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Butt Puckered

Gamover06

Gamover06

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2018
Messages
587
Location
SE Minneosta
On Saturday I went out to hunt right after the rain. When I got to the tree to set up I realized just how slippery the trees were. So when climbing I decided to use linesman and tether for extra comfort. The sticks bit in and held strong on the way up. My platform also locked in solid. While hunting I walked from platform to stick with zero issue. When I started to climb down after dark I still wanted to use my linesman and tether just to be safe. Thank god I did when I went to step down off my first stick so I could remove my platform and the top stick, the stick fell from under me. So I was left dangling from 12 ish feet up off my tether. This was my 3rd of 4 sticks so I had to use my top stick to get down. On the fly in the dark it went alright for one sticking for the first time. I keep thinking if I had only used my linesman with how slick the tree was I would have road that tree all the way down. Maybe not the best decision to climb a tree that was that slick but the tether as a back up saved me a lot pain. Not sure what the trees in the grove were but the bark was smoothish also.
 
1 Glad you’re ok.
2 What happened to the next stick? They can and will Kickout but shouldn’t because of wet smooth bark.
 
EricS said:
1 Glad you’re ok.
2 What happened to the next stick? They can and will Kickout but shouldn’t because of wet smooth bark.
Click to expand...
My first step down was to far down and when I pulled my foot back up it clipped the top step and kicked to the side and slid down the tree.

When you put pressure on the stick it was locked in really good but when I pulled up on the sticks to remove them they lifted up super easy. The slickness of the tree and the smooth bark all played a factor. I feel like if the tree wasn't slick it wouldn't have slid and it would have hung around for me to get it back locked in.
 
What type of stick? What attachment method?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
lungpuncher1 said:
What type of stick? What attachment method?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I have the same question.

I am still not clear how you pulled the stick back up.

So on the way up, you knocked the 3rd stick? So on the way down, it was already compromised when you put weight on it?
 
Dude, I’m stoked you’re alright. Thanks for sharing with us. If I have to hunt in the rain, I hunt from the ground. I have only climbed a wet tree once and regretted it wholeheartedly as soon as I got up my sticks to my platform. It’s just so much risk for not much advantage IMO. Can’t fall off the wet ground so easily.
 
Nearly the same thing happened to me on Saturday in a poplar tree. I put my weight on my second stick and slid down a good 12 inches. If the tree was wet I would have potentially slid faster and further. I've always hated poplars even when I hunted out of stands....
 
Smart move adding the tether to your LB. Probably saved your ass.

I'm a safety nut and do this all the time with sticks. I had a stick slip out on me once and I went straight to the bottom...it was my 2nd stick so no injury. LB may stop you, but may not.
 
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I had a similar situation that was a self induced. While attaching my ROS and standing on the lower step of my stick I leaned hard into the ocb to cam it over and in doing so sent the bottom of the stick right off the tree. Luckily I had one arm wrapped around the tree so I didn't drop but it took serious muscle control to keep from soiling myself. Since then I attach my tether before fiddling with anything else.
Glad you made out with just a scare. Be safe.
 
lungpuncher1 said:
What type of stick? What attachment method?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Sorry. Hawk Helium with amsteel daisy chain. I have been using the hawks for 3 years and the daisy chain method is new although I have been using amsteel rope mode for 3 years.

The stick was solid on the way up. When climbing down I missed the step then when bring my foot back up to put it on the step my foot clipped the step and stick kicked out and fell.

I am assuming the type of tree stopped the sticks from biting into the tree and the slippery tree helped it slid so quick.
 
pesqimon said:
I have the same question.

I am still not clear how you pulled the stick back up.

So on the way up, you knocked the 3rd stick? So on the way down, it was already compromised when you put weight on it?
Click to expand...
I didn't pull the stick back up. I was using 4 sticks. 4th stick being the top one. The third one fell so I hung from my tether moved the 4th one down a foot stepped on the stick and then moved my tether down and slowly got to the next stick (2nd)
 
Glad your ok and used that tether!! Your butt pucker moment is the exact reason I choose to belay down at the end of a hunt vs using the sticks/stepps to climb down. Don't have to worry about foot placement in the dark or kick outs.
 
Sorry for not saying before, that I am glad you're here to be able to make this post!

I think you're highlighting one of the drawbacks of the daisy chain method. I imagine it would be harder to have this happen with the standard cam buckle or rope/strap mod. You can cinch the strap tight and therefore have minor slack if you should knock the stick the way you did.

Definitely something to think about when choosing method of attachment.

Thanks for sharing!
 
pesqimon said:
Sorry for not saying before, that I am glad you're here to be able to make this post!

I think you're highlighting one of the drawbacks of the daisy chain method. I imagine it would be harder to have this happen with the standard cam buckle or rope/strap mod. You can cinch the strap tight and therefore have minor slack if you should knock the stick the way you did.

Definitely something to think about when choosing method of attachment.

Thanks for sharing!
Click to expand...
You are correct. I have already been thinking about that. It is quicker and lighter but I don't think this happens with a cam buckle.....actually can pretty much guarantee it wouldn't have.
 
pesqimon said:
Sorry for not saying before, that I am glad you're here to be able to make this post!

I think you're highlighting one of the drawbacks of the daisy chain method. I imagine it would be harder to have this happen with the standard cam buckle or rope/strap mod. You can cinch the strap tight and therefore have minor slack if you should knock the stick the way you did.

Definitely something to think about when choosing method of attachment.

Thanks for sharing!
Click to expand...
I messed with the rope mod then thought better of it. The tiny bit of extra weight is more than made up by piece of mind knowing that strap is good and tight. Not saying it still couldn't kick out but I dont think it's going anywhere

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