Why bolts and a hand drill?

[Nutterbuster]

Nutterbuster doesn’t worry much about sweating.

True statement. If you bowhunt in the southeast, you're going to sweat. I don't care if you're just climbing in a ladderstand 50 yards from the truck.

I got a kick out of one of the guys at saddlepalooza watching me drill and go "and now you're sweating." No, I started sweating when I rolled down my window to order a Hardee's bisquit this morning.

How in heck are you gonna be hardcore Mr. Run-n-Gun, Swang-n-Bang public pounder without sweating some in the south's bow season? I call BS.

Outside of December and January, I don't care about sweat. Control what you can control. I can't stop my body from trying not to cook my vitals when it's 80 degrees outside. Now, if it's cold, then I walk and drill slow. And I can get up a tree with bolts without sweating any more than someone climbing with sticks or spurs.

But most of the year? Try to stay downwind, and/or shoot the critter before it knows what's up. And accept the fact that game is gonna smell your sweaty, DEET contaminated hide with regularity. I still get lucky once in a while. Killed 4 deer and a pig last year, and all 4 deer were killed on a first time sit with bolts.

Not directing this at Eric. He lives in the steamer too. But the idea of "not sweating" is well and dandy for the midwest and northeast guys.

 

[kyler1945]

I hunted various temperatures from 15*-90*. If I wasn’t sweating before I started climbing, I didn’t start sweating while climbing. If I was already sweating before I started climbing, it didn’t matter.

 

[boyne bowhunter]

Did I mention I'm hunting public land pigs this weekend? And I've never shoveled a single scoop of snow?

That's just cold . . .wait . . . well you know what I mean.

Edit: And by the way I haven't shoveled any snow either . . . at least not this month.

 

[Nutterbuster]

Cause they like killing trees

Trees, deer, ducks, hogs, squirrels, pandas, baby seals, young folks' dreams, brain cells, my parent's expectations of me,CCR covers at karaoke night....

I'm yet to see a tree die from drilling. @WHW has been trying to kill one in his yard for years. I'm sure somebody somewhere has killed one, but I don't think it's an epidemic by any means. Wouldn't do it if I thought I was killing trees.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Trees, deer, ducks, hogs, squirrels, pandas, baby seals, young folks' dreams, brain cells, my parent's expectations of me,CCR covers at karaoke night....

You left out unicorns and jackalopes.

 

[EricS]

@Nutterbuster obviously you’re doing it wrong. When you drill your bottom two holes fill them with roundup concentrate before sticking your bolts in. If you do it in spring you will have better visibility that fall. Then the next year the new growth will attract more deer. In a couple years you will have more bedding.

I haven’t noticed any problems in trees I drilled last year. I’ve got a water oak that sugar ants have invaded the holes but the were already on the tree when I drilled it. It still looks healthy but I’m making a point to check up on it.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

@Nutterbuster obviously you’re doing it wrong. When you drill your bottom two holes fill them with roundup concentrate before sticking your bolts in. If you do it in spring you will have better visibility that fall. Then the next year the new growth will attract more deer. In a couple years you will have more bedding.

I haven’t noticed any problems in trees I drilled last year. I’ve got a water oak that sugar ants have invaded the holes but the were already on the tree when I drilled it. It still looks healthy but I’m making a point to check up on it.

You guys are genius! I got a big jug of roundup in the garage right now. Can't seem to spray because it fricken rains every fricken day.
But seriously, it's not always a bad thing if a tree dies. All depends on the species and it's condition. A crooked old maple tree will never make lumber and all it does do is create shade to impede the growth of good stuff. Mother Nature kills trees all the time. When something dies, something else flourishes.

 

[Nutterbuster]

You guys are genius! I got a big jug of roundup in the garage right now. Can't seem to spray because it fricken rains every fricken day.
But seriously, it's not always a bad thing if a tree dies. All depends on the species and it's condition. A crooked old maple tree will never make lumber and all it does do is create shade to impede the growth of good stuff. Mother Nature kills trees all the time. When something dies, something else flourishes.

Yep. Hurricanes and salt water intrusion kill WAY more trees than my little woodpecker homes do.

 

[Weldabeast]

I know of a live oak on public land that someone drove rail road spikes into.....based on the growth around the spikes and the amount of rust on them is have to guess 15+ years. I'm no expert on these kind of things but you can just tell they have been there for quite a while. The tree is just slowly eating them. No sign of disease or visual sign of damage....

 

[Allegheny Tom]

I know of a live oak on public land that someone drove rail road spikes into.....based on the growth around the spikes and the amount of rust on them is have to guess 15+ years. I'm no expert on these kind of things but you can just tell they have been there for quite a while. The tree is just slowly eating them. No sign of disease or visual sign of damage....

I will remind every bolt user to remove them after the season, or at least within another year or 2.
Trees do swallow up metal over the years and can really be dangerous someday to someone with a chainsaw.
It is one of the downsides to bolts. They are so cheap that WE may not care if we leave them in a tree forever, but a logger sure might care 30 years from now.

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[Vtbow]

I will remind every bolt user to remove them after the season, or at least within another year or 2.
Trees do swallow up metal over the years and can really be dangerous someday to someone with a chainsaw.
It is one of the downsides to bolts. They are so cheap that WE may not care if we leave them in a tree forever, but a logger sure might care 30 years from now.

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Yup, very true! took part of a finger off running a piece of cherry through a jointer that had what I believe was a piece of barbed wire in it that had probably been grown around by the tree for 20 years...it was deep. Oh yeah, barbed wires ain't grade 8.... and it burt by the way.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Yup, very true! took part of a finger off running a piece of cherry through a jointer that had what I believe was a piece of barbed wire in it that had probably been grown around by the tree for 20 years...it was deep. Oh yeah, barbed wires ain't grade 8.... and it burt by the way.

I hope it wasn't on your hand you draw with!
Seriously...glad it wasn't worse for you.

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[Allegheny Tom]

Yup, very true! took part of a finger off running a piece of cherry through a jointer that had what I believe was a piece of barbed wire in it that had probably been grown around by the tree for 20 years...it was deep. Oh yeah, barbed wires ain't grade 8.... and it burt by the way.

Those old line trees often have fence and other metal crap hidden in them. I never think twice about drilling them EXCEPT the thought about damaging my Treehopper bit...which is replaceable. But a damaged bit would be a PIA towards getting up the tree. That's why everyone should carry a spare bit in their pack. It would suck to be a mile from the truck on a perfect November morning and break a bit and have no way up the tree.
I will take credit for getting Mark to change the drills from the pin to a screw to retain the bit. I can change a bit with a screw retainer in the woods but with a broken bit and a pin...you're screwed.
I tape a little allen wrench to my drill body. If I damage a bit on hidden metal in the tree, I can still fix it and climb.
Any of you guys prepare for that?

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[Nutterbuster]

@Allegheny Tom, I mentioned that to him as well. How many guys have ready access to a pin punch vs an Allen wrench?

I don't worry too much about breaking a bit. We're a timber state, not ag. Not a lot of stuff in our trees.

 

[EricS]

We have a lot of old fence lines. They are usually 20-30 foot inside the tree line. I figure they were on the tree line when installed. Many were nailed to the tree from the get go.

I don’t carry an extra bit. I’ve always got an extra climbing method in the truck. So at worst It’ll mess up that morning or evening hunt. I’ve hunted them off the ground as well.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

@Allegheny Tom, I mentioned that to him as well. How many guys have ready access to a pin punch vs an Allen wrench?

I don't worry too much about breaking a bit. We're a timber state, not ag. Not a lot of stuff in our trees.

You have no idea what someone may have pounded into a tree a couple decades ago. Doesn't have to be ag to have metal crap in trees...it could be a bullet from your grandfather. The drive screw on bits is not immune from snapping off.
Hey, for all it takes...Im carrying a spare bit and an allen wrench in my pack. Am I WORRYING about damaging a bit?? No, but if the unlikely happens, I'm prepared. The rut is precious. The last thing I want is to be dead in the water because something broke.

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[Nutterbuster]

You have no idea what someone may have pounded into a tree a couple decades ago. Doesn't have to be ag to have metal crap in trees...it could be a bullet from your grandfather. The drive screw on bits is not immune from snapping off.
Hey, for all it takes...Im carrying a spare bit and an allen wrench in my pack. Am I WORRYING about damaging a bit?? No, but if the unlikely happens, I'm prepared. The rut is precious. The last thing I want is to be dead in the water because something broke.

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I get where you're coming from. Just haven't felt the need to pack a spare. Worst case, I kilt one of my best bucks sitting on my royal.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

I get where you're coming from. Just haven't felt the need to pack a spare. Worst case, I kilt one of my best bucks sitting on my royal.

View attachment 12820

Would you have killed that buck from the ground if you were bow hunting?
Here is the scenario that goes thru my mind...
I draw the precious Iowa tag once every 4 years.
Some of our stands are at least a mile from the truck. Timing of our access is critical...too early not good, too late not good.
So I walk the long walk and get to my tree and I start drilling, and "SNAP", for some stupid, highly unlikely reason, the fragile tip of my bit breaks. I either can fix my stuff, or lose a couple hours of what might be THE only morning of the hunt that is ideal... or, until I can draw the next tag 4 years from now.
Unlikely? Yep. Can it happen? Yep.
Is it a PIA to carry a spare? Are you kidding me?
I realize how individual saddle hunting is. We all do things a little differently than the next guy. But there are things...stuff that I just can't wrap my head around...why guys resist the easy stuff. A spare bit is something you should own so why leave it a mile away, thru deer country and sensitive access routes, back at the truck?
Hey, if its working for ya, live it up.
I'm carrying that extra ounce.

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[Nutterbuster]

@Allegheny Tom, you sound like my wife. And I don't mean that in a bad way.

I may have to chuck a bit in my pack. I do have several. But if I carried everything I "may" need, I'd have:

A handgun for packs of dogs and shady characters.

A full first aid kit with everything needed to treat broken bones, gunshots, stab wounds, etc.

An emergency GPS beacon. Some areas don't have phone signal.

A spare release. What if I drop one out of the tree?

Bow repair kit. What if my d loop comes undone?

Grunt call. What if he walks by and I have to live with knowing a grunt might have stopped him?

I could go on and on. Maybe it's being foolhardy, but I'm not carrying everything I may need once every time I go. That's how you end up spending all your time organizing gear instead of hunting. I'd have a 40lb back of junk I never used.

I need a weapon.

I need my boots.

I'm forced to carry a license.

Everything else gets viewed with suspicion. I enjoy the fun and freedom of hunting above everything else. My favorite hunts have usually started with a pocket full of shotgun shells and a desire to see something new.

Laying out and double checking my measly bit of gear the night before is already enough of a pain. If I had to perform a 57 point inspection every time I left the woods, I'd just quit going.

Two ways of looking at it. "It might, and then what?" vs "It probably won't, and if it does we'll figure it out."

Neither is right or wrong, I don't think. The gear that gives you piece of mind would just make me irritable. Now, if I was on a "big" hunt (like drawing for Florida sambaar deer) I'd probably be willing to carry a bit more. But I honestly don't know that I've ever lost an animal because I didn't have the right batarang in my utility belt.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

@Allegheny Tom, you sound like my wife. And I don't mean that in a bad way.

I may have to chuck a bit in my pack. I do have several. But if I carried everything I "may" need, I'd have:

A handgun for packs of dogs and shady characters.

A full first aid kit with everything needed to treat broken bones, gunshots, stab wounds, etc.

An emergency GPS beacon. Some areas don't have phone signal.

A spare release. What if I drop one out of the tree?

Bow repair kit. What if my d loop comes undone?

Grunt call. What if he walks by and I have to live with knowing a grunt might have stopped him?

I could go on and on. Maybe it's being foolhardy, but I'm not carrying everything I may need once every time I go. That's how you end up spending all your time organizing gear instead of hunting. I'd have a 40lb back of junk I never used.

I need a weapon.

I need my boots.

I'm forced to carry a license.

Everything else gets viewed with suspicion. I enjoy the fun and freedom of hunting above everything else. My favorite hunts have usually started with a pocket full of shotgun shells and a desire to see something new.

Laying out and double checking my measly bit of gear the night before is already enough of a pain. If I had to perform a 57 point inspection every time I left the woods, I'd just quit going.

Two ways of looking at it. "It might, and then what?" vs "It probably won't, and if it does we'll figure it out."

Neither is right or wrong, I don't think. The gear that gives you piece of mind would just make me irritable. Now, if I was on a "big" hunt (like drawing for Florida sambaar deer) I'd probably be willing to carry a bit more. But I honestly don't know that I've ever lost an animal because I didn't have the right batarang in my utility belt.

#1, your wife is a saint.
#2, a spare bit is like carrying just one more bolt. Its a standard, bottom of the pack, stuff. Probably something we forget is even in there until we need it. Just like a few sheets of TP, 25 feet of eighth inch line, and a spare tab (aka a "release" for you tech guys that carry 10 extra pounds of mechanical releases, nuts, bolts, wheels, cables, cable guards, sights, rests, range finders, and what else did I leave out??). Just bustin' your rocks.
Carry 14 bolts, or carry 13 bolts and a spare bit? That 14th bolt won't do you any good if you can't drill the tree.


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