Bad News!!! I fell from my tree stand.

[ManOfTheFall]

Guys, I have some bad news. Last night the stand I went to has been in the tree for like 18 years. It has been one of my best spots ever. This summer I had contemplated changing it but I never got around to it. I climbed up into the stand, 22 feet, and tested it. It seemed ok. I started to adjust the seat a little bit and the platform snapped. Needless to say I went straight down 22 feet and landed on my right hip and right shoulder. They aren't broke, but I am in extreme pain and can hardly move. I do have a fractured sacrum, (tail bone). I may not be able to hunt for a couple weeks. This really sucks cause it was the first day of my three week vacation and it's in prime time. Believe me, I will do everything in my power to get back out as soon as possible. In the mean time I hope you all have SAFE hunts and successful ones. I will keep you all updated on my situation and will be monitoring everyone's success. Good luck!!!!!

[Genesis 9:3]

I'm sure glad you are alright! You know you didn't have to take your forum handle literally! All joking aside, I've never hunted from anything but a climber, so that's hard to imagine... but what I can imagine is terrifying! I guess you weren't wearing a harness then? I should probably be a little more stringent on using my harness...

[ManOfTheFall]

No harness. I know and have known I should. This was actually an old climber that I made into a permanent stand. The stand broke a second or two after I stepped into so I probably wouldn't of even had a chance of hooking in. So, I have a broken tailbone and I go see an orthopedic doctor on Wednesday for my hip and Friday for my shoulder. They aren't broke but I think I have a lot of torn ligaments and tendons. I work in the medical field and have a good idea of what might be wrong. All I know is I'm on vacation for 3 weeks and I want to be back in the stand before that time is up. I have my doubts though. Please pray for me for a quick recovery.

[gonehunting 45]

again that sucks. Hope nothing is to torn up and a quick recovery is a head.
A harness is a must. I use to be fearless, till one time the base of my climber ended up at the base of the tree which just left me setting 30ft up thinking what the heck just happened. Now I attach before I head up the tree. When I do use my hang on which isn't to often I attach before I step on the stand. Some use a life line.

[Big_Holla]

Boy I hate to hear that but am so glad to hear you will recover, considering the possibilities. I have always preached about using a harness but in your situation it may not have helped as you mentioned. The one thing that WOULD have helped is if you were using a harness AND a lifeline. Do some looking around on what they are and how to use them. I will say one thing, hang on stands will always have a lifeline on them for me. That is the only way to go and you set it up just before season so it is there.

[Toke2]

Sorry to hear this. From your description, I would say that you had someone looking out for you. I know it probably doesn't feel that way though. A fall like that many times is catastrophic. Glad you are o.k. ( relatively speaking). Hope you get good news from the Surgeons. Thanks for sharing the story - I somebody out there reads it and decides to start using a harness! Wishing you a full and speedy recovery!

[gonehunting 45]

Wow....glad your ok. 22ft is a long drop.

[00buck]

Glad to hear you are OK and I have been using a life line and harness ever since the 25 foot fall a few years back I never come Un clipped from them even when going from the sticks to the stand and when I use my climber I push the tree strap up as I go hope you can make it out and get feeling better quickly

[ManOfTheFall]

Did you have any lasting injuries fro your fall? Yes, I know things I should have done and didn't do. I am a born again christian and believe I was definitely being watched over this in this situation. Even just over the last few hours I feel much better. I had slowly been replacing all my stands and have pretty much switched over to ladder stands. Unfortunately this was the last one. I even felt uneasy about this stand but you know how us men can be. Just like I refused to go in the ambulance. I did spend 7 hours in the ER and had multiple x-rays and 2 CT scans.

[mrbb]

I hear you on not doing some times what we all know we should, and rolling the dice
I have fallen, out of about 7-8 tree stands over the yrs, l;ast one was back in the mid 90's
long befroe harness's were about
I was lucky too, between all my yrs of racing MX bikes and I guess learning how to relax in a fall
I never really got hurt
I did fall once out of a home made stand my cousin made and landed on him, and broke his arm LOL

but all them yrs ago when again we made stands out of even tree branches, and they came apart FAST
I learned that its always better to stop using a stand before it goes south
as they say live abnd learn
and some times getting hurt, is alesson we never forget!