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How long does it take you to climb?

Jbiehn

Jbiehn

Active Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2019
Messages
168
Location
Nutmeg State
How long does it take you to climb, to say 18-20’, set up your platform and be prepared to hunt with an arrow nocked?

Ive been practicing with WE stepps a ROS and a predator platform and being stealth I almost always take 20ish minutes. Is that terribly slow?!

Thanks all!
 
It all depends on the climbing method. Fast/Slow is completely subjective. If you're okay with it, then it's fast enough. I wouldn't obsess over it too much. When you start trying to turn your climb into a sprint, that's when bad stuff is more likely to happen, no matter what climbing method you use.
 
This is a topic that seems to be pretty important to me but less important to most. I've been caught climbing by deer and had to pass on opportunities in the past. If I am single sticking I can get it all done in around 5 mins while maintaining noise discipline. Anything else takes me around 20 mins.
 
Definitely a variable thing but I was curious what others were doing.

a nice oak or ash tree can make me feel like a pro whereas a lumpy and loose barked Hickory makes me feel like I’ve never climbed a tree.

Thanks for the replies all!
 
10 or less for a fairly clean tree, limbs obviously add a little to that which varies. Def stay quiet is most important. It’s relative, if you are late getting to the tree and deer are moving even 10inutes seems long and 20 seems like eternity. Just make sure to equate set up time in your total “time to get on stand”.


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Let this post play out for a couple more days and you'll see the set up times decline. If someone says it takes them 17 minutes, the next person will be inclined to write that it takes him 15, the next person may be 13 minutes and so on... That being written, there are some serious professionals here and I don't doubt for a second that some folks can fly up some trees. Experience plays a huge role in this, gear does too to a lesser extent.

My goal is to get into hunting position as quickly and safely as possible, but I consider being set up quietly a higher priority for me personally. I have climbed some trees with (3x) LW sticks and aiders in some pretty fast times, but my favorite climb to date was a time that I had a small buck standing in the dark at the base of my tree sniffing the aider on my bottom stick while I was standing on the middle step of my top stick - that was a cool morning experience, one that I wouldn't have had if I made a ton of noise climbing that tree.

I'm writing this just to say that if you are basing your query on climbing times to satisfy a curiosity of what other folks do - good on you. If you are asking your question to judge yourself and end up pushing your limits in an unsafe manner or ruin your odds of shooting your deer - shame on you! (sarcasm inserted for emphasis because most days I'm happy just to not fall out of the tree...)
 
Preset paracord SRT/DRT climb, 5 minutes tops, and most of my presets are no platform, just tree limbs to stand on, WE steps and a 5 step etrier, closer to 10.

No preset, SRT/DRT climb, depends on how fast I hit my target with a throw bag.

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Love @Scott F 's response because it's so true.

I'm with @Wyatt_burp on this. It literally takes me 15 seconds to silently ascend to 25ft once I'm all hooked up to my rope at the bottom. SRT'ers time is taken up with hitting a tree crotch and fiddling around with rope.

Once at 25ft, it takes another minute to add setup a platform and about 4 more minutes to get my equipment hanging system out/installed, bow pulled up, and an arrow nocked.
 
I’m always trying to be safe and quiet, but I also get antsy if it takes longer than 10 minutes on a “decent” tree with 4 LW sticks. I’m just a butthead who’d rather blow deer out still-hunting than climbing with my bow on the ground. I’m more concerned about quietly and smoothly setting myself up at the base of the tree, which takes about 3-5 minutes. Once my first stick is on, I’m hooked in and not coming back down, and I don’t really have trouble doing the final 3 sticks and platform in like 2-3 more minutes. Tack on another 3-5 minutes for maintenance at hunting height, and I’m right around 10-15 minutes average.
I have been known to get so frustrated climbing into somewhat canted trees, that whatever stick I’m at right then is the freakin’ stick I’m hunting at. I’ll extend my cam straps all the way and let my remaining sticks chill out below my tree. I just don’t have enough hunting time to pfutz around excessively getting up the tree. 10-15 minutes or I’m hunting from wherever my feet are.
 
I believe a video my climb with three 15 1/2 inch helium's in a multi-step atar will be posted soon and if memory serves I was right around 10-minutes to reach approximately 24 foot. I was not in a super big hurry but I wasn't really taking my time trying to be perfectly quiet either. So I would say my average time when hunting is somewhere it's in the 10 to 15 minute mark. If I drill and use 12 bolts to climb I reach approximately 24 ft, and I'd say it takes about a minute a hole so again I'm around that 10 to 15 Minute mark. Of course if I climb the same tree a second time that season with bolts it is significantly faster since there is no drilling required. On Spurs I would say to reach 24 feet is about the same amount of time by the time you take your Spurs off your pack, put them on, climb and set a platform/ROS and remove your Spurs. But regardless of how long it takes you or anybody the key is just to take your time and be safe about it. The best way to get proficient at something is to not try if push limits rather practice your method and it will just become second nature.

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30 minutes. I'm old plus I'm setting up filming gear which takes quite a bit longer especially if I need to ratchet in a base.
 
I’d be curious to know if anyone can, from the time they pick the tree, climb up to top of whatever method they use(minimum 18’), in under ten minutes, without their lineman’s belt getting below their hips, or their tether having no more than 18” of slack in it.
 
kyler1945 said:
I’d be curious to know if anyone can, from the time they pick the tree, climb up to top of whatever method they use(minimum 18’), in under ten minutes, without their lineman’s belt getting below their hips, or their tether having no more than 18” of slack in it.
Click to expand...
Only when I climb with Spurs

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kyler1945 said:
I’d be curious to know if anyone can, from the time they pick the tree, climb up to top of whatever method they use(minimum 18’), in under ten minutes, without their lineman’s belt getting below their hips, or their tether having no more than 18” of slack in it.
Click to expand...
This sounds like a "video proof" challenge. @kyler1945 has thrown down the gauntlet... Who's game!? :)
 
Not to be smart or coy, but honestly, it takes as long as it takes. Some crazy trees or those in close proximity to bedding may take longer to reach hunting height. I have never timed myself, nor have I had the desire to do so. I practice regularly, so I am QUIET, smooth and disciplined during my ascent.
 
ImThere said:
Climbing times are very situational.



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I couldn't agree more. That's why I keep three different methods in my Arsenal. For instance if I think I'm going to be climbing in an area with relatively straight trees and no low limbs such as pine trees I will climb with my Spurs. If I think I'm going to be climbing a relatively large tree with lots of Limbs or even a smaller tree with lots of Limbs bolts are my go-to. If I'm going to climb that tree for a second time that year I'm definitely going to drill it. If I'm on public going into an area I've never been in before I'm probably going to bring my sticks. I've never tried SRT as a climbing method but I know I would never probably fool with it unless I had preset trees with paracord. There's no way I'd want to go in an hour before daylight and start trying to sling a rope up in a tree in the dark. I have food with wild Edge steps on a very limited basis but I found this method to be very slow at least for me. I think once you got very proficient with the knot it would speed things up but personally I did not care for them over sticks.

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