We like to debate the greatest handguns for bear protection, dive into the terminal ballistics of varied bear masses, and critique each methodology of carrying a pistol in grizzly nation. However most of us won’t ever be charged by a bear. Hell, many people by no means even hunt in bear nation. On the flipside, outdoorsmen usually give little consideration to essentially the most harmful factor we really do each searching season: Climb right into a treestand.
The statistics are simply as shattering as that 20-foot fall can be. The Worldwide Hunters Schooling Affiliation estimates that 300 to 500 hunters die every year from treestand falls, in response to a narrative final yr by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The affiliation additionally estimates that one other 6,000 hunters maintain accidents from falls out of elevated stands.
Carrying a security harness actually helps forestall accidents, however a harness alone shouldn’t be sufficient. That’s as a result of nearly all of falls occur whereas hunters are climbing into or out of their stand (and plenty of hunters solely safe a harness after they’re in stand). Plus, aged and weathered treestand straps break. One second you’re stepping onto the platform, the following factor you realize you’re on the bottom, perhaps with a damaged again. There isn’t any time to catch your self.
A information report out of New York seemed into the small print of 13 treestand accidents throughout the 2020 searching season. It’s a small pattern measurement however it nonetheless affords some essential takeaways:
- Nearly all of the hunters concerned had greater than 15 years of searching expertise.
- 5 of the accidents occurred as a consequence of a strap breaking.
- 5 of the accidents occurred whereas the hunter was hanging the stand or taking it down.
- All however two of the hunters both weren’t sporting harnesses or didn’t have their harness connected on the time.
- One hunter died.
Think about, for a second, if grizzly bears killed 500 American hunters each fall. Think about the information headlines and regulatory actions. Each time there’s a grizzly assault, nationwide tales run (OL has been overlaying bear assault tales for greater than a century). Think about the coaching that backcountry hunters would endure and the firepower we’d arm ourselves with for cover. Many hunters could be too fearful to even enter grizzly nation in any respect. The chance merely wouldn’t be price it. For context, there have been 4 deadly grizzly bear assaults on file in North America in 2021. The all-time excessive variety of grizzly encounters that resulted in damage within the Higher Yellowstone Space is 14, in response to an in-depth report on grizzly assaults by OL earlier this yr.
And but, tons of of hunters fall to their deaths every season—silently. Many people can’t even be bothered to put on a security harness, not to mention a lineman’s belt or a lifeline.
It doesn’t must be this fashion. With a little bit information, upkeep, and the correct gear, your treestand can be a protected, helpful searching instrument, not some lethal predator lurking within the woods. Right here’s what you’ll want to know.
How Lengthy Does a Treestand Strap Final?
Most hunters don’t fastidiously learn their treestand handbook. This may be problematic, as a result of producers are clearly telling us that stands received’t final eternally with out upkeep, however we’re performing like they may. We’re strolling proper by that “be bear conscious” signal with out even acknowledging it.
John Louk has been the manager director of the Treestand Producers Affiliation (TMA) since 2002. He advised Outside Life that within the rare case {that a} treestand accident will get investigated, and within the even rarer case that the accident was a results of the stand failing (and never simply the hunter putting in it improperly or tossing the harness apart), more often than not it’s as a result of the stand wore down after persistent publicity to the weather.
“Loads of instances, [hunters] go away the stand within the tree for an prolonged time frame, they usually anticipate it to final for a lifetime,” Louk says. “Now we have seen stands grown into bushes. [Hunters] don’t take into account tree progress, UV rays and alter in setting, humidity and rain and snow, all yr spherical. Straps break as a result of they didn’t take away the stand usually and examine it.”
If a hunter does take excellent care of their stand and take away it when it’s not in use, treestand straps ought to final about two years. However such requirements are set by the producers themselves, whereas the TMA solely units requirements for full-body harnesses.
“All of the straps that contain hanging a stand, most producers require changing them each two years. However right here’s the issue: Customers don’t perceive the testing necessities for elements of tree stands. They don’t worth the requirements being set by the producer as a result of they may enable a strap to remain put in constantly for 5 or 6 years, to the purpose the place the strap is beneath stress for an prolonged time frame.”
The takeaway right here is straightforward: exchange your treestand straps each two years, whether or not they appear worn or not. Wealthy Chomik, senior employees marketing consultant for engineering and consulting firm Stress Engineering can put science behind this instruction. Stress Engineering does in-depth testing and research on treestand efficiency and security.
“Polymers are a cloth class that degrade with U.V. publicity, with weathering publicity, they usually have a ‘creep worth,’ or they elongate slowly over durations of time beneath their very own weight,” says Chomik. “Somebody may exit to hunt and if the strap hasn’t been eliminated or cared for, they may discover the strap is a little bit unfastened, so that they’ll simply tighten it up a bit. Effectively, that strap was tight after they put in the stand, however it may need creeped right into a looser place, after which they tighten it once more, so the cycle simply repeats itself and finally, you might have a failure. Straps are one of many extra weak elements of a treestand.”
Chomik tells Outside Life it’s inconceivable to present a stable reply for a way lengthy a mean treestand strap lasts, since each make and mannequin is totally different. However he encourages treestand customers to look on the corporate’s web site or attain out to their customer support workforce to find out what the life expectancy of the straps are. As for the most important Achilles heel of all polymer treestand straps, Chomik’s reply is one thing that’s virtually unavoidable: the solar.
“U.V. is the enemy of straps. It’s a very highly effective injury mechanism for polymers. You don’t need your polymers in direct daylight,” Chomik says. “You’ll have straps which were omitted in bushes for a very long time that you may pop off together with your naked hand, there’s simply no energy left. And God forbid persons are counting on that strap for assist in that stand. We actually must get this message out, that this can be a solvable drawback. You simply can’t neglect it.”
Important Security Gear
There are three items of kit that treestand hunters want for each set: security harness, lifeline, and lineman’s belt/rope.
Harness
The greatest treestand harnesses are straightforward to make use of, snug to put on, and forestall you from falling to your dying. The harness is step one; put on it all the time. However you have to pair your harness with the next two items of kit to keep away from falling while you’re hanging your stand, and while you’re climbing into it.
Lifeline
There are a number of lifelines on the market, however the mannequin made by Hunters Security Techniques is the most well-liked. This can be a easy line that you just safe above your stand and runs to the bottom (safe the underside of the rope to your tree or a climbing stick in order that it’s taught). Alongside the road slides the prussic knot, which you clip your harness tether to. You clip in earlier than you climb up (slide up the prussic knot as you climb) and keep tethered throughout the hunt and when climbing down. Whenever you’re in your stand, slide the knot excessive, in order that your harness tether is taught. It will forestall you from falling, and it’ll hold the road out of your approach while you draw your bow. (See the video beneath.)
Lineman’s Belt
For years I hung stands with out utilizing a lineman’s belt. That was idiotic. Hanging stands and taking them down is likely one of the most harmful points of treestand searching, in case you don’t use a lineman’s belt. Not solely does a lineman’s belt (or lineman’s rope) assist forestall you from falling, however it additionally means that you can comfortably stand on climbing stick step palms free, which makes it a lot simpler to work on the stand. Lineman’s belts are particularly fashionable among the many tree saddle crowd. Tethrd makes a slick one which works simply as effectively for treestand hunters who’re hanging stands and fastening climbing sticks. You merely join it to your harness as a substitute of a saddle.
Last Ideas on Treestand Security
There may be inherent danger in any sort of searching. We should settle for that danger each time we step into bear nation or make that first step onto a climbing stick. But it surely’s our job as self-reliant outdoorsmen and ladies to precisely calculate danger, put together for it, after which use our greatest instruments and expertise to reduce it. So while you’re headed to your treestand this deer season, simply just be sure you’re loaded for bear.
