Sometimes its the little things that become huge.

[Jeff]

I'm lucky to be writing this today. I'm beat up and sore and lucky to not to be seriously injured.Yesterday I had an accident because I didnt take the time to finish a few little things on my elevated deer blind. I had all the little cleat supports cut to go under each step on the stairs, but neglected to put them in.

I got to the top step yesterday, put all my weight on it as I leaned in to turn on the bottle gas tank. I had my gun, still in the case in one hand, and a bag of odds and ends in the other. Without warning the top step broke. It only had some screws into the end of it through the stair stringers. I dropped and my back hit yhe second step, breaking it lose. My gun case then hooked the screws hanging out from where the first step gave way and my jeans snagged the screws on the other side. In that moment I remember thinking, "this aint goona be good" 

When my jeans snagged I flipped upside down with my foot snagging up under the top platform twisting my ankle around but stopping my fall. I thought I was going to go clear ro the ground and land on my head.

THere I hung. I still had my gun case in my hand that by now had ripped free of the screws. I was holding it by just the end of the barrel. At that point it was about 6 feet to drop it, so I didnt want to do that. I thought about it a couple seconds and saw that I could swing it up, and push it up on the top platform and that is what I did. I had dropped the bag in my other hand in the fall. Here I was, Hanging upside down, not sure how bad I was hurt yet and sorta stuck for that moment. Just then my motorola sounded off in my pocket. It was Pete saying "Can you hear me up there?" We never call each other when we first go out but he says for some reason he just did.

Pete had dropped me off at my property an
d then drove back to the cabin to hunt. I said "You gotta come back and get me" He didnt even ask why. He said "I am on my way".  Somehow I did an inverted situp, and if you know me, you know that was quite a feat. I pulled myself around in to a sitting in a backwards position on the step I ended up on, the third one down. My left leg was still twisted in the air hung on the screws on the first step. I got those tore loose and sat there a bit accessing where to go from there.  Pete radioed back saying he had reached my property. I told him what happened and that to just stay there I was coming out but it may take me a bit. I somehow got to a standing position on the step and stood there for a bit waiting for stuff to stop hurting enough to climb down, which I finally did, and hiked back out of the woods.

My ankle is sore and bruise. THe worst thing seems to be my right leg just below the knee. Its all swollen and bruised this morning. I can walk O.K. if I take it easy, Its just beat up, no joint problems that I can perceive. My right elbow apparently got twisted up somewhere during the event. My hip really hurts where it hit and broke strep two. My back, lower and across my shoulders is sore as well as my abdomen probably from my one upside down situp.

I slept in a chair last night and at daylight I went out, rounded up the cleats, made two replacement steps and went down and repaired the blind. I'm back at the cabin now, pretty sore and stiff and hopefully and luckily a bit wiser.

[Daren]

I don't want to be morbid, but around here there are far more injuries (and one recent fatality) from a fall while hunting than anything. Unless you go hunting with Dick Chaney  :D, I hear of very few gun accidents. Fall injures are pretty common and some are severe.

[Norm]

Wow you're darn lucky. Glad it turned out the way it did even if you are a bit battered.

We had a deer hunter in Iowa die while climbing into his stand. The harness was apparently on wrong and strangled him when he fell on the way up. Me I hunt from the ground.

[Tom]

That was quite a body shock, Jeff.  It's a good thing Pete was handy, you might  have found yourself in an upside down position waiting for someone to show up for the weekend.  Sure glad you're OK.   I know you don't have any really hot water there to soak in, but a hot towel on some of those muscle strains might feel good and shorten their recovery.  Cold is recommended immediately afterward to stop bruising, bleeding and swelling, but after a while, heat, especially wet heat, helps the sore muscles.  

It sounds like a good opportunity to kick back, do some cooking and stay off of your feet until you get a chance to take inventory of the over stretched places.

Something that might make some sense for later is a rope to pull your weapon into the blind.  That way you won't have it in your hand if you fall.

Did the glue on the butt hold?

[beenthere]

Wow...glad you are as ok as you say...you dodged a bullet, so to speak... 8)

Tom, why did he put glue on his butt.... : : :   like he knew ahead of time that step was gonna fail and needed something to hold him tight to the next one down... ??? ??? ???


;D ;D

[thecfarm]

That was quite the story.I read through it quick the first time to make sure you're OK.Had me real worried there was a minute.Glad to see you have it Jeff proof now.  :D

[Tom]

I don't know, Beenthere,  I heard that he had sat down on a rifle and it broke.   Chet fixed it with some glue.  I figure that was pretty nice of him.

I think I'm going to start carrying some glue around with me for when I bust my butt too.   I wish Chet would say what he used.  I'm not too interested in how he applied it yet.  :D :D

[Jeff]

I'm back in my blind for the day along with both busted butts. I shot the one off this morning to make sure it was accurate after the fall before coming back to hunt. It was fine


My gun seems to be OK as well.

[Carries-Mom]

Glad to hear you're ok...you just never know when or where these things may happen...

[ely]

jeff , correct me if i am wrong here, but i feel the root of the problem stems from those(store bought runners) that you have used in the construction process.
do you not know anyone that could saw you some thicker lumber. :D

i am glad that you are ok. be careful out there.

[Patty]

Falls are always scary, falling from a blind in the woods when you are all alone is REALLY scary. Glad you are OK.

[Jeff]

Its strange how much clarity and calmness I had as it was happening and the clarity after the fact. Its like it was in slow motion and I had time to think of all kinds of tihngs as it was happening yet it (the actual falling) must have only been a split second.

One thing I remember thinking as I went upside down was wonderng if it would hurt or would the lights just go out.

[Furby]

Glad you are in one piece Boss, it could have been a whole lot worse!

[ADAMINMO]

Pretty scary chain  of events. Glad to hear you are ok. 8) It was a hard call I'm sure to decide to drop the gun or hold it to the end. I bet the inverted situp really hurt too!! :D

[footer]

Glad your ok too.

Since you are on the subject of bizzar hunting accidents, this just happened locally, although it doesn't seem to be an accident.
Long link
I know you don't like links to articles on other web sites, so feel free to delete it if you want. I will post the text from the article.


A Yutan man has been charged with manslaughter in a fatal shooting that took place Saturday.

Lee Koenig, 50, also is charged with felon in possession of a firearm in the fatal shooting of Russell L. Christiansen, 47, authorities said Monday afternoon.

Saunders County Sheriff Kevin Stukenholtz said Koenig fired a single shot at Christiansen with a high powered hunting rifle. Koenig was on the back porch of his home and Christiansen was helping his 15-year-old son track a deer on the Koenig property. The 15-year-old had received permission to hunt on the Koenig propertyChristiansen's son had shot a deer and the two were searching for it when the father was shot from about 200 yards away.

Saunders County Attorney Scott Tingelhoff said he filed the charges shortly before 2 p.m. Monday in Saunders County Court.

"In reviewing the information provided by the sheriff's office, there was enough evidence to file the manslaughter charge," Tingelhoff said.

Manslaughter means to cause death unintentionally during the commission of an unlawful act. In order to file any degree of murder charge, he said there has to be provable intent.

As of press time, Koenig remained in the Saunders County Jail in lieu of 10 percent of a $500,000 bond. He will have his felony first appearance at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Both charges are Class III felonies.

[Reddog]

Glad you are okay.

[beenthere]

Boss
I'd be real suspicious of the left hand 2x4 support (rail) for those steps, as it looks like the pith center is on the lower tension side. Also, after this season, you may experience some loosening of the joints, to the point that even the support blocking added "too late" will need some extra beefing up.

Not that I know that something will happen, but it worries me... thinking that you might continue to use those steps next year. If me, and I was going to keep the steps like that, I'd run a 1/4" threaded rod across under each step (at least the upper ones where falling is a long way to the ground) and tie the left and right 'rail' together. 

Only the steps appear to be treated. Treatments eat fasteners pretty quick.

Be safe, as we want to keep you in one piece.

[pigman]

Be carefull Boss, hunting is dangerous.  There is a solution in this thread that will make the steps hold your weight.   ;D   https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=26876.0

[Nate Surveyor]

Whoa dude!

Glad to see that it was no worse than that.

Nate

[LeeB]

That's an eye opening story Jeff. Glad you are mostly ok. For of you who wear safety belts or harnesses, you might want to keep in mind that if you fall with one on it can save your life from the fall, however, after as little as 15 minutes hanging in one people have died due to circulation and breathing problems. Jeff was fortunate and wise in that he had a way to contact some one. Just something to keep in mind.

[Jeff]

Pigman I didnt click the link cause I'm willing to bet what one it is.

BT, the steps including the rails are all two by six treated. The pith you see could probably be erased with a belt sander.

[Burlkraft]

I was on them steps shortly before this incident     

I could just hear Jill now if Jeff wudda called her and told her I fell down the steps  :D :D :D :D

I wudda never been able ta go anywhere again  >:(  >:(

[Furby]

I was up them several times back in August.
Maybe I wore them out. :-\ :-\ :-\

[Jeff]

Tell em the rest of the story there burlboy so they know the guilt you would have had to secretly live with.
;)

[beenthere]

2x6
My mistake then, as they sure looked like 2x4...I'd still put the threaded rod under each step and tie it together... ;D ;D

[Gary_C]

Wow!  That's a scary story to just read about it.

I had just come in for lunch when I first read about your fall. I had just been putting a roller chain on the grain tank of the combine. Had to use my little work platform with the top plastic platform that has NOTASTEP molded right in the plastic. No, I was not standing on that, as it was not high enough.  ;D I was standing on the thin plastic cross piece above that.  : 

So it should have been me that took a fall. But after reading about your fall, I decided I was not going to do that again. Besides I was done.   

[Burlkraft]

Tell em the rest of the story there burlboy so they know the guilt you would have had to secretly live with.
;)

What would that be..... ??? ??? ??? ;D ;D ;D

[Jeff]

You'll feel better if you tell about it.

I need some ight vision. Durn deer have been all over here between last night and this morning.  I suspect they are taking tours of where they almost bagged the big one.

[Jeff]

Not that you dont feel fine about it already... :D

[Burlkraft]

Not that you dont feel fine about it already... :D

I have a clear conscious and I sleep very well at night   ;D  ;D  ;D

[sgtmaconga]

Jeff i know your hurting. but i have to ask did you see any deer?

[Jeff]

only  2 in the daylight. I'm in a different stand tonight for the first time. I'll beam Tom a phot to post.

[Tom]

.

[Burlkraft]

Nice Hat  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D

[Stump Jumper]

glad to hear your OK Jeff . I checked those steps this summer too they did not pass inspection FOR me but i'm not an inspector .Be safe up there .

[beenthere]

Did Jeff lose his head and found it in that brush pile?   :D

[Corley5]

WOW that was a close one    Glad you're gonna make it  ;D  

[Don P]

Did Jeff lose his head and found it in that brush pile?

:D That was my first reaction too, poor guy took anudder fall and went clear up to his neck.

Sorry to hear about your near header Jeff.

Rot is another thing to keep your eyes open for... I stepped through a walk board about a week ago. Sure hope the man upstairs don't charge for damage on returns  :D.

[Furby]

Another possibly cheaper way to back up those steps would be to run 2x4 on edge under them from side to side, instead of the steel rod Beenthere mentioned.
The screws from the side would hold longer/better then what they did before, but you'd still have to watch for shear on them.

[Left Coast Chris]

Jeff,

This story is really scarry......... we are glad you are still pretty much in one piece. 

You probably already know this so I apologize in advance.  Being an engineer that does wood design fairly regularly I see a number of major issues with the stairs.

Please do not trust those cleats with the two screws in them.  The cleats are too small and the screws are under strength.  I can't see what size they are but they are likely worth 100# or less apiece.   The uniform building code calls for the design to take a 300# point load placed anywhere (right over the cleat or in the center of the tread).   It is for good reason.  I know the stairs are make shift and we can get killed stepping off the curb (thats what I tell my wife)... but stairs are nothing to take a risk on........ I guess I have a firm grasp of the obvious....

Without doing any calculations I would not settle for less than doubling the 2x6 stringers, do solid blocking between the treads with at least 4 deck screws or 10d nails into the stringers.  The 2x6 treads have knots on the bottom and cannot be trusted either.   Suggest a 2x6 on edge below them.   Well, O.K......... Engineers over design everything and how would you get all the material into the woods?  Yea......personnaly I would get a heavy aluminum ladder and camo paint it so it would not rot.

Well at least you are hunting and having fun. 8) 8)     Since you have alot invested now (especially your pride) : :  you have to get a deer to show them us humans really know what we are doing :D

Hang in there  Stay safe.......

We love ya man........ and come back in one piece!

[SwampDonkey]

Oh well....it'll just make him wiser and tougher than before.  ;D

Glad everything is in it's rightful place.  ;)

Maybe there will be some Thanksgiving deer meat for lunch today. 

[rebocardo]

Glad to hear you didn't land on your head, that might have been a broken neck.

I agree on the threaded rod, I have always liked this better on cheap ladders instead of the blocks. If you buy the pre-cut lengths at Home Depot, with the ny-lock 1/4" nuts and washers it works out about $1.50-$1.75 per tread. Even if the wood snaps in 1/2, the rod is unlike to do anything other then bend.

[OneWithWood]

Jeff, sorry I have been away.  You always get hurt when I don't look in on you  :

Get a building square, if you don't already have one, and make some real stair stringers.  Three stringers with the treads placed on top of the stringers and you will be good to go and a lot safer.  ;)

[Jeff]

Didnt any of you guys ever have a tree house?  Admittedly my first ladder without the blocks was a deathtrap. The current configuration I am completely satisfied with after doing some bounce tests on the bottom 3 steps. These are not stairs but a glorified homemade ladder. you hold the rails as you scale it.  Its way to steep for stairs.

Its not like these will get traffic bounding up them day after day. If I was 200lbs lighter I could scale a knoted rope or a notched pole.  If ya take all the kid out of my platform and make oit safe enough for grandma, grandma can have it to hunt from. No matter how well engineered it could be I could have a coronary while sitting up here and be just as dead as if I did  header off the top.

Did I mention there are no safety rails on the top deck?

leaving those block supports off was stupid. I'm still paying for that with the still very sore leg. I'm sitting up here now typing this on my phone. I trust I,ll get down just fine now but if I dont, you'll all know I was grinning right up until the very end.   ;) ;D 8)

[Furby]

The current configuration I am completely satisfied with after doing some bounce tests on the bottom 3 steps.

Sorry, but I'm not. :-\
You really need to turn those cleats 90°, then I'll be happy!

[Jeff]

...and to Furby I leave my 18 volt ryobi screw gun and 3 treated 2by 4s...

[Furby]

 :D :D :D

I just don't like your grain orientation.

[beenthere]

It's not the bottom three steps that really matter.... ;D ;D ;D

(kinda like ya won't hit nails with a dull band...ya won't break through the steps that don't matter).  8)

Ya got a Furby on yer tail now, and he won't let up..... :D

[Jeff]

he knows right where the stand is if he wants to take on an upgrade. If
i happen to be piled up at the bottom and in the way, my logrite arch is at the cabin and the rincon is parked in th brush about half way in from peasley road. He should be able to move me anywhere out of the way he likes

[SwampDonkey]

Like the cop who I met on the woodlot a couple winters ago. He said, 'You could get injured up here and die from exposure.'

I said, 'Good place as any to die.'

;D

[OneWithWood]

Jeff, leave me the 20 acres.  Ok?

Sure hope you have not scared off all the deer  ;)

[pigman]

I want your ATV. 8)  It is not as fast as the old Polaris I use to own, but it is better than none. ;D

[Furby]

Can I have the mill and trailer ???

[DouginUtah]

Uh, uh. The really, really fine print of the contract says it goes back to the previous owner.

As you know, dat be me!

[Furby]

Yeah, but seeing how I'm closer, I bet I can get to it faster and possesion is 9/10 of the law! ;)

[Jeff]

...I also leave two pair of jersey gloves to whoever takes the quad. they are laying slightly off the front of where I park it in the brush. I dont care if they are still there after a long hard yooper winter, cause I sure wont want them back again.

[Furby]

Got a saw to cut the 2x4 ???

[Jeff]

55 rancher.

OK, fuby gets the gloves

[Furby]

Thanks, those jersey gloves are top notch. 8)
I wear a couple different pairs through out a winter, can always use another pair!

[Gary_C]

This discussion remind me of something I just read, although I don't remember where. It said "somebody wants your body!"   ;D

No not for that, it just means that your parts are worth a lot of money.  :D :D

[Norm]

The problem Gary is that they already harvested the good stuff, like kidneys, while he was down in CR. Oh sure Fred said it was a vacation but how else could he afford a new Baker sawmill :D

[Nate Surveyor]

Does not sound like there will be anything left for me.

:'( :'( :'(

Maybe I could have 'is old fishing pole. God knows, it did not get used enough!

N

[sawguy21]

Sheesh Jeff, now you know who your true friends are. ;D

[Roxie]

I call dibs on the stuffed coyote!!   8)

[Gary_C]

Jeff, you see what happens if you don't take the advice that is offered. Next thing you know they have you all divided up and everything spoken for.      :D :D

[Burlkraft]

OK, fuby gets the gloves

I know where them gloves been and all I got ta say is CONGRATULATIONS FURBY.............. :D :D :D

I hope you wear them well...everyone else: Let this be a warning...If you see Furby and he pulls off some brown jersey gloves and wants to shake hands....Just say  NO   

All's I got ta add is that it's good that they are already brown   :D  :D   :D  :D  :D

[Jeff]

 :-\ ;D

[Ron Scott]

Jeff,
I just saw this, and you were lucky. Hunting from elevated stands is risky business. Take care as I speak from experience after 3 falls over the years.

I lucked out on one, fell 15 feet to the ground when a  large limb broke while bow hunting. But then broke my neck on another fall with a climbing tree stand while bow hunting during a late December. This ordeal required major surgery with a neck fusion.

In the fall 2 years ago I tore the rotator cuff on my right shoulder. That fall was when the top step broke unexpectingly on a newly constructed elevated stand. I landed in two feet of snow which helped some, but still injured the shoulder. Luckly I had  already placed the gun in the blind before the top step broke.

Never use plastic decking material for steps, especially in cold weather.

[SwampDonkey]

It was dangerous enough when we kids had tree platforms in the apple orchard and firing home made arrows from rubber sling shots at one another. A lot of those old apple trees were half rotten and hollow. ;D

[sawguy21]

Yikes Ron, are you still walking? I don't think I would have tried a tree stand the third time. ;D

[Corley5]

I wasn't a tree climber as a kid and I'm not about to start now  ;) ;D ;D  I saw a guy I went to school with (k-12) in Wal-Mart in the early spring.  He was in a wheelchair  paralyzed from the waist down  :( :'(  He fell out of his tree stand while bowhunting and broke his spine.  He laid there for about six hours before family found him. 

[Ron Scott]

I don't promote elevated stands for hunting. ;) The technology of the new safety harness systems have improved the safety factor some. Be sure to use one if you hunt from high. Also safety inspect your stand on a regular basis.

[Minnesota_boy]

In this neck of the woods we had one hunter killed when his stand broke and dropped him to the ground and another who was strangled by his safety harness.  On a positive note, fewer hunters are being shot by members of their hunting party because they mostly hunt from elevated stands and the bullet goes into the ground.  I think the stands are a net positive but you do have to watch what you do all the time and check the stand every time you use it.

I had a ladder stand that I had fastened to the tree with the included winch strap and then cable locked it to the tree.  When I went back to it the winch strap was missing.  I think someone intended to steal the stand and didn't find out about the cable lock until after they removed the strap, so they only stole the strap.

[Furby]

Or they were hoping you'd fall.

[Gary_C]

Earlier this week, I was walking through one of my next logging jobs and I saw this tree. There is about 15 MBF of Norway pine on the sale in about 36 trees by the foresters count. One I saw was a 30 inch dia. This one is a 24 inch tree marked for cutting but was probably not counted for much.



There are just enough spikes to reach the limbs and they must trust those limbs as steps. I would sure hate to come sliding back down if a limb broke.

This is another Norway nearby and you can see the limbs they are trusting for steps.  :



Guess I will be doing those hunters a favor by cutting this tree.  ;D

[crtreedude]

The problem Gary is that they already harvested the good stuff, like kidneys, while he was down in CR. Oh sure Fred said it was a vacation but how else could he afford a new Baker sawmill :D

I finally caught up and saw this!  :D Makes me think I should do searches on my name or something...  :

[Ron Scott]

A hunter accident waiting to happen. I sure don't trust tree limbs.

Tree steps are illegal here on public land. A lot of trees have been ruined by them over the years besides being unsafe for the cutter and miller. We usually mark them as "WL" trees or fall them for grouse drumming logs and leave them since our loggers usually won't care to deal with them.

[rebocardo]

> Didnt any of you guys ever have a tree house?

That and forts. But, I didn't weigh 250 pounds and have to worry about $10,000+ hospitals bills either.  Construction material was anything thrown away in the trash on the street.

Which is the problem building my kids current treehouse, do I use 1x6 on the floor for them or 2x12 for me  ;)

[ibseeker]

Jeff,
I'm sorry to hear about your fall but glad that it wasn't worse than it could have been. Hope you're feeling better and the deer cooperate.

Chuck

[isawlogs]

 Sorry to hear 'bout your fall , glad to hear that you are mending .

Aint nothing wrong with the way that stair is built , he only needed to put the cleats in before the fall , to bad it happened , but like all things do , Stuff does happen .  :-\

  I am really glad that you only got hung up ... ya could of landed on you coconut and really knocked your thinker around . Now that could of really hurt .  :-\ :-\ :'( :'(

  As nobody has claimed da Forestry Forum truck ...  ;D  Oh dat might be da flower girls truck  :-\  Oh well I setlle for da trailer  ;) Has da gun been spoken fur yet .. dats a perdy gun , I like dat gun ..