ruttinbuc Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 I just want you all to know that a bolt on my hand climber BROKE and had it not been for my feet in the sides of the platform I wouldn't be here writing this. I detached my harness rope to get under a branch it was originally set above. My mistake was not in re-attaching it, but who was to know that a bolt was about to break. It was all I could do to save my life. The failure had me fly flat on my back on the platform with my feet and knees in a most awkward position. I had to unbuckle and drop my fanny pack as it was keeping me from sliding up the platform to free a foot and gain some kind of leverage. I managed to free one foot and sort of wrap it over the bar and through the belt. Holding on to the platform it was the hardest sit up I ever had to do to free the other foot. I thought my knee was going to pop, but it finally came free. I scurried to the tree and straddled it while thanking my lucky stars and someone up there looking after me. I re-attached my harness to the tree and made my way down. Just goes to show you can never take anything for granted. I learned a big lesson lying flat on my back looking at the stars and wondering how in the world was I going to get out of this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kat Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 crap mike, thats no good at all man. I'm glad a scare was all you got out of it. I bet your sore tomorrow. I will be interested in what Lone Wolf has to say about it. How old was the stand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted November 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) Kyle, I thought climbing a mountain in Alaska going after a bear with my bow was the hardest thing I ever did. Until I had to come back down. This beats them both. It was more than a scare. I really thought it was over. I have always kept the rope attached on the climb up and down with my Lone Wolf. My big mistake was not re-attaching the rope. After all I have climbed down hundreds of trees without incident in the years I have owned the stand. I am always aware of the dangers of hunting out of trees and deal with it accordingly. For whatever reason I lapsed in judgement this time. All I can say is I was real lucky my feet stayed with the stand. As I lay there holding onto the stand with the edge of the platform digging in the middle of my spine I stared at the stars. I asked if it was my time. I thought about my life, family, friends and those who hold a grudge. I said the lords prayer and struggled at the forgive those who trespass against us part. I thought about why I was here and what led me to this predicament. As if on cue, I heard a deer walking in the leaves towards me. It stopped somewhere in the dark and I wondered if it was the nice buck I saw earlier shadowing a doe down in the thicket. I got my answer. It was then that I did the hardest thing I ever had to do. I am starting to feel the pain in my knees and my back as I sit here and wonder how it all works. I got in contact with Lone Wolf and they are going to give me a good price for a new top. It is an older model that I paid $189 new back when...? They upgraded a lot of things since the original. The new models have bigger bolts and made a different way. I am meticulous in going over the stand every year and making sure things are in order. I don't think I would have saw a bad or worn bolt. Maybe if I took it apart, maybe. From now on, I will. I made this video awhile back. Not that I am as devout as many here. The prayer helped me through this without a doubt. Edited November 5, 2011 by ruttinbuc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 NOT GOOD!!! close call thwere mike...wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Hope your knees and back are ok Mike. That was too close a call. Gonna have to come back to see the clip later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbeck Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Glad you're ok mike that could have been really bad. We are both from the age that didn't even think of harnesses when we started climbing trees. Sometimes we revert back to that time, thanks for the wake up call to all us ol guys I have a few stands that need to come down and have the bolts replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerforged Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Thank You Lord. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kat Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Your too old and cranky to let a treestand take ya out . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Oh boy that was a close call! Glad you're ok Mike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 your too old and cranky to let a treestand take ya out . hahahahahahaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted November 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Thanks guys, Glad to see at least few of you concerned for my well being. I am a bit sore, but no worse for wear. A hard lesson leaned for sure. Your too old and cranky to let a treestand take ya out . The old part may have been what saved me, Kyle. The cranky part is what will keep me going...:clown: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Garcia Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 (edited) Wow! Glad it turned out good. Hope you heal fast! Edited November 6, 2011 by Joe Garcia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 i don't know how i missed this earlier. glad to hear you're still ok mike. don't need any of those close calls. i think lone wolf is very good quality stuff, but still things can happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Wow Mike that could have been real bad! Glad you're ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrswtnhunt Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Oh man, glad you are ok Mike. Hubby told me about your close call. Sounds like you had an angel watching over you. :yes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebeilgard Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Thank You Lord. i'll second that! i hope you're healing nicely, mike. this is quite a scare. fact is, we never know when it's going to end. i'm glad you had a nice outcome. now, go hunting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted November 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Thanks for the words, all. I hurt more now than I did yesterday. Nothing an Aleve and a walk in the woods wouldn't take care of. There certainly was an angel watching over me, Catrina. Thank goodness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Glad your crappy situation turned out O.K. in the end. Thanks to the Lord. The older I get, the creepier I feel working on stands in a tree and getting up & down when hunting. Can't be too careful remembering to keep tied in at all times. Gravity is not the treestand hunter's friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted November 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 I talked with the owner of Lone Wolf Treestands this morning and have a new top for the stand on the way. We had a good discussion on the importance of maintaining whatever you might use to hunt out of a tree. I feel fortunate in a big way that I was using a Lone Wolf. The way you need to use your feet in the stand to climb helped in keeping me in the tree. Another stand might not have. The bottom line is keeping yourself attached to the tree and not having that false sense of security because you did this a thousand times. Thanks again for your thoughts and concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunt or be Hunted Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 Wow, Glad your OK Mike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUNTINGMAN Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 Glad your ok man,could have been alot worse than it was. I thought lone wolf had a lifetime warranty. I sold mine about a month ago and am going to stick strictly to ladder stands from now on,I feel safer and there easier on my aging body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 Wow Mike...Ya know you always hear about incidents like this but you never actaully know the person...Until now. Glad you are OK and the Lord was definitley with ya pal. Phew! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted November 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 Yes he was, Anthony. I feel very fortunate to talk about it. I am still a bit dazed by it all. The scene plays over in my mind quite a bit. Certainly a wake up call. I went and hung a stand at lunch time today to try and get the fear out of my thoughts. What is perplexing is the response from the community here. Maybe I just don't matter enough to get a glad you are OK, but from a few. I guess my contributions to this website over the years are moot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kat Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 Yes he was, Anthony. I feel very fortunate to talk about it. I am still a bit dazed by it all. The scene plays over in my mind quite a bit. Certainly a wake up call. I went and hung a stand at lunch time today to try and get the fear out of my thoughts. What is perplexing is the response from the community here. Maybe I just don't matter enough to get a glad you are OK, but from a few. I guess my contributions to this website over the years are moot. It's not that.....the traffic and posting on this site has slowed way way down. A 2 page thread is a rare thing here anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 glad you are still with us buddy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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