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Hunting in tree stands adds danger of a fall to the fall
As hard as it is for this old man to believe, the season is but a few weeks away.
I have often thought that archery season is one of the more hazardous hunts.
In my many years of hunting I have never heard of anyone being shot with an arrow in mistake for game. That would include ricochets and careless shooting around homes.
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When a person is up a tree, there is always the danger of falling. To compound the danger I have noticed that tree stands have become higher. Twenty years ago, the average stand was placed about 10 feet above the ground and I have seen them lower. Today's average is more like 15 to 20 feet. Common sense tells me that the higher they get the more danger from the fall is present.
While most stands today are commercially made, there are still some hunters utilizing a wooden platform they have built. Anyone using such a stand should carefully check its stability every fall before the season.
A friend used such a stand about 20 years ago. That year he climbed the homemade steps and got in position on the wooden platform. Suddenly, he found himself lying on the ground as the whole apparatus collapsed. His ankle was shattered and a major artery was torn allowing blood to squirt in a steady stream. Making his own tourniquet to stop the flow of blood, he had to wait until his buddy summoned help. He almost died and later lost the leg. It was a heavy price to pay for using a rickety tree stand.
I have always thought tree stands are like boats. When you tow a boat it is big. When you put it in the water it shrinks. Much the same could be said about a treestand. Big when you carry it but the size of a postage stamp when placed 15 feet off the ground.
More than one hunter has stepped off of the platform when trying to take a shot. I even knew one hunter that forgot where he was and decided to stretch his legs. Luckily he only obtained bruises when he landed. All he could think about on the way down were the sharp arrows that were also falling with him.
Another common problem with archery hunting and the use of tree stands involves the change in habits of the person doing the hunting. Getting up earlier than usual means you will get sleepy. More than once the hunter has fallen asleep on stand and when the stand is 15 feet up falling asleep can be downright hard on one's health.
I had a friend who fell asleep on stand and the result was a leg cast he was required to wear for a couple of months and a missed archery season.
The strangest of all happened to another friend who was in his treestand when a storm rolled up.
Knowing the dangers of a storm and his location up a tree he started counting time lapses between seeing the distant flash and hearing the thunder. The storm had to be at least five miles away he thought. That was his last thought for a while. There was a brilliant flash and he found himself lying on the ground heavily burned. His arrows were shredded as the graphite threads separated into strings. He was in trouble.
A doctor who treated him said that two things saved the hunter's life. First, he was wearing rubber boots to keep his feet dry and to eliminate scent. Secondly, he was hunting with his young son who despite not knowing how to drive, retrieved the truck and drove it close to his disabled dad. A good reason to not hunt alone and to always head for home when a storm is near.
Of course there are always a few precautions that should be taken on any hunt especially when using a tree stand.
Someone should always know where you are and when to expect you out of the woods.
Never use a treestand without a safety harness.
Weather, wind and the tree growth can change structure integrity from year to year. Keep in mind that when you go up a tree, danger increases. Let's keep it safe.
