I learned the hard way back in 2007. I fell 27 feet while presetting a set up. No one knew where I was . 14 hours later I was rescued, flown too the trauma center , where I lived for 27 days and nights. Broke both legs. Busted pelvis. Broke both wrist. I’m having too take pain medicine now daily because of it. $250,000 Doctor bill. $17,000 chopper ride, and more. I stay connected now at all times!
Wow glad you lived to tell the story. I had a coworker who also fell I hope to release an interview we did with him soon . Hope your feeling better these days
Thanks for posting this… years ago, I worked as an arborist- just bought my first hunting saddle and tether and something didn’t seem right to me about putting all my faith in my sticks staying attached to the tree in order to get down- or my platform staying put as I move around the tree, and only having 6’ of rope up there with me- so I haven’t taken it out actually hunting yet- only practicing in the backyard… after watching this, I walked out to my ladder stand and pulled my safety rope out of it- It’s 30’ of 11mm climbing line with a big eye splice on one end… I’ve added that to my pack, along with 2 extra carabiners, a prusik loop, and a figure 8. Thoughts and prayers to that man’s family- but thank you for talking about it… you might have just saved my life, or the lives of all of the people who watched this discussion and thought more seriously about safety for a few minutes.
Such a tragic loss, and thank you for taking the time to talk safety. Scott & Joe ( @NY Saddle Hunter ), you two should play a safety game with each other. Btw, tower workers do something similar to this. One of you in a tree, and the other gets to pick ( or eliminate ) a piece of equipment that can become detached from the climber. How many things can you drop to the ground (or malfunction), and still self rescue? What about an injured hand or leg? Would love to see you make a video of this. From playing that game, I've learned beyond happy-path scenarios: - use a full length rope as a tether, even while 1 sticking - the main rope needs to be at least 11mm ( none of this 8mm stuff ) if you're under 200lbs, with 13mm being better for heavier folks [ has to do with usability of friction hitches ] - drop excess body weight; that helps with self-rescue, pull-ups, access to low-pressured areas
Yes Tim , that’s great practice. If you can formulate more than one plan to safely evacuate your tree . You can concentrate more on hunting and less on worrying about what could go wrong.
I'm new to saddle hunting and enjoy watching your channel. Could I recommend You do a video of how to get out of some sticky situations? My condolences to that man's family.
Thanks for your advice. I’ve used a self repel system for several years. It’s saved me 3 times since I’ve started using it! If your using a climber anything can happen. Being able to repel down after a mishap is only being smart. The 35 ft of rope and a hitch doesn’t weigh much. Be careful and believe bad things can happen anytime you climb.
Thanks for talking about being on the sharp end if this sport. We need more voices echoing safety and awareness. Love your channel! I have learned so much from you both.
First, very sorry for the loss of your friend that in turn gave you the reason for this very informative video. Hopefully, many take you tips, including myself, to the tree with them every time the climb. This has been my first season of saddle hunting and have so much to learn, but a question comes from watching this video. I personally only DRT, but even SRT, do you prefer to hunt from your static climbing rope, or tether in? Reason being, if something potential scenario did happen you would have to transition off your tether back to your climbing rope. I have given this alot of thought and very curious your opinion. Keep making awesomes videos!!!
Thanks Anthony . We usually do both . So for example I generally find I'm most comfortable on my tether because I cam control exactly where the angle of pressure will be on my saddle so I always go to my tether However I also usually keep my climbing line attached. If you watch our videos I often talk about the fact that we run 2 bridges one short for climbing and one long for sitting..So we like to have both the tether and our climbing line attached to separate bridges even if we put a little slack into the climbing line so it's not in the way . It often depends on the tie in point of the climbing line and how comfortable it is in the tree but to your point its always more desirable to leave the climbing line attached. It creates redundancy and if you need to get down quickly it's already on you .
I started out saddle hunting with a 6 foot tether...didnt like switching to my rappel rope...so I switched to my rappel rope as my tether...then realized that I should have had a means of immediate escape from the beginning...now my rappel rope is my tether...hopefully I never need it but you never know when an emergency situation is going to occur...stay safe out there...these guys are awesome!...Peace!
2014 climber bottom gave out 32 feet high. I pendelumed into tree cause had harness attached in back. It happened while making my last accent facing forward. 250 lbs 5 ' 8 " had to chimney up to get off my caribener attach poin not sure how but desperate. Chimnied down 30'. 19 inner and 21 outside stitches. Oh, fat people love hunting to captain obvious commenter!! CARRY A KNIFE ACCESSABLE. I didn't but wished I had. Do know . Now 66 and love channel. Btw did an 8mmm dry black only. Hip thrust is easy. Needed gloves. Now set with Dan infalt beast stand 6.8 lbs. Safeguard etc. Stay young men !!!
After this unfortunate incident I have made changes to my system. I was using a saddle while treestand hunting and now I went back to my 5 point harness. Now I'm using a Treestand Wingman with the harness. If I fall it will lower me to the ground. The nice thing about it is I can reuse it. So it allows me to practice falling out of the treestand.
It's so true how one of you's said at around 11 minutes that accidents don't come with warnings. Yesterday I had an accident out cycling to go collect climbing rope. A car cut me off at a t-junction and pulled out and wiped me out, I never stood a chance. Im fortunate I bailed out and spun myself in mid air onto the side and hit the car in a sideways motion whereas if I went head first I maybe would not be writing this comment. It's was very close and when you have near death experience like that it just makes you treasure and enjoy the hobby of climbing and hunting in another way words can't explain.
@@NYSaddleHunter im glad also, the craziest thing about it was I normally wear a fox enduro helmet when cycling and because the shop was only a mile up the road I decided to not wear it and then boom, that day you don't have it is when you almost nearly need it. From now on im adamant on wearing it at all times. Maybe this is a wake up call to show me in the future with the arborist climbing techniques to not cut corners and make sure all safety measures are carried out and to back up all hitches with half hitches and figure of 8's. Etc.......
@@yorkshire_saddlehunter184 Theres a saying " safety is no accident" if we simply slow down and always think safety and try to choose the safest course of action you can be alot more confident in any endevor . Be it climbing or cycleing. Itsabout having fun and getting hurt is no fun. Be safe and God bless you!
It is my understanding that the person that responded was not able to get him off his rope and to the ground because he wasn't able to lift him high enough to disconnect him from the rope. I can only imagine how terrible it would be to be in that position, but it is easy to understand. After all, lifting an adult human is hard, especially without training and a bit of mechanical advantage. It is vitally important to think about our own safety, but it is equally important to know how to rescue others and to have the implements to do it. A couple of micro-pulleys, a rope grab of some kind, and a few feet of extra rope doesn't weigh much or take up much room, but it could save a life. It might even be your own. Carrying a few extra pounds is unpleasant, but seriously, we all need the exercise, so packing that extra few items is no big deal. It's good for you.
Thanks for sharing I’m gonna start carrying extra rope n figure 8 after hearing this. If I’m one sticking up I like to use my repel line as my tether n case I drop the stick or anything happens can get down fast
Correct DRT, SRT , Single stick on a long line, JRB all have rope to the ground. If your multiple stick climbing or sine stick climbing on a short tether you want to bring a rope and a carabiner to tie a munters hitch and you can descend on that if you lost a stick while your up to hieght and your trapped without a way to climb back down
I started out with DRT and now I mainly 1 stick. I love my 8mm rope and my figure 8! I am over 60 and to me it is the easiest and safest way to come down.
This is exatley why I would never single sick ever since the first time I saw someone single stick climb I thought what the hell you gonna do if you drop the stick? You put it on take it off put it on take it off eventually your going to drop a stick and more than likely outs going to be 25 feet up a tree when u drop one. The rope method is my method of choice and I feel the safest way to climb your tied off before u even take a step off the ground Untill your back in the ground as long as u pay attention to your knots your not going to fall out of a tree or drop a stick and be stuck there. And another thing so many people go out and want to climb trees and do this crazy stuff and don’t even have the strength or ability to get them selves back upright if they were to fall. I’d bet 80% of hunters today in this era of McDonalds and obesity can’t even do a pull up not even one to save there life. People shoot there bows spend hrs and hrs checking trail cameras doing all the stuff they think is important and never get a single thought to the shape there In or the ability they possess to save there selves if something like this happens.
Most guys that single stick climb do so on long tether/ rope with a belay device that they can come back down to the ground with . I agree if your single stick climbing on a short tether and have to use the stick to decend thats a bad idea because as you said if you lose your stick your in trouble , but if yoy think about it if you climb with multiple sticks and you lose that top stick your in a similar pickle. But if your tether is say 20' you could always come back down you only need the stick to climb not come down .
@@NYSaddleHunter I Agree. If you were to get turned upside down or something like that you need to be able to get yourself back up right rope or single stick. Single stick just seems like a lot of work to me also with drt or srt and a foot loop with both I don’t belive there is an easier or safer way to get up a tree. I’m comfortable enough with both methods to send my wife and son up a tree with of course my close supervision and neither of them have more than a season under there belts saddle hunting. Iv also went over every thing that could happen with both of them and taught them ways to get back upright if one was to get turned around or upside down. Also we all have an extra 5ft split tail that we clip into out tending Prusic if a fall was to happen we can pull the other end out of our sys hauler and pull our selfs back upright. I feel that most falls will result in you being upside down after the fall and something like that in your system is not heavy or does it impede climbing so why not make sure you have something available just in case
@@NYSaddleHunter I also feel that people have become so obsessed with trying to get there climbing systems so minimal and trying to shave an oz here and an oz there that a lot of times it comes at the cost of your own safety. Yes it’s nice to only carry 2 or 3 lbs of gear into the woods to go hunting but is a few more oz of weight really worth leaving at home so you can brag well my system only weighs 2lb 2 oz if it’s at the cost of your safety. I feel it’s become more of a competition to see who can do it with the least amount of gear at no matter the cost. I have found a way through this channel and others where I have taken pieces of what you do and pieces of why other people do and combined them into a setup that works very well is very easy to climb with and most of all is safe enough I would put my family on. In my early 20s I dropped a bow out a stand and fell trying to catch it from falling and I ended up hanging below a climbing treestand by nothing but a seat belt type tether and nothing to get ahold of to myslef back into the stand and I’m in very good shape and even better shape then and I was able to get my self back into the stand but believe me it was not an easy task. I feel people need to think about ok if I were to fall what’s going to happen and how am I going to get my self back on my platform or back in my stand and practice these things in the yard a few feet off the ground and see what it takes to get back to safety and incorporate whatever it is you need to get back to safety before you ever use that setup in a hunting situation and no matter the weight of an extra piece of rope or something to self rescue.
@@terrycalvert7812 I think its kind of hard to become inverted on a bridge but I think what happens to some single stick climbers is when they are on a lineman belt aloneand its low as they are steppining into a aider if their leg goes off to one side thats how they could become inverted. One of the benefits to all the rope climbing methods is theres never any slack in the system so its kind of hard to ever become inverted. I find it far less work to rope climb than any other method if Ive preset a paracord loop. The down side to the rope climbing is setting your line or if you haveva tree with no limbs now your stuck with either singke stick, muktiple stick , screw in steps( where allowed) , or setting a false crotch in advance. For me my plan B is single stick but I agree its more work to actually climb that way for me so I pretty much rely heavily on preset loops . Ill throw in a trowball on a run and gun afternoon hunt but I try to avoid that unless the tree is easy to hit a limb i want first toss.
@@NYSaddleHunter Agree 100%. We hunt mostly private property so we can use anything we want to get in the tree and the rope method is still my method of choice. And unless I find I need to move because the deer are doing something I didn’t expect them to do we always hunt off a preset paracord loop also. That I got for your channel and that was one of the most helpful tips I have picked up since I started saddle hunting. Never crossed my mind before I saw you guys do it. You guys have a great channel here and your the only ones I see preaching safety and I appreciate that because it seems a lot of times safety gets put last to all other things. Trust me once you take a fall you will think safety first everytime. I used to hunt very unsafe no harness climbing and hanging stands and always thought I’ll never fall well it happens and if not for the hunter safety system when it came out when I had my fall I’d probley be crippled badly hurt or maybe even dead right now. It’s nothing to play with. Keep up the great content and I sure will keep up the soaking of it all in love the channel guys are great
a good reason to wear your harness attachment or saddle above your navel, lots of folks lowering them too far in search of "comfort". a sit drag with a climbing harness gives more flexibility and is way comfortable and inexpensive comparatively. ive swapped to using a grigri with a long tether if in raining conditions and carrying two longer spare prusiks that can act as a handle or quick attachment points. keep preaching.
what really needs to be shown if sumone is willing to do it is to have sumone climb up a tree and purposely get inverted to replicate sumone who fell off there stand and how to lower yourself to the ground with your safety line..unless its shown no one is gonna know really what to do..doing rite side up is one thing sum getting flipped upside down and being able to reach your lowering device is another
Termite , that’s the reason for coming up with the Mobile Safety System. If you slip , fall or equipment fails you’ll never be put into a inverted situation. Quite frankly no one should attemp to climb any style that would risk a inverted position or a fall
I'm just getting into this now and I practice in the yard on straight pines. 2 times I got myself hung up 1 time I was able to get myself down the other I had my kid slide up a ladder. I keep extra loops with me to self rescue onetime I didnt have them and I needed the ladder. Good idea to get yourself in trouble when at a controlled environment. Both times I just kept saying calm down and work through it. I keep an good first kit in my bag as well. Blood stop, trauma gear and a tourniquet are some of the things I keep in it. You never know.
unfortunatly we will never know what exactly happened, thoughts and prayers for the family. Tethered stick climbing is in my eyes more dangerous then one sticking just bc of the short line,, we dont know if a stick kicked out and dropped, did he have a linemans rope? could have been made into a foot step by putting it around the tree and knot a loop in...... Of course when panic sets in there is no logical thinking, therefore rule number 1 keep calm!! Also prolonged hanging in the saddle (not sitting) will cut off circulation to your legs quickly....... With season open now in most states,be safe and good luck!!
@NY Saddle Hunter 2 tether climbing. I can literally climb and/ or descend using only one hand / arm and one foot/ leg. Self rescue is built in. No other system is nearly as capable.
@@NYSaddleHunter either or. I personally don't care to include a rappelling feature on my 2TC, but one can easily be incorporated onto one of the tethers. Rappelling down would be as quick as disconnecting the 2nd tether and rappelling down.
@@apexpredatoroutdoors8308 We are always going to have a preference in how we prefer to climb. The key is being able to get down in a medical emergency in this conversation. As long as how you climb affords you a safe efficient way to the ground safely, quick and easy in medical emergency to avoid like what happened to Dane Purcell then great. If it doesn't we encourage others to do something to make that possible. If you climb on two tethers simply make 1 20-30' long boom you can two tether climb and easily repel out on a mutters hitch, figure 8 or what we introduced a f4 or whatever you like.
