Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: osage outlaw on September 25, 2012, 10:43:29 pm
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I went out this evening to put up my last ladder stand before season starts. My dad had helped me put up other stands last week. He wasn't home tonight so I was by myself. I leaned the 16' stand up against a tree on a hillside. I wanted the stand to face across the hill. After I leaned the stand up against the tree I realized I forgot to put the straps on that wrap around the tree and tie to the bottom part of the ladder. It was getting dark so I decided to just go up and ratchet it to the tree real fast and then put the straps on. I got to the last step before the platform and the ladder started leaning to the downhill side. It was at this moment that I realized what was going to happen. It is funny how things seem to happen in slow motion. I started what seemed like a 30 second fall. As I was falling I remember looking at where I was going to land and trying to figure out the best way to break my fall. I also realized I was making these strainge noises as I was flying through the air. It wasn't screaming or yelling, they were more of a grunting noise. I have no clue why, it must have just been a natural reaction. I held onto the ladder all the way down. At the last minute I kicked off and went into a feet first baseball slide as I hit the ground. I hit and slid down the hill a short distance. I jumped right up and wasn't in any pain. Somehow I managed to avoid breaking any bones. I was shaking like crazy. I guess it was from all the adrenaline. I calmed down for a minute and then went back to putting the stand up. This time I put the straps on first and moved the stand to the down hill side of the tree so it wasn't leaning. I feel very lucky I wasn't seriously hurt. I have a small area of road rash on my left hip and now that I have settled down for the evening my lower back is tightening up. It could have been much worse. I had told my wife I was putting a stand up, but I didn't tell her where I was going to be at. From now on, I'm going to wait until someone can help me.
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You are lucky! I know three people that have fallen. One will be in a wheel chair for life. The other guy took 3 months to recover. The third is me not a scratch. I lost my grip coming down the ladder. I started going with the two feet method rather than one over the other.
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Glad you weren't hurt Clint. You might feel sore muscles for the next few days.
You should have a safety harness on any time you leave the ground, especially when you are alone.
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Pat, I have tried wearing a harness while hunting, but I haven't put one on in a couple of years. I don't feel like I can shoot a bow while wearing it. A harness wouldn't have helped me today.
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My huntin partners dont wear them either but I do,a guy fell and killed himself last year close to here. Never get in a situation where you have to take a chance.First rule of hunting fishing hiking or anything else is let someone know where you are.Im sure your wife likes you to come home safe. Im preaching at you? You betcha,nothing more important than safety. ;)
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Dang, Clint. Man, I'm gad you're OK.
Now, my story as a word of warning: Late the spring of 2011 I was finishing up my workshop. I was putting the ceiling in the 1/2 attic where I planned to store staves and wood. So, my ladder was leaning against the 2x12 floor joist for the attic. I had made 100 of trips up and down the ladder during the building process. I need to go down stairs. I swing my leg around the ladder then the other leg and the ladder starts siding. I've had ladders to slide down a wall before so I was not too concerned UNTIL I realize this was not a wall. In a moment the ladder would have nothing to lean against. I made an attempt to turn and jump, but it was too late.
I fell, shoulder to floor about 10 feet on top of the aluminum ladder. My right hip just below the hip socket landed on one leg of the ladder my right forearm slammed onto the other leg. I was certain that I'd broken my hip and my arm. But that was not the case. In 15 or 20 minutes I was moving around and finished the ceiling.
NOW fast foreward to August 6, 2012. I woke from sleeping on my right side all night with a pain between my shoulder blade and my spine. Now big deal. I'll ice it, get in the hot tub, then ice it again. I'll be fine. But, I did call work to give them a heads up. After the ice and heat and ice treatment I felt worst. I couldn't lift a coffee with my right arm. I called in sick and headed to the couch with an ice pack.
When I laid down my whole right side siezed up. It was like I had the worst charlie horse in the world radiating from my right shoulder/back down my right arm to my wrist. Every muscle in from mid back to my shoulder and down my right arm to my wrist were in cramps that were as hard as tapping on a piece of hickory. I've never been in so much pain in my life.
My wife wasn't home, so I called her to come home. On our second phone conversation I was crying and screaming in pain. If I hadn't been screaming, I'm sure I would have blacked out. She called EMS. The EMS and sheriff visist and my chiropractor calling in sick for the and my trip to the ER is too long of a story. I will say from 12:30 to 5:30 the only position that was semi bearable was with my right arm raised over my head with my right arm bent at the elbow across the top of my head while pulling on it with my left hand.
Diagonist: I had pitched nerves cause by my second rib beeing dislodged from my spine and my sternum. Caused by blunt force traumma to my right side--falling of a ladder over a year ago.
Recovery and restrictions and treatment: 8 visits to the chiropractor the first week, 6 the next, 3 the following and 2 visits a week since.
I couldn't lift over 5 pounds the rest of August. Archery deer season started here Sept. 1. So, no practicing. No bow building. Straightening arrow cane shafts hurt. I'm hunting with a 42# bow that I reduced the weight from 50# instead of the #58 bow that I had planned to hunt with this year. Even now I don't think I could string the 58# bow let alone draw it. I don't think I could grab a draw knife and peal the bark off an osage stave.
I truly hope your fall leaves you with nothing more than bruises. I know you're the kind of guy like I was--I'll walk if off and be find. But I HIGHLY recommend that you get xrays just to be sure that something does bite you in the arse later. I would never wish the pain I went through on my worst enemy, let alone a friend. Literally, if my pain would have been isolated to my arm instead of running through my torso, I would have wrapped a tournique around it, called 911 and gone to shop an removed it with a chop saw.
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Glad you are ok ,I have fell a time or 2 also and got lucky,nothing hurt but my pride. I still ant real safe but I do try to let someone know where I will be so they can at least gather the bones after the Yots get done with me. :) :) Be careful you have a wife and yougun that depends on you. :) :)
Pappy
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Glad you walked away from it!
Tracy
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Wow pal :o...u better be thanking n praising the maker O:)
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Pat, I have tried wearing a harness while hunting, but I haven't put one on in a couple of years. I don't feel like I can shoot a bow while wearing it. A harness wouldn't have helped me today.
Glad you were Ok You were very lucky. ladder stands are tricky enough going up with 2 people. As for the harness, kind of hard to get a wheelchair up a tree stand...
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I'm up and moving around this morning and my lower back is still a little tight, but not bad at all. It's still hard to believe that 240 lbs falling from that distance didn't do more damage. I feel very lucky.
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Dang! Glad your okay pal. I have done the same thing a bunch of times without falling backwards, I just leaned ahead and stopped the momentum............stupid I know. You just changed my mind about my stand setting methods. Glad your cool man.
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Glad your ok. Stuff happens quick you can get away with it a hundred times but it only takes once. I've fallen from just about everything. Most times when a person is in a hurry. Taker easy for a few days
Leroy
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I did a similar thing that ended worse. I was at home after season ended and decided I would make a quick run by myself to my ladder stand and bring it home. I had help when I put it up. I climbed the stand and unhooked the tree ratchet. The stand immediately pulled away from the tree and I was sort of perched on top with the stand away from the tree. I turned to jump or grab another tree close by but it started slowly then accelerated falling. Worse part was it was a 15 foot stand and I had placed it on the edge of a down hill slope. Guess which way the stand falls. I suspect it added another 5 feet to the fall, but the slope allowed me to hit an roll down hill. After maybe 3 flops I stopped. Neither leg would move, but I was sitting up. Two things went through my mind. I just freaking fell, I can't believe it and my legs wont move, I've broken my back but it doesn't hurt. Then the pain started in my right leg and could slowly move both legs. I thought good I don't think I broke my back, but my leg hurts some. I started to stand and the little hurt in the right leg changed to holy crap and I recall screaming out. I then knew I was not walking on my right leg, so I sorta crawled to the stand and started pulling it to me as I took the sections apart. Once apart I took the cord for pulling my gun/bow up with and tied the pieces together. Still had it in my head to take that stand out??? I put the seat down and used the ladder steps to get to a standing position. For the next 8 hours, no really 30 minutes or so I pulled and leaned on the stand back to my truck. Lots of grunting and name calling on the way. Got the stand into the truck and me into the cab. Had to use my left foot togas and brake back to the house. I hopped into the house and got onto the couch and laid there exhausted and hurting. I had a cell phone the entire time but embarrassment/pride kept me from calling anyone. Her's the funny part. My wife calls and starts in on how our son had hit something with his fist and thinks he broke his hand. She was angry and I had to say, well I think I have broken my leg. 10 seconds of silence and she says, you better be BS me. Well, I went for xrays and I did break my fibula bone. Ended of with a DVT and had to take shots for I think 2 weeks then a blood thinner for a month. Couple more xrays and lots of down time. Great part was, I was back in action for turkey season...I was also very lucky getting by with just a broken fibula....I also told no one where I was going since it was just going to be a quick trip...
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Glad your OK Osage. Over the years i have had several close calls. One i was left hanging on a grape vine i was going to cut, but have been lucky and never actually fell. For the last few years i have used a climbing harness when putting up stands and never unhook without hooking up somewhere else first. After getting my stands hung i run a strong rope from above my stand to the bottom of the tree and use a prussic ( i think that's the right name) knot that slides up and down the rope to hook onto before i ever take the first step off the ground. It is more work and takes longer this way but I'm used to doing this way now, and i no longer worry about getting hurt or killed by being unsafe in my stands. Yes the harness sometime gets in the way, but falling is a lot worse than missing a chance at a deer. I strongly urge everyone hunting from a tree to take similar measures. If not for yourself then for your family.
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Glad you are ok Clint. Falls are bad and can lead to a life of pain. My falls were work related when I was much younger, and they told me I would be in serious shape latter in life. Some how I expected 80- 90 and not 48. Taking the time to be safe pays huge dividends even If you don't ever see what could of happened.
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Dangit Clint!! Glad your ok!! Kinda makes me think though, I have gone up in my climber without a harness and hve been lucky so far.
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There are lots of good gadgets available to keep you safe. You might find one now that you can LIVE with. Injuries can cause others problems in caring for us after we get hurt. I am a guy with over 100 stitches and 7 broken bones. I try not to push things anymore.
glad you are OK.
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I'm up and moving around this morning and my lower back is still a little tight, but not bad at all. It's still hard to believe that 240 lbs falling from that distance didn't do more damage. I feel very lucky.
It's not the fall distance or the weight that matters my friend...it's the way you stop at the bottom. I've fallen off ladders 3 times and the first 2 were non-events even though one was about 20'. The last one was only around 8' but busted me up bad because I landed on the ladder and wasn't able to roll or slide.
I hope this turns out to be a non-event for you.
George
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I am very sorry you had this accident and very glad you don't seem to be badly injured. I am, in a way, glad it happened and that you posted this so early into the hunting season so it could be a head's up to everyone to keep "situational awareness" while in the woods.
There are only a few people in here that I don't have much fond feelings over, but I don't even wanna hear about those people getting hurt. Let's all be careful out there.
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That is a terrible feeling when your going down and you know there's not a damn thing you can do about it. I had a ladder slip on me a few years back and I fell, only about 9 feet to concrete. I made that same grunting noise on the way down and I think you're right about it being some type of reaction. I bet it's similar to the releasing of air out of our lungs when punching something, etc.
Anyhow, glad you didn't get hurt.
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Man Clint your lucky you didn't break an arm or sumpthin this close to bow season. i have a buddy who was one tough fella, but fell asleep in a latter and broke his back @ the shoulders. now he lays on a couch, since '07. I don't always wear one, and sometimes I wear the "belt" that I got back in 1985. That's my fav and the most dangerous. when I don't have one on I think about my buddy. I got freaked out last season and missed a good shot because I didn't want to stand up and lean out. Didn't want to or couldn't? I plan on wearing one this year, but one of my trees is too big for all my belts, maybe have to attach two, how safe is that?
glad all is well Clint. derik
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Also glad that you are ok. Lucky you didn't do internal injuries. You can
do some nasty damage to your internal organs, by tearing them loose, or tearing
items like your liver, spleen, pancreas, etc. If you had been wearing your harness, would you still be dangling from the tree ? ::) ;D ;D
I was hunting in Florida years ago, in a place called Brown's Farm. It used to be a tomato farm, and bell peppers, cucumbers, and so forth. Well it is all over grown, and has been for 40 or fifty or more years. It is a state management area now. Anyway, the primary soil is muck. Which is like peat. Well I am black powder hunting, and on foot, when out in the open, I see this nice twelve foot wooden ladder. Not more than fifty yards, there is a nice little myrtle bush head, so I get the idea to put the ladder in the myrtle bush head, and have a nice little stand, in a nice area. Well, I tote the ladder there, set it up stomp the steps, and back braces, into the muck to stabilize it, and climb up. Well, it was great, had a grey fox walk within ten feet of me, and several does. so for an hour or so, all is fine. I am watching all around me, when, I get the feeling something is not right, other than being half asleep, I discovered that there was a distinct tilt to the ladder! Not only was there a tilt, but it was still tilting! :o Well since I was sitting on the top of the ladder, I couldn't quickly step down to a lower level to fall, so as you said everything was in slow motion, well this actually was! as I reached a level almost horizontal, I jumped off the ladder, and hit the muck, with my knees slightly bent, and then fell forward, and my TC Hawken went barrel first about a foot into the muck! :P I was only jarred a bit. Then had to take the primmer cap off, and use the ramrod to get all the muck out of the barrel, plus some raps on the barrel against the ladder. Then checked with the ram rod, with the line I had scored around it, that the bullet depth was still where it should be, reassembled my rifle, put the cap back on, and was ready to hunt...... somewhere else. So I set the ladder up near the outside of the myrtle head, so the owner, would know where it was, and trudged back to my truck for lunch, and re planning I was lucky, I wasn't fully asleep. Anyway, my friends knew I was at Brown's farm, but not where, so by the time anyone decided to come looking, it would be dark, and I would be carried off by mosquitoes big enough to stand flat footed, and take uninvited liberties, of a turkey, so to speak. I hit hard enough to cause me to check myself slowly. Could have been worse, could have hit one of the broken myrtle limbs, and broken, or jabbed something. But the harness does have it's place. But I have wondered how do you get down if you do fall, or your ladder is no longer where it was? I know some units have a safety cord, that lets you down slowly. But then you have to buy another unit. But that is cheaper, than the hospital, and therapy! ;)
I hope you continue to feel better. But it would not be a bad idea to get checked out anyway. Money well spent. ;)
Wayne
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I've made that noise ::) Thank goodness mine didn't go all the way down! Now when I set my ladder stands or anything for that matter Always have my safety vest And my lineman's belt With a ladder stand You have to get about halfway up Before you can swing around the tree Otherwise you just don't have enough rope... I got a hunters safety system Vast with the binoculars straps I sometimes wear when I am not even going up in a tree It's just that handy ;)
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...and the Virginia is why only ground hunt.....
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Glad your OK. On two different hunting trips I have had screw in steps come out of the tree while I had me full weight on them. That feeling sure makes your butt pucker something fierce! Luckily, I was ok both times. I do not use screw in steps anymore either!
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You are lucky that's for sure.I have friends too with serious hitchs to live with that resulted from tree stand falls.Falling in the dark can seem like it takes forever compared to a daylight fall.
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Must be do to the speed of light. If he falls and no ones around did he make a sound when he hit the ground.
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LOL.......There is nothing to guage your distance while falling.Happens quick.I've had a few night time falls coonhunting.
Did the tree really fall in the forest if no one heard it?You bet your boots it did.........LOL.
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Clint, I sure hope you're ok.. Falls once you are older than 18 hurt lots more..
Cipriano
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My fall has done more damage than I first thought. My lower back pain has gotten worse but isn't anything new for me. I've hurt it before. After several days I got a red area on the outside of my leg just below my knee that started hurting. It is right where I landed. It started spreading down across the back of my calf. It is now a 6" bumped up line. I went to the Dr. yesterday and he took one look at my leg and thought it was a blood clot. I have a family history with those, my grandpa died from one and my sister spent a week in the hospital with one. I started getting a little worried. He sent me straight to the hospital for an emergency ultrasound. Thankfully it came back clear. While at the Dr. they took my blood pressure and it was very high. I've never had a high reading before. Today I stopped at the nursing home where my wife works and she had a nurse check it. It is still high. I don't know if it is related to the fall or not. I'm going back to the Dr. tomorrow so hopefully I can get some stuff figured out.
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Clint I'm sorry to hear about that. Take care of yourself buddy!
Cipriano