An apparatus that secures a hunter to a tree while in a tree-mounted hunting stand that includes a safety harness assembly (200) having a belt retractor (24) and a body harness (16). The belt retractor is configured to be removably secured about the tree and removably secured to the body harness. The belt retractor along with energy-absorbing materials improves the hunter's safety while in tree stand and provides a sufficiently large range of motion about the stand.