8:23 pm
Member
Life Member
October 24, 2012
The story is short on details — but one of our own had a close call.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014…..p=trending
And no, I don’t have a name and don’t know if he’s a BHA member, but he is a fellow bowhunter.
I’m keeping him in my prayers without even knowing. Let’s hope he has insurance.
11:11 am
Member
Life Member
October 24, 2012
Checked the local sheriff’s info
The hunter reported that he had been injured as he was getting out of a tree stand after bow hunting. The caller stated that he fell when his tree stand collapsed and he landed on an arrow. Sheriff’s deputies, Beauregard Fire Department volunteers and Emergency Transport Service medical personnel responded to the scene and found the victim with an arrow in his chest just above his heart.
So the good news is that he at least had a cell phone.
If he was on his exit, and the stand collapsed — sort of sounds like a hang on stand as opposed to being a climber. One of the more high risk times is in the transitions into or out of the stand — because that’s when most folks are completely disconnected. Tether no longer tied on, but not yet on a lineman’s belt.
The info does not indicate whether he did or did not have on a harness.
And he fell onto an arrow. Again conjecture, but it is unlikely that he was carrying the arrow down. If so, he would likely have impacted the side of the arrow not one end or the other. So it is probable that he had lowered his gear before starting his exit process.
But this incident should remind us to exercise good risk management techniques — including examining ALL of our equipment for every season and critically examining our practices to ID habits that increase risk un-necessarily.
For example, I don’t like leaving a stand in the woods that is held onto the tree using a strap. Not saying I haven’t, but I carry an extra ratchet strap that I put on before climbing into the stand and take with me post hunt. Sure the stock single strap is strong right out of the box — but how strong is it after a season of being exposed to the elements and critters? And how much stress am I putting on it when I am all geared up and standing on the edge of the stand?
6:27 pm
Member
March 12, 2013
I use a lock on stand and the stock straps just aren’t enough for me. It’s a Muddy outfitter stand and it has two straps. I put two more straps on it so it has 4 straps and I am still nervous getting in and out of it. I also use a HSS harness and a life line. Connected all the way up and all the way down. I don’t care what kind of stand I am in I use my harness in all of them, ladder/climber/lock-on. Folks if any of you are not using a harness PLEASE get one and USE it! I hear too many stories about people falling and laying out in the woods all night before somebody finds them. We had two or three reported at church last season like that. Most of these were folks in old wooden ladder stands that had some rotten wood but no matter. Do everything you can to be safe.
The following users say thank you to Lance Patterson for this useful post:
Fatality1 Guest(s)