Saddlehunting Best Practices for Safety - discussion

[sureshotscott]

Reading through the does anyone know of hunters getting hurt thread I thought we could maybe collaborate on "best practices" for staying safe when hunting from a saddle.

This shouldn't be War and Peace. We can link to longer discussions but it should be concise like the 4 rules of firearm safety.

Let's keep this specific to saddlehunting--not things that apply to every kind of hunting like "carry a first aid kit and a phone."

We can add disclaimers at the end to make @redsquirrel happy.

This is my first pass, I'm sure I missed or bungled a few things, so feel free to chime in. Anywhere you see TODO or ??? I'm looking for help.

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Always stay attached to the tree with tether and/or lineman's belt.

When changing attachments to the tree, connect the new attachment before removing the old attachment. Double-check everything in this process.

When using mechanical devices to attach (carabiners, buckles, ropemans), use locking devices and test the locks before trusting them.

Avoid excessive slack in your tether. See this thread on the dangers of short static falls.

Use stopper knots.

Inspect your gear regularly and be aggressive in replacing gear that is old, worn, or questionable:
Rope: Discard rope that is excessively worn and observe the manufacturer's rotation/replacement recommendations.
Knots: TODO
Saddle: TODO
Platform: TODO
???

Test new gear at low height before trusting it at hunting height.

Disclaimers: TODO

 

[neonomad]

I’ve never been excited about slipping with a lineman’s and tightening on the tree into sharp aluminum sticks, and so I take the few extra mins to advance a tether above me in addition to lineman’s. I also hunt with an rc harness under my JX3, and run lineman’s as a second tether. So philosophically I opt for 2 failures required to fall, rather than one. Most common saddle methods require only one failure to fall, but the odds of 2 failures is much much lower.

 

[Navy Chief]

I’ve never been excited about slipping with a lineman’s and tightening on the tree into sharp aluminum sticks, and so I take the few extra mins to advance a tether above me in addition to lineman’s. I also hunt with an rc harness under my JX3, and run lineman’s as a second tether. So philosophically I opt for 2 failures required to fall, rather than one. Most common saddle methods require only one failure to fall, but the odds of 2 failures is much much lower.

I agree, I would much rather spend the time advancing a tether than hoping a linesmans belt will catch me before I am castrated by a climbing stick.

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[sweats]

Great idea. I don't know how best to word it, but verify all connections before climbing.

It's easy to not fully clip in to a linesmen loop.

Also, is there a way to pin the final result to the top of the thread so people don't have to shift through multiple pages of comments?

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[neonomad]

I agree, I would much rather spend the time advancing a tether than hoping a linesmans belt will catch me before I am castrated by a climbing stick.

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Yeah, we have some important blood vessels on the inside of our legs. My buddy’s taxidermist was drawing a utility knife toward himself through a garden hose to use as a 4 wheeler strap tie down protector. He slipped and the knife hit the inside of his leg and he bled out before the ambulance got there.

 

[sureshotscott]

Great idea. I don't know how best to word it, but verify all connections before climbing.

It's easy to not fully clip in to a linesmen loop.

Also, is there a way to pin the final result to the top of the thread so people don't have to shift through multiple pages of comments?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

I covered testing all connections but if you think it needs to be worded better feel free to provide suggestions. No feelings will be hurt.

Yes we can pin a final version of best practices to the top of the forum.

 

[woodsdog2]

Covers just about everything in my best estimation. Maybe add, "The use of aiders and other augmented climbing systems require special attention and practice before use. Have back up climbing straps or aiders easily accessible or fastened to your system in a way that ensures you will always have a safe method to descend the tree."

 

[Navy Chief]

Yeah, we have some important blood vessels on the inside of our legs. My buddy’s taxidermist was drawing a utility knife toward himself through a garden hose to use as a 4 wheeler strap tie down protector. He slipped and the knife hit the inside of his leg and he bled out before the ambulance got there.

I was told by a doctor that if you cut a femoral artery you have about 3 minutes left to live.

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[drew13]

What about always maintain 3 points of contact while climbing.