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Saddle hunting goof ups

swampsnyper

swampsnyper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2015
Messages
4,463
Location
Warrior, Al
Was hunting a skinny tree. Put my ameristep platform on. Had plenty tag line hanging and I hate flapping straps. So I had the brilliant idea to wrap it around the tree under the steps. Just tuck it up a little to hold it. Once I stood on my platform it was like they were on rollers. Every step I took on them the slid down further and further until the steps had slid completely down the strap. Now I'm stuck with the tag end tight around the tree so I can't even cam the boat strap over to release. Had to work the steps up until I could get a hold of the tag end and pull it out and redo the whole platform.

And another thing. When I was pulling my bag up, it hit a tree bolt and almost pulled it out. I barely felt it grab. If it was a morning hunt I would have never noticed in the dark. So I bounced my bag on it a couple times to push it back in. That would have been a bad step down in the dark. Especially if you are really stretching the distance between bolts. I'll have to remember to look down my tree when there is good light to make sure they all are fully inserted. Another good reason to stick the bolt in the tree and paint the outer portion a contrasting color from the internal half. Makes for easy referencing.
 
Been there!

I TRY to always have stirrups or at least a sling that I can stand on if my platform gets messed up or a tree bolt falls out. Plus I always have a couple extra bolts when I’m using them.
 
If you are missing one step and you KNOW that you are missing it, you can rig up your tether to lower yourself one step.
 
That's okay.... I climbed my tree one afternoon about 4 miles from my truck and was pulling up my bow only to think to myself, "man my bow looks funny"..... got it in the tree and realized I didn't have any arrows.... that was a fun hunt!

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Yep....went way back one time......climbed up....perfect quiet cold morning. Rifling through all the pockets on my back pack and a sick feeling came over me. No release!!!! I left it in the camper. I shot my bow at a leaf with just my fingers just for kicks. It was ridiculous how the arrow reacted at the release. I couldn't have hit the broad side of a barn with it. Hung it up and got the camera out. Thank God no monster bucks came by. Since that day, my release is buckled to my bow when it isn't buckled to my wrist.
 
I already told this story in another thread. I climbed a tree at about 4 in the morning. Pitch dark. This was back when I was using sticks. I get up to the tie in point. I look down and I had hooked my lineman's belt to a utility key chain carabiner. It was bent all the way open barely hooking the loop. I threw every carabiner not life rated in the trash. Even my keys are on a 25kn biner.
 
This has happened to me more than once. Sometimes I walk from my house to the properties I hunt because most are within a mile or so and it helps to avoid walking through the fields. Now when I do this I leave 2-3 + hours before daylight. Many hours later when my wife wakes up she let's the dogs out and sometimes doesn't leash them since it's breakfast time. Then there are the days they lock onto my scent trail and at morning prime time miles away you have your own dog barking at the base of your tree. It sure makes you very happy.
 
So when I first started the 1 stick method, I was coming back down the tree and I forgot to adjust my tree tether. It was too long and when I dropped down below my stick, I couldn't reach the cam buckle to move my stick down. I was about 25 foot up and couldn't reach my stick. I freaked for a minute and then remembered I had cranford steps that I use for my platform. I simply screwed in the steps and got my stick and continued down. If I didn't have those steps I would have been toast! It didn't' take long for me to learn how to rappel.
 
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