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Dialing in your set up fails.

MattMan81

MattMan81

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2020
Messages
5,073
Location
The Mitten
After a few years of saddle hunting I narrowed down to the basics I like. But want to start dialing in some things more for next season. Have some idea that come through my head. Most of the time I have tried them, and they fail. made this thread to help give ideas, and possibly save someone time from trying something similar. Pictures help. Simple things like, store this here. Dont hang your pack here because.... I realize it's all subjective to the user. But there are a few things going up and down the tree that I stumble over at times.
Ex.
I Tried this.
Didn't work because......
Might try with . ..........
Would work if I was .....
So on. Mostly we post things that worked well. But sometimes it looks good on paper. But not in real life.
 
I tried ooal solo scout with squirrel steps
It didn't work because I stand and lean and often times the trees are too large for my feet to be comfortable on the solo for any length of time.
I got a driad drey hooked to my tactisaddle and may try it again.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
 
There were at least a couple of times this year I was hell-bent on using all my sticks when I should have just stopped 1-2 short. Hunting height is so subjective and very difficult to gauge from the ground sometimes. I saw a post in another thread where users were putting tacks at hunting height for preferred trees and I love that idea and am waiting to try it.
 
Know your ground.

I use to always want to one-stick or no stick. I have found that some trees it is just too much and multiple sticks are easier for many reasons.

Knowing your woods, tree type, etc. helps you choose a climbing method even if you're switching locations. For example, I have a piece bordering a swamp where there are plenty of hardwoods that would be easy to one or no stick but the transitions between bedding and feed are all pines. In this case, with all of the limbs, multiple sticks and less scarring in the tree (sap issues) worked way better all around.

Also, just because you are no sticking or one sticking doesn't mean you have to drag your rappel set up around every sit. Sometimes staying light and less bulky on those long walks in is work the trade of having to one/no stick down. It can be more rewarding to leave the rappel kit at home.

Nothing is going to groom your set up and get it dialed better than hunting a full season from beginning to end in all elements. There is just simply not enough ways to practice in your yard without actually being afield, nature, physical abilities and anxiousness throws curveballs you just cannot imitate in your yard.

Do not try to make something work for the sake of wanting it to. If it's not working, try something else, but make sure you give it the ole college try prior to completely giving up on an idea.

Just my two cents, I hope it helps!
 
a lot of folks girth hitch their accessory strap to the tree and then hang their pack off the tag end and then their bow off the same strap to the side

if you do this and have brain flatulence and lift your pack up or bump it hard, then your bow is going to hit the ground

i barely caught mine first time out with that setup

what is working well for me is a length of paracord permanently tied to the top pack loop and then a nite ize cam jam on the paracord, wrap that up and stow somewhere....this is then girth hitched around the tree by snapping the cam jam onto the paracord and then sliding the paracord through the cam jam to set length of paracord

this gives your pack a ready made hanging system that is independent from your bow holder which helps in bow security and freedom to put stuff where it makes the most sense for that setup
 
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Hoping I learned to be confident in committing to Traditional instead of 2nd guessing my ability = reaching for my Crossbow ( gasp , the humanity!) / “lay up“ and missing the two largest bucks of my hunting career in bow range anyway.
*check in after I have some shot opportunities

having presets whether; bolts, pre drilled holes , sticks, hang on tree stand , ROS or Stepps set up on a tree is something I’m re focused on. It’s unmatched in stealth, efficiency and just a welcome change up when cold weather / gun season hits or you spent a portion of the day putting miles on your boots. I get more days in by hitting short hunts before and after work. This and ground hunts help me hunt vs climb.

Frame packs are overkill for 8 out of 10 hunts, but man do they shine when packing in layers or ground set up, hopefully presets ( or meat out of course).

Ive gotten real comfortable not climbing or getting down to move. I saw more mature deer during November / into firearm while on the ground then all of early archery with it’s warm spells and thick cover.

All this gear can reach a diminishing return. Cool it, It’s usually me or deer, not gear.

I aim to have at least one piece of private to rotate to.
hope to double my spots near home from 5-6 to 10-12 and better utilize cams.
out of state rutcation was epic , plan to make it an annual trip.

Like above, I am getting to where rappel kit is just lugging in more gear . The few hang ups I’ve had when pulling down really set back the pro’s for me.
I need to give 2TC more time.

I’m thankful for the adventure, sightings and all the unexpected happenings yet this season . Otherwise I’d have lost it by now and sold all this junk.
 
Hunting with guys Half my age in the rolling hills somewhere up north made me downsize both gear and pack setups. Good frame pack that stays on the ground as i pull up the little e&e pack made my “frumpy” pack go away. No pouches on the saddle anymore. Went back to the old (maybe Ranger) saying…”light is right, freeze at night”
 
I need to hone my pull up and down ropes. I like the dynaglide for it's size and weight. But struggle with keeping it organized. It Likes to tangle up into everything. I rolled my dynaglide up on my figure 8, which I carry just in case something happens to my lifeguard. Try to use it to bring up my weapon, but the only way to do it is unravel it. Which leads to tangles and knots. I like pulling up my pack with the end of my rope when I one stick. I don't really want to carry something else just to pull up my weapon. If I add it with my pack it gets heavy. Plus don't want to drop it messing with the two.
So how are you guys stowing your dynaglide?
So tangles in the lines are my big things I need to straighten out.
Anyone climb where there is water at the base of the tree? Don't want to set the bow in it. Or my pack. Any tricks to that?
 
MattMan81 said:
I need to hone my pull up and down ropes. I like the dynaglide for it's size and weight. But struggle with keeping it organized. It Likes to tangle up into everything. I rolled my dynaglide up on my figure 8, which I carry just in case something happens to my lifeguard. Try to use it to bring up my weapon, but the only way to do it is unravel it. Which leads to tangles and knots. I like pulling up my pack with the end of my rope when I one stick. I don't really want to carry something else just to pull up my weapon. If I add it with my pack it gets heavy. Plus don't want to drop it messing with the two.
So how are you guys stowing your dynaglide?
So tangles in the lines are my big things I need to straighten out.
Anyone climb where there is water at the base of the tree? Don't want to set the bow in it. Or my pack. Any tricks to that?
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I’m not a Dynaglide guy, never have been, so I won’t comment on that. But I will tell you what I’ve used since the 90’s to pull up a pack. Half inch tubular nylon. No memory, so no kinks. I either fake (reverse feed) it in the hydration sleeve or figure 8 (like most guys do their dynaglide) for a pouch. Custom Gear Modifications stitched me a 30’ with a loop at each end and a thread tack at 5’imtervals. That’s my pull line for pack (up) and rappel line (down). Bow gets pulled up with end of rappel rope. No pouches in the tree, they (along with frame pack) stay on ground. Works,for me. Good luck
 
Does anyone leave there pack at the bottom tied on? Bring it up. Get what you need, then just lower it back down? If you need something else just pull it back up? Use the right rope and wouldn't think it's to noticable.
 
MattMan81 said:
Does anyone leave there pack at the bottom tied on? Bring it up. Get what you need, then just lower it back down? If you need something else just pull it back up? Use the right rope and wouldn't think it's to noticable.
Click to expand...

sounds crazy to me....one thing about saddle hunting is i can climb with my pack and only pull up my bow

back in the hang on days, i'd pull up pack and bow...then you had to worry about rope thickness and such because it was heavier and could burn your hands....plus you had pack and bow banging around on the way up....wore out a string in one season that way
 
I got tired of my bow moving every time I lifted my pack so I started using two separate nite ize cam jams. The plastic ones weigh nothing and have been working great. One up high for bow hook and one lower for my pack. I tied a loop on one end and hook to the loop and tighten. It gets very tight and solid.
6EB71218-A277-4C19-9232-679206ACD552.jpg
 
MattMan81 said:
Anyone climb where there is water at the base of the tree? Don't want to set the bow in it. Or my pack. Any tricks to that?
Click to expand...
I do occasionally. I’ve always climbed with my pack on my back. When I used a horn hunter I secured my bow to my pack. Now I use a platow so it’s either bow sling or secure it to the straps on my platow.
 
I have to say my biggest fail was early on in my saddle hunting days. I really thought SRT was going to be the end all climbing method for me. It worked perfectly every time in the back yard. Almost effortless climb. This is gonna be sweet I thought. Come season, try as I might I couldn't get the throw line to behave in the woods where there's ground clutter and understory clutter to grab the throw line. All I ended up with was tangles and frustration. Since I move and rarely repeat trees presets aren't a real viable option for me.

For those that it works for, more power to you, it just didn't work at all for me. I had to completely redefine my climbing method from what I had practiced all summer long.
 
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I continually switch back and forth between 2TC and One sticking because I’m equally crappy at both and I figure if I fall and hurt myself the EMTs will have an entertaining story. I finally figured out that using a linemans belt while 2TC works better for me because it keeps me closer to the tree. Work with me here, I know it’s bass ackwards but I’m that kinda guy. When I transition to my tether to pull my foot tether up the tree I find my angle to the increases so greatly I’m making almost a 90 degree triangle to the tree because of the tether and bridge no matter how much I adjust it. But with my linemans belt I remain much closer to the tree and don’t have to fight gravity and swinging around. Only took me most of the season to figure that out.
-With one sticking I figured out my stick is too short. I cut down a helium to goof around with and couldn’t figure out why everyone said it was so awesome, well after chatting with @Bigterp figured out it was way too short so that’s something I’ll rectify next season as I realized climbing a regular helium was almost the right length for me.
 
boyne bowhunter said:
I have to say my biggest fail was early on in my saddle hunting days. I really thought SRT was going to be the end all climbing method for me. It worked perfectly every time in the back yard. Almost effortless climb. This is gonna be sweet I thought. Come season, try as I might I couldn't get the throw line to behave in the woods where there's ground clutter and understory clutter to grab the throw line. All I ended up with was tangles and frustration. Since I move rarely repeat trees presets aren't a real viable option for me.

For those that it works for, more power to you, it just didn't work at all for me. I had to completely redefine my climbing method from what I had practiced all summer long.
Click to expand...
I have thought about trying srt for some presets. But I have that sinking feeling in the AM something will still fight me. Hang up, tangle up, or what ever. Murphy will get me.
 
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