Pretty hard to fall out of almost any stand these days other than a hang on because of the seats and rails. With climbing stands you could cause a kick out if you get your weight too much on one side and the stand doesn't have a good bite Wearing the harnesses will keep you from hitting the ground. Where the danger is slipping off the steps when climbing or your sticks or climber kicks out.

Even with the harness, you can get seriously hurt with just a one foot fall when you hit the end of the harness. Then there's suspension trama. The harness can cut off circulation if you can't get your weight off the harness.

i have seen people do stuff while setting/taking down stands that made me cringe....

Don’t drink a six pack then sit in a climber. Friend’s kid did that and broke his neck when he fell asleep and did a swan dive.

Back in the days of a Baker climbing section and a Fox Squirrel climbing stand, I had many thrill rides. Mostly when coming down but sometimes when going up!

Before the Baker, hugging the tree and pulling up the Climber was bad. For two months my forearms were red, bruised, and textured like bark.

From a nice store bought stand a weld broke on the toe kick and I fell but caught by the harness. Walked up the tree and was fine.

Fell while adjusting a tall store bought ladder stand. That was bad. The ladder peeled down sideways. Nowhere to jump so I hit the ground then the stand landed on me. Double ouch. Asked a friend to look for my glasses and lenses so I could drive to the hospital. He came out of the woods with both lenses and glasses. But, he said most deer blood trails to a dead deer have about half of what I lost while looking for my glasses. Got beat up a bit. Knocked out 5 top front teeth in a group - I put them back in immediately. The next day I drove to a big city dental school where I became a trauma case study. They did some magic and I still have my own teeth wired in place. That was 6 years ago.

People say homemade ladder stands are dangerous. Mine have held up for more than 20 years. Annual maintenance and inspection.

I have a pile of dangerous tree stands to cut up.

The most expensive stand was the first to be stolen. Lone Wolf hang on with a couple sets of sticks.

Ground blinds are great, especially if I fall. Not much injury.

I had a.man die not to far from last weekend when he fell from his tree stand.

He was 43 I believe.

Almost forgot about the Baker stand. First year they didn’t have a second piece.,,The user had to hug the tree.

In my younger days when I still thought I was superman I did all the things you should not do Allways always use a safety belt both when setting up your stand and when in place hunting from the stand Do not use branches on the tree as steps If the branch breaks you will most likely have a abrupt meeting with the ground The first thing I do is set up a rope with a prussic rope knot that attaches to the tree at one end and your safety harness at the other end. When done properly it will keep you from falling to the point that you hit the ground Adjust your safety harness so that is on right and does not interfere with you climbing the tree of shooting once you are set up in the tree If you are using some type of ladder to get to your stad be sure be sure you are above the stand when you transfer from the ladder to the stand By stepping down onto the platform it lessens the chance that the stand will tilt to the side Do not climb with your gear on your back It changes the balance points and will get caught along the way up or down Use a haul rope to raise and lower your gear and do not have your rifle loaded when bring it up or lowering it And remember broadheads are razor sharp be careful with them when you are set up and ready to shoot People have died by accidently cutting themselves while waiting in the stand And above all do not think it will not happen to me Like Wanna Be mentioned I also started out with a Baker climbing stand What it should have been called was a Baker falling down stand They where very popular for a short time but where very prone to not staying level and in place While not a Baker I was standing at the base of someone's stand when it left loose He was able to hug the tree and ride it out till it stopped about 4 feet from the ground But his clothes where ripped up and he had bruises on his arms legs and stomach He was very sore for several days But if he had not hugged the tree in time he would have bailed of the stand as I was talking to him below his stand It is not amusing or enjoyable to watch your best friend drop suddenly form about 18 feet before his stand got hung up within about another foot and a half from the base of the tree Also be even more aware that some of the climbing stands do not hold well when climbing certain types of trees and especially if the bark of the tree is wet Alway be careful

For several years I had "that killing tree" where I took several bucks including my best ever. I had about a dozen or so screw in one-piece steps to get me where I needed to be. At the end of the season, as I came down, I would loosen each step a turn or 2 knowing the tree would grow next summer and leave them in the tree. That fall, screw them tight as I went up the first time. Good plan until year 5 or 6. I was maybe 8ft up when I put all my weight on a step and found myself free falling and landing on the back of my heels sending me into some kinda ninja like back flip before ending up face down in the leaves. When I checked it out, nearly all of the steps had no threads left on them to hold them in the tree. The steps appeared to be fine but all the threads that actually held to the tree were rusted off leaving just a short shank holding it. Never would have thought of that. Took a big 10pt opening day last month with my bow in my new killing tree and steps will now be coming completely out at end of season!

Highest up in a tree stand i've been was about 10 feet in a white pine (shrub), killed a bunch of deer, Stopped climbing and set free lawn chairs in appropriate spots and killed a bunch of deer.
It ain't rocket science.

I rarely hunt from a tree anymore. Mostly on the ground. Sometimes in a blind.

With diligence you can find spots to hide on the ground and kill deer with a bow. I also like that I can quickly and quietly leave at dark.

Trees do help you to avoid deer busting you more than on the ground.

On the ground without lighted knocks I do lose almost all my arrows!

That same thing happened to me last year. I was up about 14 feet in the dark and the step pulled out. Fortunately I had Hunters Safety system lifeline that I was clipped on to for the climb up. It performed perfectly and I will not have stand without one from then on. I found the same thing, the threads were gone on that step. It has been left in one year.

If you like using screw-in steps, you might want to look into using bolts like the treehopper system(or grade 8 bolts)-

Y’all guys in the South better strap in! It’s pine cone falling season and when on of those comes whizzing by your head at Mach 2 you’re gonna jump!!! Heaven forbid one of them hard ones hit ya, you’re gonna be out a while! Oh yeah, they fall in the dark too! I had just sat down this morning, had about an hour before daylight, so I thought I’d rest my eyes and just listen. I done thought something was attacking me when that joker fell right beside the climber. This evening one hit the top part of the climber, luckily it missed me. I jumped at both of them!!!

This is the best advice. I am by trade an industrial climber, among other things.
Suspension trauma is a big deal, I recommend anyone who wears a harness read up on it. Get your self a strap you can put under your feet to stand in if you fall. (easily adjustable is best)
believe me when I say, if you fall in one of those cheap harnesses that come with your tree stand your gonna remember it for awhile.
if you can afford it get yourself a higher quality harness.
READ the instruction and come with your harness and do what it says, the instruction are not a suggestion.
Keep your phone in a zipped up pocket you can easily reach if you do fall. hopefully you have good service.
most importantly DON'T PANIC

Here is one we should all live by "Whatever you love to do do it today There are only so many tomorrows












'.by Michael Landon quoted by Brad Durrach in life

Thought all harnesses came with the “foot rest”?

Stay on the ground!!

Not all do.

Not hard to make one,, but you need to have it somewhere easily accessible om your person. Some harnesses include a relief strap and a pouch on the harness to store it.

Ok, all harnesses I’ve ever had came with one. I remember having to look to see what it was for and how to deploy it.
Other than my Baker stand days, I’ve never “fell” even in the Baker I never fell, just took a quick ride down.

I have Home made life lines on Two lock on stands ...the other 14 are ladders. Each family member wears a safety strap.