Video: Tree Stand Slips as “Hunter” Draws His Bow

This seconds-long video shows someone with a climbing tree stand on a utility pole (something you should never do, by the way) who draws his bow and immediately falls when the bottom section of his climber lets go of the pole.

Yeah, it’s funny in a sick sort of way, but there are real lessons to be learned here. First of all, this stand is set improperly.

Take a look at the image above (which I purposely rotated to show the pole more or less plumb). Concentrate on the bottom section of the stand. See how the end of the stand that’s away from the pole is lower than the end that’s against the pole? That’s something I like to call “a recipe for disaster.” The outer end should be higher than the end against the tree (or pole, in this case), or level with it at worst.

The top section is also set improperly, but to a lesser degree.

These stands rely on leverage to keep them in place, and you get more leverage the farther your weight is from the tree; this guy’s feet are together and both are very close to the pole (especially when he draws the bow), which lessens the amount of leverage exerted. He would have been marginally safer if he were standing with one foot away from the “tree,” although that becomes less safe when the stand is set in a “droopy” manner, as it is here.

Bottom line: When you set up and use a stand improperly, bad things can happen.

Deer season will be upon us before you know it. Do yourself a favor and don’t be like this guy.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.