Luke fell last night getting down from a stand. Just a slight misstep was all it took. It jolted him pretty good but the lifeline worked great. The $30 investment is worth it guys. Saved us a trip to the ER.

Simply put- if you are not strapped in 100% of the time you are a dumb a$$.

I agree I put them on all my lock on's this year That I use TV antenas on for ladders. Doesn't slow me down one bit going up or down

Glad to hear Luke is OK:) Good for you bean for having them:) i too have lifelines on all my stands:)

Accidents happen when you least expect them but luckily you were prepared. Glad Luke wasnt hurt. h.h.

glad he is OK. Good for you both. Lesson taken to heart here. A deer is not worth a life changing injury or death..

Stay safe guys!!!

Amen! I still can't get my buddy to wear a harness and he had a fall. Me and his dad get on him every year. Glad to hear your story ended well!

Actually what happened was he put the climbing sticks together wrong lol but that's the best $30 dads ever spent!

^^^^^^ All the above !!!

My takeaways:

You know it's essential if it can make the preacherman pull out the "a$$"

The young man has had excellent guidance mentorship and upbringing and is a living testament of the criticality of treestand safety

He has a great sense of humor regarding your putting together skills lol.

Questions for Luke or any whom have taken a fall....
1) at which height?
2) how did the harness feel in suspension? (I have spent countless tree hours contemplating what that type of tension truly feels like) it seems like the vests are extremely loose around the chest and all functional straps and points of security surround the waste and thighs
3) would having a knife extra screw in step or cell readily available be equally important? (Or suspension relief strap?)
4) how did momma bear take it and what are her sentiments moving forward? I feel there would be emotional consequences from my loved ones if knowing of the near miss?

Luke/Brian don't feel obligated to answer these are just all questions I've often wondered about the event of falling with the harness on...basically we have to have a plan beyond just putting the vest on and tying off right?

I will answer the ones I can:

2) how did the harness feel in suspension? ultra wedgie. The jolt is what hurts BUT if you strap in on stand and the harness starts getting snug as you are seated the fall/jolt will be minimal. The LL fall is also not that great.
3) would having a knife extra screw in step or cell readily available be equally important? In some cases yes but in regards to this one probably not needed. I try and set up with the fall being minimal.
4) how did momma bear take it and what are her sentiments moving forward? I feel there would be emotional consequences from my loved ones if knowing of the near miss? She was fine and even more comfortable with us going out knowing the safety steps we take.

Oh - when you put this pastor or any pastor on the pedestal at some point we will fall off or be knocked off. Put Jesus on it not a man and all will be as it should.

Thanks for sharing bean. Good lessons here for us all.

Some peoples' lives are tales of inspiration and others are cautionary tales. There is an opportunity to learn from both.


The older I get and the more stories I hear, the more often I wear something just in case. Most hunting injuries are falls. Let us protect ourselves and others from injury. Our loved ones will appreciate not wheeling us around or having to wipe our butts for us. :-)

Thank you for helping to answer my questions

Glad he is OK and the life line did it's job.

I've told the story many times, but I was saved by a harness in 2005. Since then I have life lines on every stand.

Yesterday a life line saved my back side! Mid day I decided to hang a double stand set in a new spot. I put the sticks up and then the life line using a lines man set up. I then hung the first of the two stands while clipped to the life line. While I was hanging the 2nd stand (while standing on the 1st stand) I was fighting the stand to get it on the tree just how I wanted it. What I had not noticed was that the strap of the 2nd stand was compressing the strap of the 1st and actually made the 1st stand to come un-hooked. As I released tension on the 2nd stand ratchet strap both stands fell with me on the 1st stand! Thankfully a lower ratchet strap on the 1st stand kept if from dropping past about a 45 degree angle, but in an instant 95% or so of my weight was being supported by the lifeline/harness. Without the lifeline I'd have fallen 20 feet straight down. After a brief bit of "what the heck just happened?!?!" I was able to get to the climbing sticks, re-attach the 1st stand, pull back up the 2nd stand and get it the way that I wanted. It was a very close call, very scary, and the lifeline saved my azz.

I've said it before and I will say it again ... it is not a matter of "if" you will fall, it is a matter of "when".

Be safe out there!

Glad you OK first of all.

+1 on the below comment.

And gravity is undefeated. At 20 ft you hit the ground with 7+ TONS of force!!

Where did you get that graphic? It is awesome and something that I could use as part of Hunter Ed classes that I teach.

I have worn a harness for some years now but I usually would just strap myself in when i climbed to my hunting height. It seems to me that there are more treestand falls each year and most are when climbing into or out of the stand. So this year I attached lifelines to all my hang-on stands and I use a treestrap (rope style) everytime I use my climbers. I am attached to the tree at all times. I just cannot believe how easy these things are to use and how much safer I feel when ascending or descending from a tree. It should be a law that one must use a harness while in a treestand, just like it is to have a seatbelt on in a vehicle or a life jacket on a boat. It just makes sense.

EVERYTHING that ParkerBow said is spot on.