Fall 2006

Treestand Safety for Hunters

By JOHN KASUN
Each year hunters are killed, crippled or injured in treestand related accidents. Records indicate approximately 30 percent of all hunters who use treestands experience a fall.
As many accidents are not reported as treestand related or result in minor injuries that are not reported it is safe to assume that the estimated 30 percent figure is closer to 50 percent. Treestand accidents are quite common and in many cases only dumb luck prevents serious injury. It is almost impossible to find anyone who has hunted from a treestand for any period of time that has not had a stand shift or slip down the tree, had a tree step kick out or some other form of mishap occur including a possible non-injury related fall.

The author is shown here before he ascends the tree attaching himself to the Fall Guy Retractor which is mounted up the tree at the height of the stand. A light pull cord attached to the seat belt retractor allows the web safety line to be pulled down from the retractor and attached to the web harness while the hunter is on the ground. The harness tether is in the authors right hand while the web safety line is in his left. As the hunter ascends the tree the safety web automatically retracts removing all slack but will lock instantly in the event of a fall protecting the hunter from injury.

Personally I have had two friends die from treestand related accidents.
in spite of my personal caution and experience I have had numerous close calls. Hunting from a treestand is dangerous and requires the utmost care. The dependability and quality of commercial treestands has improved dramatically over the years and while the stands themselves might be structurally safe the human element is ever present. Although some accidents do happen when people fall while in a stand or as a result of a stand failure the majority of accidents occur as the hunter is getting into or getting out of their stand or as they ascend or descend the tree.
Safety belts have always been recommended when using a tree stand but the original one piece safety belts can actually cause serious injury or death in the event of a fall. The hunter can be hung upside down if the belt is not adjusted properly or be suffocated if the belt rides up and tightens under the chest. The second generations of safety belts were actually body harnesses which do a better job of supporting the hunter in the event of a fall but they also had some serious drawbacks.
The latest in the generation of tree stand safety devices can be found in the Fall Guy Tree Stand Safety System. The Fall Guy combines the ease and safety of a body harness with the flexibility of a safety belt such as those found in our automobiles.
One problem with many safety harnesses was the fact that although the hunter was protected when the harness was secured in the stand it left the hunter at risk when ascending or descending the tree. Another common problem was that the short connection that secured the hunter to the tree limited movement and could make getting the shot difficult and at times impossible.
The Fall Guy Tree Stand Safety System design solved all of these problems. The Fall Guy consists of a safety harness that is designed to evenly support the body in the event of a fall and features a built in shock absorber tether strap. The heart of the Fall Guy system is their use of a seat belt retractor that allows the hunter complete freedom while remaining securely connected to the tree. The strap extends or retracts into the retractor housing as the hunter moves eliminating excessive strap that can get in way yet locks in place in the event of a fall, just as the seat belt in your car. The automatic retraction feature not only keeps the strap out of the hunter's way as he moves it also always means that in the event of a fall the strap immediately locks up minimizing the excessive drop that can occur with conventional systems.
Fall Guy's latest design is the Fall Guy Retractor 20 which allows the hunter to be attached to the tree during the entire assent, descent and at all times while in the stand. It is the safest and easiest to use system on the market today and it cost less then some bow quivers, a cheap price to protest you life.
For more information on the Fall Guy Tree Stand Safety Systems available check out www.fallguysafety.com.