Initial saddle hunt - Advice?

[okie_edward]

I hunted with the assassin platform and harness a few years ago but never got comfortable with that harness. I finally got the Evo out for a hunt last night and here are some of my lessons learned and and a couple of questions. Any and all advice/suggestions are welcome.

I climbed with 4 LW sticks and used the Assassin with 3 Ameristeps.
Set up in 45 minutes. That included pruning and cutting quite a bit on the way up.

Findings -
Prepare trees in advance for next year. - I practiced in a large tree - 12" dia. Trees less than 8" diameter sway a lot more than I expected.. Took a bit to learn to control my moves around the smaller tree. I'm right at 200 #s.
EVO comfort was acceptable - Much better than sitting on stand. - Ameristeps with OCBuckle was super solid. - Having a 2nd tree close enough to hang pack on is key.
Blake's hitch on tether was difficult to move once loaded - Need one hand operation for both LB and tether. Ropeman, right ?
Learn to do this in the dark (......)
Gotta get the weight down - Mine and the equipment!

Questions;
Assassin slips a bit - I think an OCBuckle might fix that. Has anyone tried that?
Is there a difference in the Ropeman1 and the Ropeman MK1?

Bottom line
Harness upgrade will wait. Platform upgrade will not wait!
I probably didn't remain still enough to see deer but learned a lot this time out.
I promise not be so long winded on posts from here on out - sorry

But this saddle thing.... I'm hooked
Next stop ; classifieds to purge the old heavy metal gear!!

 

[Erniepower]

Way to go! You've already come quite a ways. Now if you can ditch the, sticks and heavy assassin for spurs and a lighter platform, you'll really be rocking

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[JWS]

Ropeman 1 is the same as mk1.

 

[justsomedude]

There are different versions of the ropeman 1 but you'll only see the old ones used on eBay.

You're just looking the ropeman with the big teeth. Once you see pics of both it's obvious

 

[okie_edward]

Cool. Thanx Dude. You too jws I'll get a couple ordered.

There are different versions of the ropeman 1 but you'll only see the old ones used on eBay.

You're just looking the ropeman with the big teeth. Once you see pics of both it's obvious

 

[justsomedude]

The ropeman is more than just convenience to me. It makes everything safer with quick one handed adjustments.

 

[g2outdoors]

You're on the right track.

Ropeman is a must. I use 2 of them.

A good solid platform is a must. My Assault platform made a HUUUUUGE difference in comfort this year.

Spurs. If they're legal use them for mobile hunts. You are 100% correct that presets are the way to go, but when that's not an option, I prefer spurs over every other climbing method.

 

[kenn1320]

Not sure I would ditch the assassin platform just yet. Ive never used one, but its probably the best, just not the lightest. I believe you need to tighten the strap with the platform up. Then push the post down, then open the platform to cam lock the system. If your already doing that, not sure why its not solid?

 

[Erniepower]

I think if you get the strap tight then step on The post to tighten it more before you lower the platform it will be even tighter

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[kenn1320]

I think if you get the strap tight then step on The post to tighten it more before you lower the platform it will be even tighter

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Yes. It you can put your weight on the post, then lift the platform with your other foot, it should slide down the tree slightly. Then step down on platform and as it folds out it will be as tight as it can get.

 

[okie_edward]

I think if you get the strap tight then step on The post to tighten it more before you lower the platform it will be even tighter

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I tightened the strap before camming down the platform. It was very solid while standing on it. When I moved around the tree with one foot on it and the other on either the step or the top of my stick it shifted to the side. Just a bit, but I had to re-position it to get it right again.
I did not try stepping on the post first. I'll do that next time. That seems like it shold really help.
I'll let you and Kenn1320 know how it goes when I get home next week.
Thanx again

 

[okie_edward]

You're on the right track.

Ropeman is a must. I use 2 of them.

A good solid platform is a must. My Assault platform made a HUUUUUGE difference in comfort this year.

Spurs. If they're legal use them for mobile hunts. You are 100% correct that presets are the way to go, but when that's not an option, I prefer spurs over every other climbing method.

Spurs - Not something I'd ever thought about, but I sure will.
Seems like the bark might be an issue. Are certain trees better? Any to avoid?

 

[Erniepower]

Spurs - Not something I'd ever thought about, but I sure will.
Seems like the bark might be an issue. Are certain trees better? Any to avoid?

I love my spurs, but I did have to sharpen them. They worked out of the box but I changed the slope of the point and made it steeper. Now it barely takes any effort at all to dig in. No slamming the spike, just set in.place and add weight.

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[IkemanTX]

I love my spurs, but I did have to sharpen them. They worked out of the box but I changed the slope of the point and made it steeper. Now it barely takes any effort at all to dig in. No slamming the spike, just set in.place and add weight.

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Ernie, any way to get a pic of the angle change? Just how sharp are you guys going when you sharpen new spurs?


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[Erniepower]

Ernie, any way to get a pic of the angle change? Just how sharp are you guys going when you sharpen new spurs?


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I'll try and sketch something for you today

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[g2outdoors]

I don't have to jam my spurs in the tree at all. They go in like butter. Just set the point where I want it and apply weight. Of course mine are new and have only been used about 10 times. I imagine I'll need to sharpen every year.

Soft woods are easier to climb, but I haven't found a tree that doesn't work.

Ernie would know better than me about that.

 

[Erniepower]

Here is what I did. The black is the original shape, the red is how I changed it. It is needle sharp on the end. I kept having trouble on real hard trees like white oaks and hackberry trees. I haven't tried them out on the hard woods yet, but I am confident they will be better.

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[Erniepower]

Forgot the pic.

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[okie_edward]

I don't have to jam my spurs in the tree at all. They go in like butter. Just set the point where I want it and apply weight. Of course mine are new and have only been used about 10 times. I imagine I'll need to sharpen every year.

Soft woods are easier to climb, but I haven't found a tree that doesn't work.

Ernie would know better than me about that.

Thank you for bringing up the spur option. I've been checking out threads on spurs, which led to rappelling, which leads to who knows where! (well, my wallet knows where) But I really do think this is a great option for run and gun hunts without the weight of the sticks.

 

[IkemanTX]

Thank you for bringing up the spur option. I've been checking out threads on spurs, which led to rappelling, which leads to who knows where! (well, my wallet knows where) But I really do think this is a great option for run and gun hunts without the weight of the sticks.

If the properties you hunt allow it, I would recommend the spurs for run and gun or one time sits, and drill/bolt for the rest. EZKut makes a hand drill, but if you are setting trees up before season you can use a kreg bit and drill stop with a cordless drill to prep trees. That kind of setup is very light. I plan to do just that next season, and will be choosing the properties I hunt to support that plan.


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