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Helmets

raisins

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Jan 17, 2019
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This is why I hunt elevated during gun season. I’ve seen bullet trails as they rip through tree branches.

Last year a local got shot on permission private in the head and neck by a guy flintlock hunting for turkey. How the heck that happens says alot about some folks hunting practices.

On the other hand, there’s guys on here carrying extra medical gear to potentially help out other hunters who get hurt.

I don’t see myself wearing a helmet, but a couple years ago I had a huge tree collapse in front of me. It was surreal how it folded on top of itself like an accordion. I‘ve experienced a couple earthquakes and the tremor of the ground as it fell was on par. Had it fell my way I’d have been in trouble, and might have been thankful for a helmet.

This is one advantage to a saddle. If you saw that coming, you might have a slight chance of swinging to the other side of the tree. On a hang on stand, you'd be a sitting duck.
 
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cartman

Member
Feb 10, 2020
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North Carolina
If you wear a helmet you should add a flack jacket. Stay safe on public land.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

No ****. One thing I will never remove from my Kit, is my IFAK. That is looped on the Molle on the back of my saddle.
If I fall or get shot. I have at least something to try to save myself. Or if I run into someone else who is in need of help I have it.

I also recommend everyone carry an IFAK with TQs in their vehicles.
In the past, I have been the 1st person to stop at a potentially deadly car crash.
Not having anything but a T-Shirt and a cell phone to dial 911 was a terrible feeling of helplessness to have.
Ever since that day I always have a Blow-Out bag, of some sort on my person.
 
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Squirrels

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2017
2,017
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Do what you feel is safe, but if I ever run across a deer hunter wearing a helmet I'm gonna wet my britches laughing.
In all honesty, if you think there is enough danger in climbing a tree that you need a helmet you might want to evaluate what you are doing to begin with.
 

Bwhana

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Dec 8, 2017
2,291
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Hickory, NC
If you are really that skeerd, I guess you can get one of these. The next question is why havent any tree stand or saddle makers come out with a full body version and we could eliminate the need for harnesses and useless safety talk all together:)
 
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Loopwing

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SH Member
Mar 10, 2020
1,477
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Virginia
I have an IFAK and tq in my hunting box. I also have 2 TQs in my truck and 2 in my wife's truck. Being one of the first people on site when a guy had his arm ripped off below the elbow will change your out look on first aid kits. All we had was a riggers belt. It worked and saved his life, but a tq would have been a lot better.

As far as a helmet for hunting, COME ON MAN.
 

woodsdog2

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SH Member
Jun 28, 2019
8,168
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You know I don't do tree work for a living but I do cut wood every year to heat my house and even if I'm not felling a tree, when I'm cutting wood in the woods, I wear a safety helmet which has hearing and eye protection built in. I wear it because I have had close calls and a friend who had a branch fall on him and he is still disabled from it. Take a look up in the trees around you some time and look at all the dead branches and what not hanging just above you ready to bump your noggin. You ever walk in the woods and see a branch just sticking in the ground straight up? That sucker fell and what's the rate that gravity pulls on any object?? That branch is in the ground 4-6 inches just from falling, can you imagine that sucker pile driving you right in the center of your skull? I actually started thinking about it just this season as a matter of fact for saddle hunting and my pride and ego get in the way but I think a light operator helmet like the military uses may just be the right mix of protection and lightness to wear saddle hunting but also to add NV to it and use in the predator calling realm as well to justify the expense. The truly good helmets are hundreds of dollars but may be worth the initial investment in the long term and lifetimes of hunts from above. I'm not completely closed to the idea and think it is a potential market as well, especially for the self-filmers. I'm a NYS Certified Hunter Ed, Bowhunter Ed instructor and the greatest problem right now related to hunter safety is tree stand falls. In a majority of the cases, people simply do not wear any kind of fall restraint while hunting at height but there are incidents every year where a stand just came apart or a ratchet strap ripped etc. In 2017, the first year NY started tracking tree stand safety incidents, we had more deaths from hunters falling than from getting shot! Again, most of it was related to people just being lazy and not wearing a harness or restraint of some kind but people are falling and dying every year. The reports do not mention how they died just that they died as a result of their falls. Just some information to ponder and consider. Have I worn a helmet while hunting? No. Will I in the future? I might!!!
 
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Dewey

Well-Known Member
Apr 22, 2017
715
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WI
I can see it now - introducing the new Tethrd Telmet for $100!
a07d082604d82994725538b676cb3905.jpg
I’m waiting for the beefier Gen 2 version.
 
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Squirrels

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2017
2,017
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the greatest problem right now related to hunter safety is tree stand falls. In a majority of the cases, people simply do not wear any kind of fall restraint while hunting at height but there are incidents every year where a stand just came apart or a ratchet strap ripped etc. In 2017, the first year NY started tracking tree stand safety incidents, we had more deaths from hunters falling than from getting shot! Again, most of it was related to people just being lazy and not wearing a harness or restraint of some kind but people are falling and dying every year. The reports do not mention how they died just that they died as a result of their falls. Just some information to ponder and consider.
I hope there is never a year where hunters deaths by being shot surpass deaths from elevated position falls. I'd be more concerned with the deaths from hunters getting shot than tree stand falls. That's a bigger form of stupid than not wearing a safety device.
 

rich

Member
Dec 18, 2020
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Say what you want but wearing a helmet for head safety just in case you were to fall out of the tree would be the least of my worries because my body hitting the ground from 15+ feet in the air would probably kill me of which I would choose that over being paralyzed for years. Then on the other hand I do wear a helmet when riding my bicycle and it did save me from knocking my brains out once. I was not even moving much. Just turning around at the end of a dead end road. I was clipped into the peddles and there were some leaves on the road and unseen by me was a stick about as big around as my forefinger under the leaves. My front tire hit that stick and caused the bike to kick out from under me so quickly I could not get my feet unclipped and it slammed my head on the pavement so hard it addled me. If not for the helmet I am sure it would have cracked my skull. So if it makes you feel safer to wear a helmet wear one but as for me and being hunting in the saddle I will just wear my "lucky" boonie hat.
 
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Country

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2018
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I just hoping there molle loops so I can attach some dump pouches
There's 8 rows of molle on the back. 4 loose rows 3 tight rows and 1 row that is completely unusable because it's down down completely.
 

woodsdog2

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Jun 28, 2019
8,168
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I hope there is never a year where hunters deaths by being shot surpass deaths from elevated position falls. I'd be more concerned with the deaths from hunters getting shot than tree stand falls. That's a bigger form of stupid than not wearing a safety device.
It used to be that way not so long ago either.