Now that hunting season is in full swing for most of us, I want to remind everyone to be safe out there. Tree stand hunting is becoming more and more popular. The #1 way hunters get injured every year is from falling out of tree stands. This is very easy to prevent. Wearing a safety harness can not only prevent injury, but it can save your life. I know they aren’t always too comfortable and they can be a pain to put on, but they save many lives every year.
There are many companies that have more comfortable and easy-to-use harnesses. Many tree stand companies now have vest-type harnesses that slip on easily and are much more comfortable. Hunter’s Safety System is probably the most well known vest like this. These types of vests can be found in any store and online very easily.
Here are a few tips:
1. Put your harness on before you get to the stand-This will prevent you from having to try to put it on while up in the stand, which is very dangerous, and will prevent making noise in the stand.
2. Put your harness on under your top layer-Harness straps connect just under the base of the back of your neck with most harnesses, making it very easy to bring the strap up through your outer layer for more comfort.
3. Don’t be cheap-Some of the harnesses are fairly expensive, but if you are not comfortable in the one that came with your tree stand, don’t hesitate to buy a more comfortable one. Being comfortable in the stand makes the wait easier and helps shot placement. Also, the more comfortable you are, the more likely you are to wear it!
4. BELIEVE!-Safety harnesses do save lives. They are very strong and can hold hundreds of pounds.
5. Wearing a harness does not mean you are free to do whatever you want-Safety harnesses are very important and can prevent injury and death, but that doesn’t mean that you should go up in your tree stand planning on sleeping.
Good luck to everyone out there this season, and most importantly, be safe!
