CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 4 JERED STETTER
Joint Force Headquarters
Indiana Army National Guard
Camp Atterbury, Indiana
They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. But is it, really? Not when it comes to tree stands!
It was early October and deer season had just opened. A senior leader on the installation scouted the woods all preseason and spotted a buck that would make any hunter envious. Unfortunately, the training area the buck frequented was cleared about a decade earlier, leaving it with very few trees large enough to hang a tree stand. The leader tried everything from hunting on the ground to stalking through the woods on rainy days with no success, but he continued receiving pictures of the buck in the training area.
One afternoon, he decided to hunt a different section in hopes of finding the buck’s bedding area. While walking to his planned hunting spot, he came across a tree that could support a stand. He could not believe his luck when, upon closer inspection, he noticed someone already put a stand in the tree — though it appeared to be unused for quite some time. The leader figured that since the stand was already there, he would use it. If the other hunter appeared, he would simply get out of the stand so the owner could hunt.
The next afternoon, the leader left work and made his trek to the tree stand. He had all the correct protective gear and knew he needed to check the stand’s condition before attempting to hunt from it. Installation regulations required hunters to wear a full-body harness while hunting from any elevated platform. After inspecting the ladder, the leader climbed to the stand and connected his harness to ensure it would catch him if he fell. He then examined the stand’s seat before slowly lowering his weight onto it with no issue.
The hunt was slow, with only a few does crossing through the training area. Disappointed, the leader decided to call it a day and climb down before it got too dark. Rather than carrying his bow down with him, he lowered it to the ground with a rope. He then stood up, unclipped his harness and pivoted toward the ladder. Suddenly, the stand’s platform collapsed, and the leader plunged to the ground.
The leader’s injuries were extensive, including a broken back. Fortunately, he was able to call range control, which sent a team to rescue him. He would spend weeks in the hospital and require multiple surgeries to fix his back. A mishap investigation uncovered that the tree stand was originally mounted five years earlier and belonged to a Soldier who had since left the installation. The stand’s retaining straps had never been replaced and were dry-rotted and weakened by weather.
This mishap resulted in a change to the installation’s hunting policy, which now requires that hunters remain clipped to the tree stand at all times until they are safely back on the ground. The installation also instituted a “tree stand season” clause, which allows authorized hunters to hang stands after Sept. 1 and requires their removal no later than March 1 each year. Guest hunters must remove their stands at the end of each hunt day. This ensures no old, unsafe stands are left in the woods to be used by unsuspecting hunters.
Since these new standards were implemented, there have been no tree stand-related injuries on the installation, although there are a few minor mishaps each year. Hunters will also notice signs posted within the training areas with reminders such as “Clip in to stay in” and “Hunt safe today to hunt safe tomorrow.” Although it took a severe injury to implement a change, hunters on the installation are safer because leadership is doing everything possible to ensure similar mishaps don’t occur in the future.
FYI
Hunters must always take the necessary precautions to stay safe. Hunter-ed.com safety experts recommend following a few crucial safety tips when hunting from tree stands.
- Take your time. There's no rush getting into or out of your tree stand. Climbing into and out of stands is dangerous and should be done with great care. Make sure you always maintain three points of contact with the tree. The three-point rule should always be used with a lifeline system, climbing belt or lineman's-style belt.
- Wear a fall-arrest system (FAS). An FAS should include a full-body harness, a lineman's-style belt (or climbing belt), a tree strap, a tether and a suspension-relief strap. This hunter safety system will prevent you from falling to the ground if you slip out of your tree stand.
- Use a haul line. Getting your gear into the tree with you also requires a safe approach. Use a haul line to pull up your gear. Climbing with a backpack or firearm strapped to your back is not safe! You can pull up your gear once you are in the stand and fastened to the tree.
- Know your limits. Become comfortable with the stand you are in and know the location of cables and other potential obstructions that could trip you up if you move around it. Additionally, if you don't feel comfortable using these safety tips or get up into the tree and realize you're not ready for it, don't force yourself to use it. Safely get back on the ground and hunt with your feet in the dirt.
According to an article written by Brodie Swisher on mossyoak.com, hunters must also give their tree stands a thorough inspection before use. “It doesn’t matter what shape they were in last year when you used them last. Things can change in the off-season. … Tree stand and climbing stick straps can be damaged by rodents, as well as weather and exposure to sun. They become brittle and can break under pressure after years of use — even when they look like they are in good shape, holding the stand/stick solid and secure. Most tree stand accidents seem to happen from a stand that ‘appeared’ safe and secure. A good practice is to replace the straps on your tree stand and ladder sticks every couple of years, regardless of how they look. It can be expensive to replace straps on all your stands and sticks, but the reality is that it’s a cheap investment into the safety of your family or friend climbing in and out of the tree stand.”