# how scared have u ever been in a tree stand?



## jbfitz (Sep 15, 2012)

Tell us your tree stand nightmares!


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## Corey J (Sep 15, 2012)

When a dadgum humming bird wouldn't stop buzzin around my head


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## kevincox (Sep 15, 2012)

I was real scared when I fell 12 ft onto my stomach years ago! It's a miracle I wasn't injured


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## lagrangedave (Sep 16, 2012)

Sorry, still 2 years left on statute of limitations.


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## Middle Georgia Sportsman (Sep 16, 2012)

A few years back hunting Talbot Co, I got in my loc-on 30min before daylight in a hardwood bottom. I got settled in and closed my eyes for a min waiting on first light. This is where it gets crazy, Im setting there dreaming about good luck when all of a sudden I get SLAPPED in the face so hard it knocked my hat off. It felt like God had reached down and tried to slap me out the tree. It scared me pretty bad! All I could figure is it was a Bat or Bird that flew right into the side of my face in the dark. I herd it fly off but I never seen it.


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## oops1 (Sep 16, 2012)

kevincox said:


> I was real scared when I fell 12 ft onto my stomach years ago! It's a miracle I wasn't injured



I did this once...bout 15' up...fell asleep and woke up in the leaves...couldn't breathe and blood pouring from my nose...looked over once composed and saw my brand new a bolt broke in half...I was extremely lucky my stock broke and not my spine. I don't leave the ground without a harness now so I guess it was a good learning experience.


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## Georgiadawgs78 (Sep 16, 2012)

I was pretty scared two years ago when I was hunting in a buddies knock off API climber. On the way down one of the foot straps broke. Luckily the top was tied to the bottom. I managed to get the bottom set back and used the rope that held the two together to rig up a new foot strap. I was overly cautious the rest of the way down to say the least.


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## Pete Gray (Sep 16, 2012)

Middle Georgia Sportsman said:


> A few years back hunting Talbot Co, I got in my loc-on 30min before daylight in a hardwood bottom. I got settled in and closed my eyes for a min waiting on first light. This is where it gets crazy, Im setting there dreaming about good luck when all of a sudden I get SLAPPED in the face so hard it knocked my hat off. It felt like God had reached down and tried to slap me out the tree. It scared me pretty bad! All I could figure is it was a Bat or Bird that flew right into the side of my face in the dark. I herd it fly off but I never seen it.



Thats crazy right there... I would definately have needed some scent control after that...


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## panfried0419 (Sep 16, 2012)

Bobcat scream! Erie as heck!


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## Dr. Strangelove (Sep 16, 2012)

Back in the day I used an old Baker climber that belonged to a neighbor, I was about 15 at the time.  No top half, of course, just hug the tree.  I got about 20ft up a tree one morning and the climber slid all the way down; leaving me hugging a tree 20ft up in the air.  Hung there a while and then slid down.  I only used that evil Baker as a seat at chair height from then forwards.


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## GTHunter007 (Sep 16, 2012)

Sitting 60' up in my Summit a few years back and a gust of wind came through.  Not only did it feel like the pine I was in was gonna lay me on the ground, and a dead tree about 60 yds away started breaking and coming my way.  It wasn't on a line for me but its top fell within 30 yards or so of my tree.  Its pretty unnerving watching a tree come down in your direction and knowing there is nothing you can do while holding on for dear life as you sway a good 20 ft or more side to side.  

I also had a bat fly at my face one evening during early bow season last year.  I caught movement as it was coming right at me and i ducked just in time for it to miss me.  Thing is, it went by me and hit the seat of my API and fell down in between my back and the cushion...still not sure how I didn't need a restroom that evening.  My safety harness was stretched out tight as i was trying to run out of that stand.  

Having your foot climber section fall is pretty "puckerish" as well.  But I think my most scary moments have all been due to weather.


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## GTHunter007 (Sep 16, 2012)

Dr. Strangelove said:


> Back in the day I used an old Baker climber that belonged to a neighbor, I was about 15 at the time.  No top half, of course, just hug the tree.  I got about 20ft up a tree one morning and the climber slid all the way down; leaving me hugging a tree 20ft up in the air.  Hung there a while and then slid down.  I only used that evil Baker as a seat at chair height from then forwards.



That is exactly how i got out of the tree when hunting from a baker...stand up on it, hug the tree and then kick the back of the stand and make it fall...then slide down the tree in a bear hug.


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## NICK_BOWHUNTER (Sep 16, 2012)

Climbing into a tree that turkeys decided to roost in! Sounded like a helicopter trying to take off with me and my tree! Took me a second to figure out what it was. Then I heard em touch down across the creek not far from me and start cluckin. 


_Posted  from Gon.com  App  for  Android_


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## gcs (Sep 16, 2012)

It's been around 5 or 6 years ago, I was hunting one evening. A neighbor to the hunting club was shooting that evening. It sounded like a pistol. They were around a mile away from where I was hunting. Then one of there shots sounded like it went through the top of the tree I was in. I figured it was a ricochet but that about scared the s*%t out of me.


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## Curtis-UGA (Sep 16, 2012)

Went out one morning when I was 16 by myself. Heard a shot a few hundred yards away right at daylight. Then another, then another. Then large booms that were shaking me. Had no idea what was going on. It sounded like an all out war! I climbed down and ran back to my truck scared to death! Turns out they were having a civil war reenactment on the property beside me!


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## GTHunter007 (Sep 16, 2012)

Curtis-UGA said:


> Went out one morning when I was 16 by myself. Heard a shot a few hundred yards away right at daylight. Then another, then another. Then large booms that were shaking me. Had no idea what was going on. It sounded like an all out war! I climbed down and ran back to my truck scared to death! Turns out they were having a civil war reenactment on the property beside me!


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## RMelton (Sep 16, 2012)

I got caught in a serious thunder storm last year a few days before Christmas. I was trying wait out the rain. I had already shot a yote and figured the deer might be moving. Then the bottom fell out and the lightening started and the wind picked up. I thought my tree was coming down. Then I had to walk a god mile to the car across two open fields with a metal bow in my hands hope I didn't get strict by lightening.


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## jonhayes (Sep 16, 2012)

I was climbing with my tree lounge one afternoon and decided because the tree I was in to readjust it so the angle wasn't so steep even though I knew it probably wasn't a good idea in the middle of changing it I slipped dropped the stand and was left 20 foot up with only a top to a climber. Had no idea how to get down. Luckily I was hunting with a friend and was able to get him to come over and I pulled up the bottom half with my equipment line. 

Everybody notice one common thread though none of us idiots were wearing safety harnesses while in the tree. Got to wear those things every Time sometimes it's not just a scary moment sometimes you don't make it back.


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## throwdown (Sep 16, 2012)

Four years ago I was bow hunting my lease in Washington County, went down for the week by myself. It poured from the time I got there til the time I left. On my third day I was determined to get into the tree. So I grabbed my climber and up the tree I went. Was sitting there about 30 minutes when all of a sudden I could hear the wind coming through the woods, "to this day I've never heard anything like it". I could hear and see huge tree's falling all around me and then the wind hit. All I could do is hang on while the oak I was in was buckling a good 5 feet, and making these cracking noises. And then it just got dead calm, enough time for me to throw my undies away, pack the truck and leave!!!!


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## corona (Sep 16, 2012)

I have an old warren and sweat climber from back in the day.  Twice my bottom piece slipped just as I lifted the top piece to climb.  Once I was left hanging half out of it with my ribs on fire and the last time I was sure I broke my tail bone.  It hurt so freakin bad.  I know the new climbers are probably safer, but I dont trust any of them anymore.

I've also been charged by a - I AM A POTTY MOUTH -- I AM A POTTY MOUTH -- I AM A POTTY MOUTH -- I AM A POTTY MOUTH -- I AM A POTTY MOUTH -- I AM A POTTY MOUTH - off squirel.  I thought he was gonna tear me a new one there for a minute, but he would stay just out of arm's reach.  I almost shot him with the 243 in self defense.

Lightening hitting just a couple of trees away will wake a man up!  I was out of that tree before all of the leaf had reached the ground.

I've heard the Banshee screaming out there a few times and that is pretty freaky too.


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## fishfryer (Sep 16, 2012)

Two times: once when I was dating my wife,and knew I'd be late to make a date with her,and once on a Saturday night before I quit drinking,I got scared the package store would close before I got there. Those are the only times I can remember being scared in a tree!


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## Alan in GA (Sep 16, 2012)

Up in my tree climber in Paulding county. A hunter sneaks up carrying his rifle in the 'ready to shoot' mode as if he were going to pop any deer that made a move near him. I was actually very nervous and wondering if I should make a noise or just let him walk by and possibly notice me or not. He never saw me, came to within 20 yards and thankfully walked out of sight.

And....one time my brother in law and I were 2 days into a 4 day hunt at our lease/club in Hancock county. It was about noon and hot, and we had a water supply [55 gal tank raised] so we had stripped down to underwear and began washing with washclothes. We looked down a road and saw a woman w/orange vest and RIFLE. She walked to within about 40 yards of us, saw us, and looked VERY nervous as she quickly walked back, apologizing as she left. We told her she was on a private club. She said her husband had dropped her off ON our property and said he would cut into the woods a couple hundred yards off and they had planned to walk parallel to each other and wind up on a highway that bordered one side of our club. I know SHE was frightened!


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## XIronheadX (Sep 16, 2012)

In the early 80's I got up in my Baker stand and the tree shrunk down too much. I was leaning downward and had to push back to stay in it. The guys that hunted there also had partied all night and I got no sleep. Well after an hour or so I decided to go back to camp. I was the last one there, it was 11:30. I somehow slept without knowing most of the morning pushing backwards.

The other time was the year after during the week after Christmas season. I got up in the stand and heard a distant gun shot. Well a few seconds later I started hearing this whistling sound getting louder and louder. I knew what it was and drew up and luckily the bullet smacked a tree a few yards away. Freaky


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## kcausey (Sep 16, 2012)

Vertigo in the stand at 30ft+ will scare anyone after a little nap...
And last year in Illinois, I was the only one dumb enough to hunt as a cols from blew through.  Quite literally, up there, in November, the deer move mo matter the weather conditions, so I felt good about. I climbed to about 25' over looking a thick ditchline. Once other trees started falling along with the temp I decided to make a move....one problem, my tree was pitching and yawing so bad I couldn't safely stand up, get my crap settled, turn around and climb down. I knew I was gonna test that Muddy Harness. I was just about literally thrown out of the tree. Checked the weather back at the truck, said gusts of up to 61mph and sustained 40-45mph winds in our area. Pretty rough.


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## Eudora (Sep 16, 2012)

*Foggy Graveyard*

When I was 15, I would tag along with my friend and his dad deer hunting.  He once put in a home-made wooded ladder stand about 8 feet off the ground along an old road and my friend was about 100 yards over a ridge behind me.  The dad said to sit tight and he will be back around 10 AM to check on me and not to leave the stand.  As the sun came up on that cool October morning, there was a thick morning fog from the swamp nearby.  Little did I know I was overlooking an old family cemetery, complete with a wrought iron fence and old headstones.  Man, that was eeeeery !  That sun could not come up fast enough.  I was thinking, would a 30-30 knock down a ghost?  Would it matter what caliber I had.  Hunting knife?  Would it be useless? Still think about that on foggy mornings as the sun comes up.


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## hoghunter2009 (Sep 16, 2012)

in 89 I was hunting a wma. with my bro.and had an baker with the hand bar to pull ur self up I got to bout 18ft. and was pulling my bow up when I felt the bottom sheft on one side I looked around the tree and the bolt holding the back on and broke and was just hold on I graved the to and bam it drop out from under my feet I was hang there so I work my way to the tree and bear hug the tree and sled to the bottom of the tree I was skint from my head to the top of my feet,      and year befor last I was hunt and hard a derr come sound like it was run I was about 12ft up and when I could see the deer I made a bleet sound with my moth to stop it but it was run very fast I did it a gin and heard sometning hit the bottom of my tree and look down to see about a 40lb.bobcat come strat for me I shot it at two feet from me with my bow it went arond the tree and kep comeing I hit it and it feel and was dead when it hit the dert scerd the sh!! out of me


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## gahunter12 (Sep 16, 2012)

Back in 1996 I was hunting on our club with my dad, and a family friend in Friday afternoon. I was a senior in High school, and got out of school early at 11:30a. We had raced down to get a afternoon hunt in before a strong front was to blow through. We had got on stand about 2:00pm, and about 3:30pm the world stopped turning for about 30 seconds. The next thing I know it was dark enough to use a flashlight, and the wind was blowing every bit of 70mph. I was in my climber in a oak tree. After seeing the first pine fall I worked my way down and sprinted to my 4 wheeler. I was giving it everything my Yamaha 350 had. When I got back to the truck my dad and friend were laying in a ditch. By then everthing was calm, and seemed to be over. 

As we pulled out on HWY44 to head back to camp all we could see about 1/4 mile was flashing lights, and trees laying in the road. A Tornado had crossed Hwy 44 about 1/4 mile above us. No houses were damaged, but a very good tornado path could be seen. I had a new found respect for tornados.


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## turkeyhunter835 (Sep 16, 2012)

Dang guys


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## Alan in GA (Sep 16, 2012)

Another: Had does about 80 yards away. Watched them for a while and believed they were going to browse away from me so I tried a 'first'. Took my Primos fawn bleat can, inverted it and SHOOK it trying to make a sound like a fawn getting forcefully shaken by the NECK, by coyote or large preditor. WOW! GLAD I WAS NOT ON THE GROUND! Those does came RUNNING in with the fur on their backs raised up and they were mad! I honestly believe they could have CHARGED in an angry blind rage had they seen me in camo on the ground!
Try it next time you feel like experimenting! Mad Momma Does! Best be UP in a tree!


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## ALL4HUNTIN (Sep 16, 2012)

OK... Talk about having to make a decision, and BOTH SUCK !!!!

I was in a tree in Maryland while bowhunting many years ago... It was back when a safety vests were not a big thing, but I still had one on.. Apparently a wind storm cam thru and I was having fun being blown around when I heard a loud CRACK.. I thought it was a limb, I just did not know how big and where.. Well, a LARGE branch busted off a pine tree right next to me and was on its way down !!! It was either get swiped out of the treestand by this large branch that was sliding right down the tree I was in..... OR JUMP knowing that I am still attached to the tree !!!!  Well, I chose to jump right when the limb demolished my stand.. I jumped out and was saved from the dead falling limb, but came to a sudden stop when the safety line got tight.. Now, I am hanging there with NO STAND under me.. I had to hug the tree with my legs and ONE ARM, while the other hand cut the safety line.. I thought I could hold on.. I thought WRONG.. I slid down that pine tree faster than the firemen slide down their poles !!! I hit bottom hard.. No broken legs, but I think I took off all the skin on my chest and forearms...

Talk about a NO WIN situation !!!


EDITORS NOTE:  We all look for trees that are alive when we climb, but nobody checks the trees NEXT TO THEM !!!!  Might wanna start paying attention.. Just a thought..


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## the ben pearson hunter (Sep 16, 2012)

My father and I used to be on a lease in middle Tennessee which was very close to a military base. Well one morning four or five years ago SOMEBODY was blowing something up because at about 9:30 an explosion rocked my little section of woods. I don't know if it was off the base or what it was but I am glad I was wearing my harness that day.


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## Cod (Sep 16, 2012)

A buddy of mine was way up a tree one afternoon,and a ol boy flew  by in a hot air balloon.He hit the burner just as it was over head.My buddy said his britches looked as if they took a shart. That's not a bad word is it?


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## sman (Sep 16, 2012)

Got to share this one.

Friend of mine took his brother n law one afternoon.  Had him in a ladder stand.  Right at dark an owl lands right next to him.  I guess the brother n law thought it would be fun to mess with him.  See the owl landed and he never moved a muscel.   Soooo the n law turns real quick and yells "BOOOO!!!".

The owl freaks out and went to town on his face.  Tore him up!!!


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## BowHard (Sep 16, 2012)

Cod said:


> A buddy of mine was way up a tree one afternoon,and a ol boy flew  by in a hot air balloon.He hit the burner just as it was over head.My buddy said his britches looked as if they took a shart. That's not a bad word is it?



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


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## kevincox (Sep 16, 2012)

Just remembered a time when I was hunting my powerline stand and another hunter on the property next door took a shot at a deer in the powerline and he must have missed because I heard the whistling sound of his bullet go down the powerline just in front of me.

Then there was the afternoon I went hunting even though there was a tornado warning for Hancock and Putnam county. I saw the tornado from my powerline stand that evening. I heard that it touched down not far from me and destoyed homes in Hancock and Lake Oconee.


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## BreamReaper (Sep 16, 2012)

I had a dang hawk on me yesterday morning, had been fighting 800 crows. That joker started at 50 yards and skipped from tree to tree till the next closest limb woulda been above my head. I wasnt skeered, but ya know I gave him that look like I hated to have to kill him. 

Had coons climb my ladder stand before.


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## jmoughton (Sep 17, 2012)

I was sitting in a hard wood swamp one morning, and right about the time of morning you can start to make out shadows of trees in front of you I had one of the big owls fly in and land in my lap. I dont know who it scared worse me or him. I didnt see him until he was about a foot away, and he didnt know what was going on until his claws dug in to my legs and I went to break dancing on him.


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## Ace1313 (Sep 17, 2012)

Slid about 12 feet down a wet pine in the sitting position when my climber lost grip on the tree I was in. I was in my early twenties and bulletproof didn't ever wear a harness but after that experience I did go out and buy a harness that night after that event and wear it every time now.  Shook me up bad.


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## Curtis-UGA (Sep 17, 2012)

Climbed a tree one morning in the dark in a climber that faces the tree. While waiting on daylight I am picking at the bark on the tree. Pulled off a huge chunk and thought "not good!" looked up and the tree was dead! Climbed down very carefully!


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## Addicted (Sep 17, 2012)

The scaredest I've ever been up in a tree was back in '87. Just bought my .300 magnum.
It was new to me and I was VERY unfamiliar with it. Went on a WMA doe hunt. I was about 40ft up a pine when someone shot. Before I new it the woods were full of running deer.
The first two shots nailed me in the nose with my scope.
In those days, all I wore was a cheap waist belt for a harness. I nearly blacked out and thought I would surely fall out of the tree. I just hugged the tree for a few minutes until I remembered who I was again. LOL

Well I didn't fall, but missed all the deer, blacked both my eyes, broke my nose and got 4 stitches.

I'll always remember my scarey 1st hunt in '87 with my brand new .300 Mag.


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## ALPHAMAX (Sep 17, 2012)

I've had many scares, that's what happens when you've hunted 27 yrs.-had the foot climber fall, been in lightining storm, put my climber on a tree and had about 10 doe running all around me that I could have stuck my arm out and touched one, seriously scared me bad, had to get up against tree and climber to not get run over. & then one day I put my climber on a tree that had a bear in the top of the tree, I hear it sliding down with bark hitting me in the face and bam it hit my climber with me about 1.5 feet from it, the bear stood up right next to me and then bolted within the blink of an eye, I was paralyzed could not move for about two minutes, happened so fast took a minute to sink in what had just happened.been several other freaky moments as well.


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## XIronheadX (Sep 17, 2012)

I failed to mention being in my power line stand during a very bad thunderstorm around 1990. It was on the tree edge and built out of wood. Lightning striking and creating arc faults on the line, wind blowing and deer running every direction. My only way out was up the power line. So I stayed and watched the show from the sideline.


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## Huntinfool (Sep 17, 2012)

Worst experience for me was when filming at an outfitter in Kentucky.  They took me and my hunter to this ridge that just didn't have many good trees to sit in.  They had hung a double set about 35 feet up in this lone pine tree...that seemed like it was about 12" in diameter. 

By the time I got to the top of this tree, just MY weight was making the whole tree sway back and forth.  I sat there for a full 5 minutes telling my hunter that there was no way I was going to get in that stand without tumbling out.  

Somehow we made it into the two stands, 30-35ft up and the wind was blowing 10-15.  We spent the entire afternoon literally swaying 3 feet to one side then back the other direction.  

I have never hung onto a tree so tight in my life and I'm SO glad we didn't see a single deer.  I would have been too afraid to let go of the tree to grab the camera.

What a disaster.


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## sneaking squanto (Sep 17, 2012)

Freddy Krueger


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## carolinagreenhead (Sep 17, 2012)

Several years ago I was hanging a 17 ft. homemade ladder stand. I was out by myself. At the time I was young and dumb. I didn't use safety harnesses back then. As I was trying to get the chain around the tree to secure the stand, it slipped and slid around the tree. Luckily I was able to grab a limb and keep it from falling. I was able to pull the stand back around and secure it. I've had that happen twice. After that I never hang stands by myself and without a harness.


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## GadawgJC (Sep 17, 2012)

When you get out of your stand and as soon as you hit the ground the yotes pipe up and sound like they are howling right on top of you and you realize you left your pistol in your truck.


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## savage_shooter (Sep 17, 2012)

I wasn't in a tree stand, but a pop up blind. I was sitting there right at day break one morning in the woods and all of a sudden I hear a tree break loose. I hear the crashing coming and I didn't know what to do because it was behind me. I hit the ground and covered my head (like that was going ot help). But luckily it fell 10 feet beside me. I will not set my blind up in the trees anymore. That was a helpless feeling.


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## formula1 (Sep 17, 2012)

*Re:*

It's been about 15 yrs, but foot slipped off wet loc-on while at full-draw on a doe. Thank God for safety belts and the only injury was a broken rib and somehow I didn't drop the bow.


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## Lukikus2 (Sep 17, 2012)

Back in 83' or 84'. It was 10* when we left the house with a high of 25* for the day with a mix of freezing rain and snow. I was in a baker stand with a summit climber I fashioned into a seat. By 9 am my feet and hands were so cold I couldn't feel them anymore. I reached into my thinsulate jacket pocket to get my mt. dew for a few swigs and it had already frozen solid. 

I stayed up there for another 20 minutes or so until I started shivering uncontrollably and decided it was time to get down. It became clear real quick my fingers did not work anymore. After what seemed like an eternity I finally cleared my rifle and got the drop rope wrapped all around it, couldn't tie a knot to save my life. When I let it down I tried standing up to turn around, there was no feeling in my legs or feet and my feet would just slide in all directions on the frozen stand. 

After what seemed to be another eternity I finally got my feet in the straps but couldn't make my legs bring the back of the stand up far enough to unseat it from the tree. With a full motion body jerk it broke loose and dropped down my whole body length and ripped my frozen hands loose from the climber putting me in a freefall to the bottom of the tree riding the stand all the way down. When the stand caught 3 feet from the forest floor it felt like my legs shattered into pieces and I went backwards over the front of the stand hitting the ground with my upper body. One foot slipped out of the strap but the other was still firmly set in the other with my ankle all twisted over. It took some doing but I finally wiggled that foot out and laid on the ground thanking God I was still alive. That was the longest walk back to the truck I ever had in my life with what felt like a million needles in my feet and legs. Last time I ever let myself get that cold in the stand anymore.


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## Dacula Deer Hunter (Sep 17, 2012)

Went down to hunting property one summer to put up some ladder stands. Put one 20+ foot stand up against a pretty large oak tree. Being stupid, I secured the ladder portion with two straps tied together because it was so large. So I only really had one strap in one portion of the ladder. 

Started climbing up the ladder and when I passed the straps about half way up, I noticed the stand start separating at the top from the tree. I leaned in and the stand went back to the tree.  I thought "ok, get up there calmly and toss the strap around the tree and secure the top". 

When I got to the top, I tossed the strap around the tree. As I did, the ladder slowly went away from the tree. Slowly it went out to almost parallel with the tree and I was just sick. I sat perfectly still and it stopped moving. After an eternity, I tried these short pushes with my body towards the tree. Luckily, it started moving back towards tree. 

I got within reach of the tree and I tried grabbing bark. The bark kept pulling off and I just knew I was done. 

The stand finally leaned back against the tree and I went down as slowly as possible and got about 7 to 10 feet off the ground and jumped down. 

I sat at the base and just shook. Being 2 hours away from home, no one knew exactly where I was on 2000 plus acres, and feeling like I was about to fall brought me back to reality really quick. Looking back, it was just plain stupid


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## Bowsniper100 (Sep 17, 2012)

Back in the late 80's my brothers and I were in talbot co walking in off some power lines when a bobcat screamed behind us.. Never ran so fast in the dark!  
Now what freaks me out is all the deer staring at me in the dark mornings wAlking in with green light..I can walk right up to them.


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## t8ter (Sep 17, 2012)

Fell 20ft once.I was pretty worried on the way down.


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## jbfitz (Sep 20, 2012)

Thank yall  for all your stories


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## fishbone001 (Sep 20, 2012)

I went to put my 16 ft. ladder on a tree last year and when I got to the top to secure the rachet strap the ladder turned loose and i took a 16 ft. ride to the ground. Not hurt but lesson learned.


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## kmaxwell3 (Sep 20, 2012)

Was thinking back about hunting in Louisiana when I was a kid growing up. My dad bought me my first climber when I was about 13 it was a Aluma-Lite this was about 1989. I still have it. Well i can remember climbing pine trees about 20-30 ft high with no safty harness. I dont even thing they had them back then. If they did we didnt have them. Any way my old man would watch me climb and when I got settled in he would go to his stand. I had a few close calls but never fell I guess some one was looking out for me back then. You know back then there was not a big deal about safety and climbing stands that I can remember. Know that I think about it we didnt wear seat belts in cars and we road in the back of his truck bed down the highways. Man them were the days! I hunt in pop up blinds now with my kids and would never let my kids use a climber that young. Well we survived some how through it all. Good luck guys and be safe.


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## Craigaria (Sep 21, 2012)

A couple years ago in Illinois I decided to try a new spot on a fence line. It was in the morning so I had to pick a tree in the dark. I finally found a decent tree and climbed up. I had to push through a bunch of leaves to get high enough, probably 25 feet. Once it got light I felt a strange wobble when a wood pecker landed in my tree. I looked up and the tree was dead and the whole top of the tree was missing too... I decided to climb down before the wind picked up. On the way down, I had to push back through all those leaves again. Only this time, I could see it was poison ivey. And yes, I did get it...


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## Canyon (Sep 21, 2012)

Got into bees pretty good and had to vacate the ladder stand real quick like.  It was an old home built wooden ladder stand that was probably 13-14 food off the ground from the seat.  Went to climb in for an afternoon hunt, moved the milk crate that had a piece of plywood and foam attached to the top.  Hornets had built a nest up under the crate and guess who found them!?!?!  I didn't notice the bees until i had gotten up onto the platform and all heck broke loose.  The first of many was a blow to the neck!  When your relaxed and not expecting a yellow jacket hit, you act like you have been shot when they get ya.  Ended up jumping off of the stand and running like a deranged person for probably longer and further then needed.


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## Wild Turkey (Sep 21, 2012)

A couple of years ago. Got out of the stand and decided to cut thru a thicket to look for signs. Carrying my single shot 308. No trees in sight. I hear a clacking sound and wondered what it was coming from the thicket I was in the middle of. All the sudden a huge boar came rushing at me trying to get me. This went on for 10 min. he would charge and dissapear into the brush clacking hit tusks. Couldnt get a clean shot he was too fast and if I didnt hit him right i was a gonner. Finally snuck out of there but lost my drawers.

Back in the early 90's sat thru a tornado in Carroll Co. The same one that tore up acworth real bad.

Sweat and too much bug spray will make you dizzy sick. Found out the hard way. Finally made my way down the tree sweating like a hot and couldnt see straight. Layed on the gound for 10 min thinking I was going to die. Then a doe walked up and received a quick arrow thru the bread basket. Dont use bug spray no more.


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## jbfitz (Sep 21, 2012)

Craigaria said:


> A couple years ago in Illinois I decided to try a new spot on a fence line. It was in the morning so I had to pick a tree in the dark. I finally found a decent tree and climbed up. I had to push through a bunch of leaves to get high enough, probably 25 feet. Once it got light I felt a strange wobble when a wood pecker landed in my tree. I looked up and the tree was dead and the whole top of the tree was missing too... I decided to climb down before the wind picked up. On the way down, I had to push back through all those leaves again. Only this time, I could see it was poison ivey. And yes, I did get it...



Man poison ivy that wasnt good


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## Jellyhead11 (Sep 22, 2012)

Fell 20 ft on my back last year while putting up a stand. I had my climbing belt on the whole time and had 2 ratchet straps on the stand, but unhooked the belt to step in the stand and the top strap broke, the stand folded up against the tree and sent me to the ground.


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## Matt Wasdin (Sep 22, 2012)

Was hunting on a management area between Brunswick & Jesup back in the 80's. Was up in my climber on the edge of a drain that was on the edge of a clear cut. About mid morning a vehicle stops out on the road. I couldn't see it because the land fell off toward the drain too much. A couple minutes later there was a shot and the bullet hit my tree about 10 ft. above my head. I hollered some obscenities  and climbed down. I walked out and found a target set up in the middle of a side road that went down in the the drain where I was at. No backstop and on the crest of the hill. All I found was a 7mm shell in the road.


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## thomas gose (Sep 22, 2012)

GTHunter007 said:


> Sitting 60' up in my Summit a few years back and a gust of wind came through.  Not only did it feel like the pine I was in was gonna lay me on the ground, and a dead tree about 60 yds away started breaking and coming my way.  It wasn't on a line for me but its top fell within 30 yards or so of my tree.  Its pretty unnerving watching a tree come down in your direction and knowing there is nothing you can do while holding on for dear life as you sway a good 20 ft or more side to side.
> 
> I also had a bat fly at my face one evening during early bow season last year.  I caught movement as it was coming right at me and i ducked just in time for it to miss me.  Thing is, it went by me and hit the seat of my API and fell down in between my back and the cushion...still not sure how I didn't need a restroom that evening.  My safety harness was stretched out tight as i was trying to run out of that stand.
> 
> Having your foot climber section fall is pretty "puckerish" as well.  But I think my most scary moments have all been due to weather.



where did you find a tree to get 60 feet off of the ground?


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## ronmac13 (Sep 23, 2012)

In upstate New York, it was about 45 minutes before light walking through some pines/scrub brush when I started hearing some barking and growling. It sounded like a pack of coyotes in front of my treestand. I'm standing thinking, camp is 150 yards behind me and my ladder stand is 10 yards in front of me. I decide to sprint to my ladder stand, all in one motion I sling my rifle on my shoulder and jump about halfway up the ladder. Get climbed up and settled in and listened to the growling and barking util first light starts showing up. I hear the growling and barking, but don't see any coyotes. I hear something clawing the dead maple in front of me and a family of about 12 raccoons comes climbing out.


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## SowGreen (Sep 23, 2012)

panfried0419 said:


> Bobcat scream! Erie as heck!



Ditto


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## scandmx5 (Sep 23, 2012)

hoghunter2009 said:


> in 89 I was hunting a wma. with my bro.and had an baker with the hand bar to pull ur self up I got to bout 18ft. and was pulling my bow up when I felt the bottom sheft on one side I looked around the tree and the bolt holding the back on and broke and was just hold on I graved the to and bam it drop out from under my feet I was hang there so I work my way to the tree and bear hug the tree and sled to the bottom of the tree I was skint from my head to the top of my feet,      and year befor last I was hunt and hard a derr come sound like it was run I was about 12ft up and when I could see the deer I made a bleet sound with my moth to stop it but it was run very fast I did it a gin and heard sometning hit the bottom of my tree and look down to see about a 40lb.bobcat come strat for me I shot it at two feet from me with my bow it went arond the tree and kep comeing I hit it and it feel and was dead when it hit the dert scerd the sh!! out of me



In '89 I was hunting a wma with my brother, and I had a Baker with the hand bar to pull yourself up. I got to about 18 feet and was pulling my bow up when I felt the bottom shift on one side. I looked around the tree and the bolt holding the back onto the stand broke.  I grabbed the two/toe(?) and bam it dropped out from under my feet. I was hanging there so I worked my way to the tree, bear hugged it and slid to the bottom of it. I was skinned from my head to the top of my feet.

The year before last I was hunting and heard a deer coming, it sounded like it was running.  I was about 12 feet up and when I could see the deer I made a bleat sound with my mouth to stop it. It was running very fast. I did it again and heard something hit the bottom of my tree. I looked down to see about a 40 pound bobcat coming straight for me. I shot it at two feet from me with my bow, it went around the tree and kept coming.  I hit it and it fell. It was dead when it hit the dirt.  It scared the YOU ARE A POTTY MOUTH out of me.


*I have edited this post so hopefully others can understand it. I did the best I could.  Please tell me you were posting without your glasses or from a mobile device.


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## bpryor (Sep 24, 2012)

scandmx5 said:


> In '89 I was hunting a wma with my brother, and I had a Baker with the hand bar to pull yourself up. I got to about 18 feet and was pulling my bow up when I felt the bottom shift on one side. I looked around the tree and the bolt holding the back onto the stand broke.  I grabbed the two/toe(?) and bam it dropped out from under my feet. I was hanging there so I worked my way to the tree, bear hugged it and slid to the bottom of it. I was skinned from my head to the top of my feet.
> 
> The year before last I was hunting and heard a deer coming, it sounded like it was running.  I was about 12 feet up and when I could see the deer I made a bleet sound with my moth to stop it. It was running very fast. I did it again and heard something hit the bottom of my tree. I looked down to see about a 40 pound bobcat coming straight for me. I shot it at two feet from me with my bow, it went around the tree and kept coming.  I hit it and it fell. It was dead when it hit the dirt.  It scared the YOU ARE A POTTY MOUTH out of me.
> 
> ...



bleat*
mouth*

*couldn't help it.


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## scandmx5 (Sep 24, 2012)

bpryor said:


> bleat*
> mouth*
> 
> *couldn't help it.



I missed those two.  Appreciate my hard work dangit!


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## Hoyt Bow Hunter (Sep 24, 2012)

went out one morning last season, 3/4 mile trip through the river swamp, pitch black with no flashlight like i normally do. got in my stand and sat there a while. i was out kinda early so i had a good hour before any remote sign of day at all. 


after about 45 minutes, i found out there was an owl 5 feet from my head.  when he took off i almost fudged my huggies.


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## Bucky T (Sep 24, 2012)

On a bow hunt at Tuckahoe WMA years ago, my stand went out from underneath me......  

I had a few worries dangling from my safety harness...

Thankfully I wasn't hunting terribly far from the ground, but high enough to break something or die....

I unhooked myself and kind of slid out of my  harness hanging onto it and that lowered me another 6ft and some change, dropped to the ground unharmed..


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## Quail man (Sep 24, 2012)

I've fallen before , had the bottom part of my climber go all the way to the bottom of the tree several times, but the scardest iv been was watchin ol green britches headed to my tree and i knew there was nothin I could do about it, still can't believe he wrote me a $400 ticket for rotten corn that had been there for monthes.


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## j_seph (Sep 24, 2012)

We were down at Oaky Woods hunting hogs on the powerline. I was sitting on a dove stool against a pine tree. After a late night and about 10 am I nodded off. All of a sudden I heard a gunshot behind me and felt a tingling throughout my body and my head hurt badly. I am in frantic mode hollering out to someone that they just shot me while feeling all over trying to find the blood. No blood and me still hollering at the idiot. I get back to the camper and while eating lunch one of the old men with us asked did anyone else hear that sonic boom. Ah ha, I had leaned forward on my stool while napping, the sonic boom startled me so bad I had raised up and nailed my head against that pine tree. Felt just a little stupid lol


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## fishnfool (Sep 24, 2012)

Alan in GA said:


> Up in my tree climber in Paulding county. A hunter sneaks up carrying his rifle in the 'ready to shoot' mode as if he were going to pop any deer that made a move near him. I was actually very nervous and wondering if I should make a noise or just let him walk by and possibly notice me or not. He never saw me, came to within 20 yards and thankfully walked out of sight.
> 
> And....one time my brother in law and I were 2 days into a 4 day hunt at our lease/club in Hancock county. It was about noon and hot, and we had a water supply [55 gal tank raised] *so we had stripped down to underwear and began washing with washclothes.* We looked down a road and saw a woman w/orange vest and RIFLE. She walked to within about 40 yards of us, saw us, and looked VERY nervous as she quickly walked back, apologizing as she left. We told her she was on a private club. She said her husband had dropped her off ON our property and said he would cut into the woods a couple hundred yards off and they had planned to walk parallel to each other and wind up on a highway that bordered one side of our club. I know SHE was frightened!




I would have been frightened as well if I had walked upon this scene!


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## Skyjacker (Sep 24, 2012)

GTHunter007 said:


> Sitting 60' up in my Summit a few years back and a gust of wind came through.



Who gets 60' up in a tree stand?  That's not just insane, its unnecessary.

Ive had a couple weird instances in climbers, but I have worn safety vests for a long time and anyone who doesn't is a fool. Wear a vest and secure your harness!


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## ross the deer slayer (Sep 24, 2012)

Man I don't have a tree scare story. I've been terrified walking or jogging back from the stand to the fourwheeler hearing coyotes howling about 200yards behind the stand..Coyotes and hogs are 2 of my worst fears I have no idea why though. People tackle hogs on tv haha why am I afraid of them


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## jbfitz (Sep 25, 2012)

ross the deer slayer said:


> Man I don't have a tree scare story. I've been terrified walking or jogging back from the stand to the fourwheeler hearing coyotes howling about 200yards behind the stand..Coyotes and hogs are 2 of my worst fears I have no idea why though. People tackle hogs on tv haha why am I afraid of them



A yote or hogs charging me would b one of my biggest fears also


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## nickf11 (Sep 26, 2012)

Scariest for me was not actually hunting, but helping a buddy of mine set up a 20 ft. ladder stand. The way the ground and the tree was, we had to set it up almost completely vertical which made hanging it difficult. I climbed up a couple steps and we gave it a good push to drive the spikes into the tree, then while he held the bottom of the ladder it was my job to climb up and secure the chain. I got up (10-15 feet I'm guessing, not real sure) and those spikes came out of that tree and the stand started to go down. I had no choice but to jump backwards to avoid me or the stand falling on my buddy holding it. Landed on my feet but bent my knees to absorb the fall and miraculously, I wasn't hurt at all and we tried it agian and hung the stand. But it sure scared me...


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## jbfitz (Oct 3, 2012)

Thank yall for posting your stories i hate it happened to yall but it was fun reading


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## grunt0331 (Oct 4, 2012)

I was hunting at Camp Lejeune on the edge of an LZ and a swamp.  An Osprey came in for touch and go landings no more that 50 yards from me.  I thought for sure I was going to get blown out of that tree.

Hung my climber before daylight and climbed on up a tree.  As day broke I started hearing a humming sound from the base of the tree.  Yellow Jackets start buzzing me and I evidently climbed a tree that their nest was at the base of.  I've never climbed down that fast.  Only got popped 3-4 times.


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## Snood Collector (Oct 4, 2012)

Enough to make me hug the tree even wearing a harness. tree iced up on me in late ML in 2004. I hunted till dark temps were around 15 deg. started descent from about 26 feet up tree  overlooking a bluff at that. Made first set and on second platform didn't dig in. tree was rock hard from weather and stand dropped 3 feet. Luckily I had my platform tied to top as always and I caught myself on top section harness tightened about the same time string caught bottom of platform. Once in a standing position I just looked over the bluff thankful everything was in place and done its job. Be aware of a tree freezing up if you hunt in colder temps. I'm still climbing.


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## scooty006 (Oct 5, 2012)

Shot a doe last year right at dark out in a food plot and she ran off into thicket and I heard her go down probably 50 yards into it.  I get down to go look for blood where I shot her (by now it's dark) and I hear something close, look up and a yote is 20 yards away in the corner of the plot looking at me.  

I raise my rifle with flashlight and it's gone, then I hear another one behind me in the thicket about 10 yards away running.  By this point I'm just freaked out so I walk backwards out of the plot with the flashlight and rifle shouldered ready to shoot a yote or 2.  I hate those things.....

A guy in the club had 3 yotes circling him one morning walking to his stand last year during bow season.  Seems like they are getting more aggressive......


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