• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

What's your time to hunt?

G

gettingstarted

Active Member
Joined
May 17, 2020
Messages
121
What's your time to hunt?

Since the moment you approach a tree (still wearing a pack) to the moment you are settled in at hunting height and not moving.

Please ensure to describe your setup


Me:
2TC+dryad Drey saddle+ros+rappel down
Climbing knots mostly

Climb:
-By the I approach the tree, am already wearing the saddle, however 2 pouches + xbow + jacket attached to pack
-In front of tree, move pouches to saddle, connect the rappel rope(that doubles as gear pull-up)to backpack and clip-in to saddle
-Setup tethers on tree: top to saddle with kong-duck, bottom with prussic and foot loop(home-sewn seat belt webbing)
- climb up (about 5-15 mins)
- once on hunting height:
Deploy ring of steps, deploy hammock, tie rappel rope with Equivocation hitch(it has hooks , so doubles as gear hanger as well)
Pull up backpack, put the xbow and jacket on hooks.
Tie a alpine butterfly loop on rappel line, so that backpack goes below ros.
Load the xbow
Get comfy, ready to hunt (I put the jacket once I start getting chilly later)

All in all about 15-25 mins
No matter what I do I cannot get it done quicker, as I try move slowly and make less noise.

Am wondering, is this a normal timeline?
 
2TC with a ring of steps.

Everything is in the backpack. I take off the pack and open it. I take out my Treehopper Recon or Wraptor and put it on like a weightlifter's belt. I take out knee pads and put them on. I take out tethers and put them on the tree. I take out bow pull up rope and attach it to the bow and clip it to the left side of the saddle. I zip up the pack and put it on my back. I clip the saddle into the top tether and move the saddle down under my butt and snug up the waist belt down tight. I adjust the tether length and step up into foot tether. The climb begins.

Once I am at the right height to put on the ring of steps I move the Distel hitch on the foot tether up and take off my pack and hang the pack in front of me from the Distel and unzip the pack. I take the ring of steps out and put them on the tree. I then put the backpack back on and make about 2 more moves up onto the ring of steps. Once on the ring of steps I adjust the top tether and move the foot tether up about 8 inches below the top tether. I then move the foot tether around to the 2 or 3 o'clock position and move the Distel hitch with carabiner up under the knot to lock it in place. I then hang my backpack from this carabiner. I take the gear strap out and put it on the tree between the top and foot tether. I loosen the waist belt and position the saddle under me and overlap the panels to make about a 9 inch seat.

I then pull up my bow, remove the quiver and hang the bow on the left side of the tree and the quiver on the right. I nock an arrow and settle in for the hunt. I figure 8 my pull up rope and stow it away. All told, it usually takes between 8 to 10 minutes to do that at a deliberate pace.

Coming down is a little faster since gravity helps me with the tethers, and I usually just drop the ring of steps and gear strap to the base of the tree on the climb down and gather it all up on the pack up.
 
Last edited:
I have gotten a lot better at 1 sticking and can typically have an arrow knocked under 15.
I walk in carrying my 1 stick, wearing my saddle, my bow is on my backpack.
At base of tree, I Attach full size Hawk helium 3 step stick with single amsteel aider, using amsteel and a cam cleat……keep the amsteel at a pretty good angle for easily pulling up.
Attach tether and sit back making sure everything is in place. Start Climb, moving tether with me as best I can to minimize slack. At top of stick and tether as high as I can get it, I move the loop to the right a touch so I can easier reach down and grab with left hand…. I hang.
Reach down and grab GIANT Geartie and pull up stick, detach, and put it up in front of me. Repeat 1 -2 more times. If I move my stick 3 times, my rappel line is barely touching the ground. When I set my stick the last time, my cord is straight around the tree with no angle.
Attach platform just above and to the side of stick, positioning the two ROS steps on each side of platform. Climb to top and check position.
In the Top of pouch is my gear strap. 1/8” amsteel with aluminum cam jam. S hooks on it already 2 on left 1 on right side.
Now I take my pack off and hang on right side of strap. Remove bow and take off quiver. Nock an arrow and hang bow and quiver. I’m almost ready!
At this point I’m hunting! But if my grunt isn’t around my neck I dig it out along with a hack clothe (super thick auto microfiber towel). My range finder is in the arm strap in front me me so I get it out first and find my 20 and 30 yard radius, but I’m already hunting in less than 15.
 
FWIW-getting the bow off the pack is easy but putting it back on is a pain. I always let my bow down and attach the end of that line to my rappel line so I can get it down.
 
When it's dead calm in the dark 30+ with my one stick as I'm moving super slow. If I have some wind cover less than 15 minutes.

Monday morning I hunted a pre set with my trad bow. I slung the bow strung over my shoulder and climbed, set my platform and was settled under 5 minutes. I may have moved a smidgen fast as I was late as it was, but I had wind cover to help me.
 
Last edited:
BTaylor said:
I generally dont worry about or pay much attention to the time. I just try to climb quietly and when I am set up and ready to hunt, I am right on time.
Click to expand...
Be quick but don’t hurry. - John Wooden

Phantom saddle, OneSticks, predator platform. Wear my pack while I climb, tether in at height, attach gear strap, pull up bow, take off pack and hang out.

Honestly feel like I’d be sub 10 minutes but I’m not going to time it. If it did I’d hurry things to make sure I beat the time I set as a goal in my head and that’s a recipe for disaster in a situation that calls for caution. Apparently a bunch of people fall every year not taking things seriously.
 
When I first started mobile hunting with a summit climber, I would rush and hurry and make a boatload of noise and end up looking like round 14 Rocky.

Nowadays I take my time, quietly, sometimes 1/2 hr after I get to the tree before I'm ready to shoot.
 
Time to height is important, but not nearly as important as our safety. Remember, most saddle hunters are taking a HUGE chance not making sure their bridge is attached to the tree the entire time AND on minimum slack. I would rather see y'all taking more time any tying in than taking less time and taking chances.

Me? 90+% of my hunting climbing is done with a zero slack rope climb using a "paracord preset" which is in the tree from a prior year or hunt.

When I use a branch instead of a platform, the climb to 25 ft takes about 3 min, butlet'ss say 5 minutes to be all setup and bring up my rope.

When I use a platform, it would be more like 7min.

I have a channel and website dedicated to sharing. Here's the DSRT page:

JRB DSRT - JrbTreeClimbing.com

The SYSTEM is WHAT we climb on. The TECHNIQUE or METHOD is HOW we climb. We can use multiple climbing techniques on one system. This page is about the JRB Doubled Stationary Rope Technique (DSRT). In planning, consider this distinction and review the other materials on the channel, particularly...
jrbtreeclimbing.com

JrbTreeClimbing.com, affiliated with RockNArbor.com
 
WE Steps, Ring of steps, OCB strap with bow and gear hooks. By the time I get completely and truly settled in, (up the tree, back pack hung up, bow hung up) it's probably close to 30 minutes. It would be great if it was quicker but I feel if I rush, I'm taking chances of making mistakes which could get me hurt. I just allow plenty of time. Plus most of my hunts are in the morning so working in the dark.
 
I use 3 sticks and a platform, can be 'hunting' in about 15-20 but it's closer to 30 minutes til I'm all settled in.
 
About 2-30 minutes. It's highly variable based mostly on how much cold weather gear I have to deal with because I hike light then dress heavy, and the level of difficulty and how high I need to get in a tree. I enjoy hunting more as the season gets deep into the rut and even the backside. As the leaf cover goes I am looking for branch cover, and usually in what I consider the stratosphere. But man when we get here in the season, do I ever miss those spartan October 12-foot climbs with leaf cover in a light jacket and all my gear in a couple pockets.
 
10-15 minutes depending.
EWO 1 stick with aider, Aerohunter Flex, Gameplan gear leech, crossbow, rappel with safeguard.

Once at the tree I doff my pack and unstow my stick. Lines are removed from my saddle pouches and uncoiled. Safeguard is secured to line along with biner. Stick is secured to tree. Pack is donned and end of rappel line is clipped to xbow. Saddle is clipped onto line, stick is mounted and I begin the ascending process. Once at height safeguard is backed up, pack is doffed again and secure to tree with strap, xbow is hoisted and loaded and hung on strap, take a couple yardage readings and I’m set.
If it’s cold and or/dark I’ll go a bit slower but if it’s early season and afternoon hunt I’m traveling lighter (no cold weather gear) and I can fly up the tree.
 
Time of itself is unimportant. Time only matters when it matters to you. Time to height matters if you don't give yourself enough time to get there. Be smooth, efficient, and quiet; practice that and you will probably find that it's faster than you may think. I have timed myself with the WEI Stepps, but never with SRT or the Sladder. Also, being ready to shoot is a priority for me, and that happens before most of my "in-tree" organization and setup. Once my bow is ready, I will finish my tree "setup" at leisure.

Another item to bring up is the concept of layering. If I don't need to add anything, it's a different process than if I need to add extra packed clothing.
 
~12-35min for me to get to height and hunting, it depends on the tree and how cold it is. I move slower when it’s cold, because I can’t stand climbing /handling rope with gloves. Everything goes up on my back in bow season, one stick up with platform hanging on back of saddle. Rifle or crossbow get pulled up after. For descending, bow/xbow/rifle/ML goes down first on my rappel rope, backpack on and down I go. If it’s a straight/branch less tree it takes 2-3 min to have it all packed up and ready for next hunt. If branches i get the rappel down and reset it later(takes 5 min but I do it when I’m out of the woods).
 
Never really timed it per se. Walk in with saddle on. Rappel rope/tether in pack, 1 stick attached to pack. I carry my bow. Find tree. Detach one stick, attach stick to tree. Remove rope. Tie tag end of rappel rope/tether to pack. Have a bow rope in saddle. Tie bow off to that. Climb up 3 step aider attached to one stick. Attach quick link on rappel rope/tether and make 3-4 moves depending. Attach gear strap that's already in saddle pouch. Pull up bow. Nock arrow. Hang bow on gear holder. Ready to hunt. Now pull up rappel rope with pack. Hang pack on gear hanger and stuff rappel rope into front pocket. Basically done. I wear binos up in chest harness and range finder is always in my left front pocket. Grunt tube in hoody front pouch. Never really have to get anything out at height and know where everything is. All that said I am never in a rush to climb. Probably 15 minutes give or take .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top