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One of the worst experiences of my life was almost 4 years ago. It was July and I was moving some stands, getting ready for hunting season. I climbed up into one of my favorites that had been in the same tree for about 4-5 years. I had a chain around the top and a nylon strap around the bottom. Since the tree had grown a little over the years, the strap had sunk into the tree and there was no way I could loosen it, so I cut it. Well as soon as the weight was placed all on that chain it snapped and I went down backwards. It was 21 feet from the platform I was standing on to the ground and I landed flat on my back. I was knocked out cold for a little while and came to with a searing pain in my arm. Luckily my friend was there and he helped me get a strap around my arm as a sling and drove me to the hospital. My left upper arm was shattered down the bone, but nothing else was wrong, I feel like I must have landed on an angel. The arm took forever to heal, I couldn't bow hunt for two years. The worst was I had a 5 week old at home along with two toddlers, it really hit me hard how close I came to making them grow up without a dad. I learned my lesson though, wear a harness whenever you are in a tree! Its a hassle sometimes, but leaving your wife a widow and your kids fatherless is a bigger hassle.
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