jiggle a little, the bow or firearm may start to slip, and it’s an instinctive reaction to try to save it. This often results in a fall.
A haul rope and a safety harness should be used by all tree stand hunters. Strap yourself into a safety harness with straps around both upper thighs, straps over both shoulders, and all four straps attached to a belt that goes around your waist.
It makes sense that a haul rope be left at each tree stand. Tie one end of the haul rope up in the stand next to the seat or on a nearby limb, and let it dangle down to the ground.
Make certain all arrows are firmly inserted into the quiver, and the quiver securely snapped in place. Tie the rope around the bow with the closed end of the quiver facing up, and tie the bow so the lower bow limb is off the ground.
Climb into the stand, and securely attach the back strap of the safety harness to the tree before doing anything else. And then pull the bow or firearm up into the tree. If raising a firearm, make double sure the magazine and barrel is unloaded and the action is open before pulling it up.
More that one fool has loaded his firearm, pulled it up into the stand with the barrel loaded and the safety off, and shot himself. Dumb.
When lowering a bow to the ground, make certain the arrows are firmly placed in the quiver, the quiver is firmly clicked into place on the bow, and reverse the bow when it is lower. The broad part of the quiver that covers the broadheads should be pointed down.
Make certain the knot you tie with the rope is tight to avoid having the it come undone, and have the bow go plunging to the ground. The impact usually does bad things to a bow.
A haul rope is a genuine safety device. A full-body harness is a wise investment in your future health, and common sense means climbing trees empty-handed.
Follow these rules, and your tree stand hunting will be more rewarding and much safer.—The Whitetail Wizard