I’d like to introduce you to a blogger friend of mine and his cool, new cause. His name is Will Jenkins, he runs the blog “The Will to Hunt,” and his program is “Harnesses for Hunters.” I’d explain it to you, but I think Will can do a much better job of it himself.

On November 20, 2011, I opened my Google News page like I do most days to read up on the news. Unfortunately, the top three stories under my "Hunting" news feed involved hunters being injured or killed falling from a treestand. I see the stats every year, but for some reason it really got me this time. I felt like someone needed to provide a better way for people to acquire a harness at little or no cost. Then, I realized that person could be me. With most treestands coming with a generic harness, and a large portion of people owning multiple stands, as well as a premium-style harness, that should mean plenty of people have tons of harnesses lying around going unused. From there, the solution is simple: Provide a central point for people to donate or get harnesses! And that’s when I decided to start Harnesses for Hunters.

The next day, I put up a post on my website, TheWillToHunt.com, about the program. To be honest, I was nervous. I was afraid I’d have more people asking for harnesses than donating. To my surprise, until recently the donations have matched recipients one to one. Within the first 24 hours I had three harnesses on their way to their new owners. I’ve also had a lot of support with others helping spread the word because, really, the program doesn’t mean much without people getting the word out.

Despite starting the program so late in the season, about 30 harnesses have been given to people who need them. Most have been given to young or new hunters who have a limited budget to get started in hunting; those people are exactly who this program is for. While part of the problem is getting people to realize they need to own and use a harness, the most obvious barrier is access to harnesses. That’s what this program aims to fix. It’s a simple solution for a major problem, and the program really only exists because of the overwhelming generosity of fellow hunters.

-Will Jenkins

If you would like to donate to the Harnesses for Hunters, please send an e-mail with the subject line "Harness Donation" to willejenkins@gmail.com. Also, if you or someone you know is in need of a harness, please send an e-mail to the address above with the subject line "Need a Harness."