Big Game Treestands, a hunting tree-stand brand sold by GSM Outdoors, has issued two voluntary recalls: about 1,030 “The Captain” Hang-on Treestands on December 22, 2021, and about 12,200 earlier climbing tree stands on October 20, 2015.
Both recalls share the same kind of hazard: a problem with the stand’s cable and platform system. The section below on why the treestands were recalled explains what CPSC found and how the two recalls differ.
Consumers who own an affected treestand should stop using it and contact Big Game Treestands for a free replacement or refund. Both recalls remain open. CPSC has not marked either one closed.
- Action type: Voluntary recall
- Announcement and initiation dates: Announced and initiated December 22, 2021
- Company and responsible agency: Big Game Treestands (GSM Outdoors) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Recall or campaign number: 22-034
- Affected models, lots, UPCs, serial numbers, or VINs: The Captain Hang-on Treestand, model BGM-FP0050, serial/batch number 2M-0121
- Number of affected units: About 1,030 units
- Sold at and sale period: Nationwide at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Scheels and other retailers, August 2021 through October 2021, $60-$80
- Hazard: The crimps of the plastic-coated cables can slip during use, letting the standing platform release and posing fall and injury hazards
- Reported incidents, injuries, illnesses, and deaths: 10 reports of cables releasing, causing falls; 2 injuries; no deaths reported
- Remedy: Free replacement cables, or a full refund by mailing back the treestand with a prepaid label
Table Of Contents
- Latest Big Game Treestands Recall Updates
- Which Big Game Treestands Are Affected?
- Why Were the Big Game Treestands Recalled?
- Reported Incidents, Injuries, or Illnesses
- What Should Consumers Do?
- Legal Options
- Filing Deadlines
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Is There a Big Game Treestand Recall Lawsuit Class Action or MDL?
- Do You Qualify for a Big Game Treestand Recall Lawsuit?
- What Compensation May Be Available for a Treestand Injury?
- Who Distributed the Recalled Big Game Treestands?
- How Many Times Has Big Game Treestands Recalled Its Products?
- How Common Are Treestand Cable or Strap Failures Like This One?
- References
Latest Big Game Treestands Recall Updates
December 22, 2021: CPSC Recalls Captain Hang-On Treestand
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and GSM Outdoors announced a recall of about 1,030 Captain Hang-on Treestands, model BGM-FP0050 [1]. The failure matches the cable-crimp defect described below.
GSM Outdoors had received 10 reports of the platform releasing and two reported injuries. The notice lists no reported death. Consumers can request free replacement cables or return the stand for a full refund.
October 20, 2015: CPSC Recalls Three Big Game Climbing Tree Stands
An earlier CPSC recall covered about 12,200 Big Game climbing tree stands sold as The Outlook, The Cobalt, and The Fusion [2]. The cable assembly on these stands could release during use, posing the same fall hazard.
Big Game had received one report of the cable releasing, which caused injuries to a hunter’s knee, wrist, and hip. The remedy was free replacement cables.
Which Big Game Treestands Are Affected?
Two separate recalls cover different Big Game models. Check your stand’s model, serial, or batch number against this list:
- The Captain Hang-on Treestand, model BGM-FP0050, serial/batch number 2M-0121 (December 2021 recall)
- CL050 The Outlook climbing tree stand, batch number 9B-0414 (October 2015 recall)
- CL100-A The Cobalt climbing tree stand, batch number 9B-0214 or 9B-0514 (2015 recall)
- CL500-AP The Fusion climbing tree stand, batch number 9B-0214 or 9B-0514 (2015 recall)
The 2021 serial number sits on a metal plate riveted to the frame support. The 2015 batch number is on a small tag under the seat.
Only stands matching these exact model, serial, and batch numbers are part of either recall. Every other Big Game treestand product, including newer models, is not included in either action.
Why Were the Big Game Treestands Recalled?
Big Game Treestands were recalled because a crimped cable connection can fail during ordinary use, dropping the platform out from under a hunter.
Treestand falls are a well-documented hunting hazard. CPSC’s own consumer-safety literature, which frames both Big Game recalls, warns that hunters are killed or seriously injured every season, most often while stepping onto or off the platform [3].
Neither CPSC notice describes a cause beyond the cable and crimp failure. Each recall notice is the primary source for what happened in that case.
Both recalled product lines were manufactured in China, according to the CPSC notices. Big Game Treestands distributes and sells them in the United States.
Reported Incidents, Injuries, or Illnesses
Across both recalls, GSM Outdoors and Big Game Treestands received 11 reports. Three injuries were reported in total: one from the 2015 recall and two from the 2021 recall.
Neither notice reports a death. The reports reflect only what consumers told the company and CPSC. They are not proof that every recalled stand failed, and most units sold during either recall period drew no report at all.
A CPSC review of incidents from 1980 through 2001 found 54 of 137 tree-stand incidents involved a stand failure like the cable and platform failures in both Big Game recalls, causing 6 deaths and 40 injuries nationwide [4].
These recall figures come from the notices themselves, and the 1980-2001 figures come from a separate CPSC review; Schmidt & Clark did not independently verify either.
Anyone hurt by a falling or collapsing treestand should keep records of the incident, whether or not it was ever reported to the company or the agency.
What Should Consumers Do?
Consumers who own an affected Big Game treestand should take the following steps:
- Stop using the treestand immediately as soon as its model, serial, or batch number matches the recall list above.
- Photograph the stand, its identification plate or tag, and the cables carefully before making any changes.
- Contact Big Game Treestands toll-free at 877-343-8211, weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT, or through the online recall-notice form, to arrange a free cable replacement or refund, or report a fall or cable failure to CPSC at 800-638-2772.
- Seek prompt medical care for any fall-related injury and keep copies of the records.
Legal Options
Schmidt & Clark reviews individual injury claims tied to a defective or recalled treestand, including a recalled Big Game model, at no cost to the caller.
A recall does not automatically establish that a company is liable or that a claim will succeed. A free case review looks at the specific facts of your fall.
Filing Deadlines
State law, rather than Schmidt & Clark or Big Game Treestands, sets the deadline for filing a product-injury claim, and that deadline can be short.
How long you have depends on where you live and when the fall, or its cause, was discovered by you or a doctor.
Missing a filing deadline can end a claim even when the facts are strong, so it helps to speak with a lawyer promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Big Game Treestand Recall Lawsuit Class Action or MDL?
No, there is no class action or multidistrict litigation (MDL) for Big Game treestand claims. The federal judicial panel’s pending-MDL docket, current as of September 1, 2026, lists no treestand-related case. Injury and recall claims are filed individually rather than as a consolidated action.
Do You Qualify for a Big Game Treestand Recall Lawsuit?
Qualifying for a Big Game treestand recall lawsuit depends on an individual case review rather than a simple checklist. A reviewer will also confirm which notice applies: CPSC recall number 16-012 for the earlier stands, or the newer Captain notice.
What Compensation May Be Available for a Treestand Injury?
Compensation for a treestand injury, if a claim succeeds, may cover medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering tied to a documented fall like those under recall 22-034 or 16-012. Amounts are never guaranteed and depend on the case’s facts.
Who Distributed the Recalled Big Game Treestands?
The recalled Big Game treestands came from two distributors: BGHA, Inc., doing business as Big Game, of Windom, Minnesota, distributed the 2015 climbing stands, and GSM Outdoors distributed the 2021 Captain Hang-on Treestand under the same Big Game brand.
How Many Times Has Big Game Treestands Recalled Its Products?
Big Game Treestands has recalled its products twice: about 12,200 climbing tree stands in 2015 and about 1,030 Captain Hang-on Treestands in 2021, for a combined total of roughly 13,230 units across both actions.
How Common Are Treestand Cable or Strap Failures Like This One?
Cable or strap failures like this one are more common than many hunters expect. CPSC staff estimated that about 6,000 tree-stand injuries were treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2001, and a separate historical review found cable and platform failures behind both Big Game recalls.
References
- https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/Big-Game-Treestands-Recalls-2021-The-Captain-Hang-on-Treestands-Due-to-Fall-and-Injury-Hazards
- https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2016/Big-Game-Recalls-Tree-Stands
- https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/pdfs/blk_pdf_5200.pdf
- https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Briefing_Package-Petition_CP_02-3;_Hunting_Tree_Stand_Petition-06.14.2004.pdf