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