Tree Stand Maintanence & Safety

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Cr0ck1
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Tree Stand Maintanence & Safety

Post by Cr0ck1 » Fri Nov 21, 2008 12:53 pm

Ok i have put up this thread dedicated to tree stand maintanence.

I will give you all some pointers and tricks i use on my tree stand.

Ok first things

Safety

-Make sure you have a harness. Its very important that you use a harness at all times. You can get seriously hurt even falling from 3 feet if you land the wrong way. IT can possibly cause death.

-Make shure that your harness has not worn or frayed belts on it.
-Make sure you know how to properly put on your harness so it is fully effective in case of a fall.
-Make sure you have a "pull rope" attached to your stand with a locking clip so you can pull your bag and gun up when you are in your stand.
Do not climb up your stand with your gun in hand as it can knock the safety off and possibly miss fire.
-Make sure your gun is unloaded when pulling it up the pull rope and load it when you get it to your stand.

Your stand

-Check to see that all bolts are tight and not worn or rusted. If they look even questionable replace them. If you doubt me ask your self "are your arms and legs questionable?".
-Check all wires that wrap around the tree. On my stand its a steel wire with a rubber cover on it. If the covers are dry rotted and cracked you need to make sure that water has not gotten into the rubber cover and started to rust your cable inside. If it did you need to replace them. Those are the kind of things we all say "ah its good ill change them next year" well next year when your hanging form your harness from a tree (god forbid) you will thank me for reminding you.
If you ahave other kinds like thick plastic belts make sure that they have no cracks in them. Rubber will look nice until you flex it and then you can see the dry rotted cracks. Change as needed.
-Check the platform for rust and make sure if you have a steel mesh floor that its sturdy. Remember when you stand on your stand its holding your weight.
-Check over all for any rust on your stand especially in the joints. If theres rust.. Try to lightly sand it off and tough it up with a primer to stop the rust and paint if you feel like it.

The tree you choose

-Take a good look at the tree you choose. Make sure that there is no dead limbs on it or for that face make sure its still alive. A dead tree could look sturdy but be completly hollow inside it from carpenter ants and wildlife. The tree will be weaker as you go higher so if its dead and hollow it CAN snap in half when you put your weight on it. And harness or not if the tree is falling to pieces your harness is not connected to nothing and this can be bad.
-When you finally get up into the tree make sure to hook up and tighten your secondary tree straps. This will be your life line if the cables break.
-Make sure you have a head lamp on if your getting on or off on the dark. This is pretty much self explanitory.

Tip. Well i use a gorilla climber and i noticed that the rubber cover on the small steel cables that keep the stand attached to the tree clamps were dry rotted. I had taken the part off and taken off the dry rotted rubber and noticed that the cables under the rubber were still like brand new.

I went to the home depot and purchsed some rubber pipe and replaced the covers. It cost me only 6 dollars. here are the pics of what i replaced.

I hope this is imformative for you all and i hope i helped someone out somewhere.

Happy Hunting and stay safe

-cr0ck1


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bodysnatcher
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Post by bodysnatcher » Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:10 pm

Good advice.
Some people are like Slinkies ... not really good for anything, but you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.

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Cr0ck1
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Post by Cr0ck1 » Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:15 pm

Well i know its all common sence.. but some people just dont tke the time to look over their stand cause its heavy and bulky and tiring just getting it to the tree. I saw 3 flaws in mine that could of turned bad if i didnt fix them immedietly. So i figured let me post these things on the forum!

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Cr0ck1
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Post by Cr0ck1 » Fri Nov 21, 2008 7:26 pm

Thank you.. the 3 times i have been in my stand.. i realized alot of things.. wen you are 20 feet up you start looking at everything on your stand.. and how it will hold up. lol

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lamehawk
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Post by lamehawk » Fri Nov 21, 2008 8:23 pm

Very good info but may I add that you buy a high quality safety harness!
One of the guys at my place had a strap failure from one that came with the stand.He fell 20 plus feet and broke his back!
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bodysnatcher
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Post by bodysnatcher » Fri Nov 21, 2008 8:33 pm

That would suck. Was it failure or was he over size for the rating of the strap?
Some people are like Slinkies ... not really good for anything, but you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.

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lamehawk
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Post by lamehawk » Fri Nov 21, 2008 8:47 pm

rated at 350 and he weighs 147!
BYOB = Bring your own bait!

http://myworld.ebay.com/shad_85

Just in my camper!

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bodysnatcher
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Post by bodysnatcher » Fri Nov 21, 2008 8:55 pm

I said it before I'll say it agian THAT WOULD SUCK.
Some people are like Slinkies ... not really good for anything, but you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.

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Re: Tree Stand Maintanence & Safety

Post by Stonehenge » Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:33 pm

So how do you all feel about leaving your climber in the woods for a week or two at a time. Sometimes I get tired of taking it off the tree and hiking it to the truck. It is easier to leave it if I am coming back the next weekend but I have started to wonder if it is bad practice.
Do your best and forget the rest.

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Re: Tree Stand Maintanence & Safety

Post by kemster99 » Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:40 pm

a few things on harnesses. they are only good for one fall. if you have fallen and your harness did it's job---replace it. also just saw this on an OSHA safety report. granted it was on a job site but the harnesses are the same. this guy had the legs straps buckeled but not snug. he fell, and the legs straps pinched his "boys", popping them right out of the ol' scrot sack.
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Iluv2hunt
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Re: Tree Stand Maintanence & Safety

Post by Iluv2hunt » Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:43 pm

Thank you for the visual :pinch :pinch :pinch
I don't hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. ~Colonel Tom Kelly

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kemster99
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Re: Tree Stand Maintanence & Safety

Post by kemster99 » Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:46 pm

i wear a harness alot for work, and never really thought about that happening, but i don't leave my leg straps loose anyways. just something to think about. if you think my discription is bad---should have seen the pics. :pinch :pinch
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lamehawk
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Re: Tree Stand Maintanence & Safety

Post by lamehawk » Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:29 pm

Stonehenge wrote:So how do you all feel about leaving your climber in the woods for a week or two at a time. Sometimes I get tired of taking it off the tree and hiking it to the truck. It is easier to leave it if I am coming back the next weekend but I have started to wonder if it is bad practice.

Having a well maintained stand in good condition should be ok left out I have done this but mine was always in a bag covered from the surroundings.The thing I would worry more is leaving it out where ppl could steal your stand.
BYOB = Bring your own bait!

http://myworld.ebay.com/shad_85

Just in my camper!

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flhuntfish
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Re: Tree Stand Maintanence & Safety

Post by flhuntfish » Thu Dec 31, 2009 1:27 am

I bet that felt good :death

Hunters safety system is what i use. Its reversible with the orange so no excuses for forgetting the orange :toast

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Re: Tree Stand Maintanence & Safety

Post by Iluv2hunt » Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:49 pm

Now is the time to give your stands a good going over. I spent Thur/Fri pulling all my stands and stuff out of my lease. I just now got around to pulling everything off the trailer and looking them over really quick to see what supplies I need to spruce them up. Gonna change all bolts to stainless, paint, and replace the straps and padding..Also, get the caked up mud out of the bottom of the legs



Low and behold...One of the ladder stands bottom section of ladder was busted. Looks like it filled up with water and exploded. I did not notice this when we took them down the other day. Luckily it held while we were taking them down. Scary.
Image

Luckily I can get a replacement section of ladder and be back in business with this stand
I don't hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. ~Colonel Tom Kelly

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