I thank you every single time I put on my Killdeer.

 

It’s that time of year again. Bow hunters are getting prepared to go hunting. What style safety harness is best for a tree stand bow hunters? A lot of hunters depend on what they have trusted for many years safely. The problem, most of them have never taken a fall … yet! Once one takes a fall with the light, comfortable, pocket filled harness they quickly figure out its faults. The comfortable harness is suddenly after many years, is very uncomfortable. It tips the hunter forward putting most of the hunters weight in the crotch putting extreme pressure on the femoral arteries and veins. If the hunter blacked out causing the fall or gets nocked out because of the fall, their chances of survival are slim. Learning to do a self rescue is much easier with someone while at home vs in the dark after an accident. Give it a try at home with someone available to help.
You can thank me later.

A lot easier to self rescue from a ground blind than a stand. Might as well just ground hunt. I mean be honest, it’s safer to ground hunt than hunt from a stand with a harness.

 

😊 Not trying to be funny, have you ever hunted from a tree stand? one can see so much more, it helps keep the scent above the deer and in general can be way more productive in most cases.
To some, even after a bad fall, still hunt out of an elevated stand. A very good friend of mine, Mike McCabe fell 25 feet about 14 years ago while bear hunting in Canada. He is paralyzed to this day from the chest down. His son puts up Treestands for him. Somehow he rides a quad to the stand and uses a power winch to get on stand by himself.
Here is a link to his story if you or anyone else is interested.

 

What harness do you recommend?

 

There are several rock climbing harnesses that will work great. At the end of the season last year I tried the killdeer and really like ie it.

 

Perfect timing! I was recommended the Killdeer last season and this was my reminder to order it! Can’t wait to try it out.

 

Rock climbing harness and Treestand Wingman! Never leave the ground without it!

 

That Wingman gives me great piece of mind.

 

I’ve used the Black Diamond Vario Speed harness for many years. It works great but I do like the Dryad Kiill deer better.

 

Best part about the Treestand Wingman is you have to test it out and at that point you figure out how to set your harness correctly when Hanging from in instead of how it feels when just wearing it.
When testing it, I simply stepped off of a ladder while attached to a tree, but before hand I had set it while still on the ground just putting the tree strap as high as possible and sitting in it first.

 

HSS Ultra Light again this year for me.

 

If you like a full body harness, I highly suggest Tree Stand Wingman | it’s a great product that one can actually practice with. A pretty good way to get down out of a tree in a hurry Potty time. Lol

 

I used the Dryad Killdeer last year and it was awesome.

 

Dryad Killdeer is the best I’ve used yet. Quick release leg loops. Side loop sewn the full length across the back of the waist belt. Choice of width of leg loop belts. Very light weight.

 

Its funny cause when I first saw a harnesslike this I naturally assumed it was less safe than a full body. What about the idea of flipping upside down in a harness like this? If you fall are you more likely to hit your head in it?

 

I use to hunt all ladder stands up until they were stolen 2015ish but didn't use a harness in them until I was watching an episode of Bowhunt or Die and a guy shot a deer out of the stand his father had fell out of and died. He got real emotional and pleaded for everyone to use a harness and it clicked in me. So me and my hunting buddy go to the store and I kinda liked one of the Summit harnesses and he liked a Gorilla and a Muddy. We decided to buy all three and have an extra.

When we go to hunt I did not like the Summit at all and he didn't like the Gorilla or Muddy. He liked the Summit and I liked the Gorilla. So fast forward to Nov 2016 I had a Field & Stream hang on fail on me (stand was later recalled and I believe there was a sticky here about it) and the Gorilla harness caught me. I always assumed that if you fell those straps thru the lower crotch area would cause some major pain. It wasn't bad to be honest, my only pain was the side of my face got a bad abrasion from tree bark and my back was sore for a few days like I tensed up when I fell.

So after a fall you obviously need to replace your harness. I go back to the store and they had 8 left and Gander Mtn was at a point where some of their stuff was 75% off. I bought all 8 and glad I did because not only have I never seen that model harness again I don't think I've ever seen another Gorilla product for sale.

After the fall I immediately switched to a climber with 3rd Hand straps and a Wingman. As a matter of fact I started a new workout and diet plan back in March and had my yearly physical yesterday and I've lost 24 lbs. So I spent yesterday afternoon redoing the Wingman for my current weight with my gear on.

 

There are several brands of safety harnesses. They don't work unless you use them. I'm a hunter education instructor in TN and get reports of hunting accidents. The last couple of years, the fatalities were from falling out of a tree stand.
Story that one of my instructors uses: His friend was an avid hunter, hunting from a tree stand. The only time he didn't use the safety harness...he fell. Took five hours for someone to find him. He broke his back and suffered a traumatic head injury that caused a stroke. He is now confined to an electric wheelchair that he operates with his left hand which is the only one that works. Any questions?

 

Fear is a great motivator. Being in the business for over 30 years, I have known and met several hunters who have fallen. A couple of which I thought were way better qualified than I for hunting without a harness. After attending one funeral and seeing several in wheelchair, I wouldn’t think of getting in a tree without a harness attached all the way.

 

I have been using a rock climbing harness for years, the only dislike is it gets all tangled up from time to time. I just went to the Killdeer web page thinking I may buy one, because it looks like it wouldn't get tangled up. You get a choice between the G hook or the Premium which doesn't tell what the difference is. Apparently you have to buy the leg straps separately? I went to youtube to see a demo of the harness, how to put it on and the difference in the two systems up and could not find one. Why wouldn't they have a link to youtube for a full explanation of their system. Needles to say I didn't buy one.

 

Rock Climbing Harness

 

I use my rock climbing harness to hang stand. I use a Qstrap and there have been plenty of times i wasn't using my hands or feet to hold the tree and just hung there to attach the stand. Easy and comfortable.