Tips & Tactics

Hang Your Ladder Stands Safely

Hang Your Ladder Stands Safely

By Hunter Safety System

Hanging treestands is one of the more difficult and dangerous tasks hunters face — even ladder stands. Our friends at Hunter Safety System created a short video entitled "How to Hang a Ladder Stand Safely" that will help put your mind at ease and make the job easier.

It features tips for installing what we at Buckmasters consider to be the most important safety invention in our sport’s history: the HSS LIFELINE. The video also highlights several useful treestand tricks all hunters should know.

Before we proceed, I’d like to add a personal note, because, I lost a friend to a treestand fall.

My buddy fell asleep in a wooden ladder stand and toppled out. This was years before Hunter Safety System invented their wonderful vests, harnesses and the LIFELINE.

My friend broke his back and passed away due to complications from his injuries. He was only 40 years old.

So I take to heart the importance of ladder stand safety, and I hope all Buckmasters fans will watch this short video by Hunter Safety System. It could’ve saved my friend’s life. 

— Tip Editor Tim H. Martin

Ladder Stand Tips — Safety First
• Always bring a cell phone when hanging stands, scouting or hunting.
• When selecting a tree, make sure it’s alive and does not lean.
• Make sure the ground is level at the base of the stand.
• Clear the ground beneath the stand and trim trees flush with the ground to prevent impalements in the event of a fall.
• Always use three points of contact on the stand when climbing — two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand.
• When climbing, always have at least one grip on a rung ABOVE your head.
• Attach your LIFELINE or safety harness strap to the tree as far above your head as you can reach. If you fall, you won’t fall below the platform of the stand, making for an easy recovery.
• Tandem LIFELINEs are available for hunting with a child or partner in the same stand.

Choosing a Location and Other Tips
• Before choosing an area, use trail cameras to verify the presence of bucks nearby.
• Factors in tree selection include wind direction, sun position, food sources and trail locations.
• Bring friends! Two or more are a tremendous help.
• Before assembling and hanging a ladder stand, make sure to read the instructions and ensure you brought the tools listed. It’s a long way back home to your toolbox.
• A telescopic boat-docking pole is the perfect tool for raising safety ropes, even before the stand is erected.
• Consider using a climbing stand to hang the LIFELINE before erecting ladder.
• Choose shooting lanes from your treestand platform and instruct helpers on the ground which trees, limbs and obstructions need trimming.

The HSS video reveals a few staggering statistics all hunters should be aware of:
• 1,100 serious falls from ladder stands occur each year.
• 20% of falls from fixed-position stands are from ladder stands.
• Falling from a ladder at home is one of the leading causes of emergency room visits.
• 86% of falls from treestands occur while climbing in and out of the stand.
• Nearly 6,000 hunters are admitted to an ER each year due to treestand falls.

The products are there. The safety is there. Take advantage of it!

— Tips and Video Courtesy of Hunter Safety System

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Copyright 2024 by Buckmasters, Ltd.

Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd