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Treebolts revisited

I use 4.25" x 3/8" craft/popsicle sticks, available on Amazon for penny or two a piece. They fit snugly. With the Treehooper drill bit hole only 2.75” deep, they don’t really stick out and tell the world that they're there, but you can find them easy enough in the dark and tell it’s not a live twig. I keep them in my bolt pouch and swap sticks for bolts on the way up and down. Might be a lot less cost, work, and bulk than using dowels.
 
Loopwing said:
I should clarify, I put them in when I set them, (spring gobbler, summer, during season) then pull them at the end of season, or if the spot sucks and I won't hunt it again. If the person I am leasing from is logging while I am leasing the property we will have words anyways.
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Good point


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JoeA said:
I use 4.25" x 3/8" craft/popsicle sticks, available on Amazon for penny or two a piece. They fit snugly. With the Treehooper drill bit hole only 2.75” deep, they don’t really stick out and tell the world that they're there, but you can find them easy enough in the dark and tell it’s not a live twig. I keep them in my bolt pouch and swap sticks for bolts on the way up and down. Might be a lot less cost, work, and bulk than using dowels.
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Great idea, thanks


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LAKY said:
Thanks to @Allegheny Tom for the idea about the 1/2" marine grade shrink tube. I really didn't want to grind the heads of hex bolts down, so I stretched the end of the shrink tube to fit over it.

View attachment 50178View attachment 50179
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This is exactly what I've been doing for years. Once that glue melts from the marine grade shrink tube, it's on there and doesnt wear

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JFin15 said:
This is exactly what I've been doing for years. Once that glue melts from the marine grade shrink tube, it's on there and doesnt wear

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And it holds a coat of paint really well, too.
The only marine grade shrink that I could find (in the size I need) only comes in red or black. I don't like the black because it is impossible to see it when climbing down in the dark. The red is okay but it does stand out a little too much to the eyes of other snoops.

I like to give the shrink a quick over-spray of camouflage paint but I do leave a little strip unpainted so it's bright (or paint a bright strip) and orient the bright strip up to 12 o'clock. The bolt is camo from ground level, but it's easier to see looking down on it in low light.

Some trees are a bit complicated to climb and each bolt may not be in located the typical spacing. It can be a little sketchy climbing down in the dark if you can't see the bolts, and I'd rather not use a light to climb down. Once again, it advertises my stand location to snoops. A light can be seen from hundreds of yards away.
 
So I was making a pre set yesterday and I had an equipment failure. I was drilling with a cordless which has a quick release chuck. I had the Treehopper drill bit attached to a quick release adaptor (Chinese junk) and on the last hole the crappy adaptor broke.

The drill bit itself was still good but it was impossible to pull it out of the tree with my fingers.
That's where my handy-dandy vice grips were gold. I removed the stuck bit, and finished my climb for the pre set. I did need to drill one more hole for my gear hanger but my cordless rig was now dead in the water.
I always carry my Treehopper hand drill as a back up to the cordless...never know when you might get stuck in a jam. Always go prepared.
 
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swampbuck said:
That's a good tip for those out predrilling trees this time of year. I don't think my ever-present pocket clip multi tool would be much help in that kind of bind. Thanks for sharing.
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Theres no other wrench or pliars that can do double, triple duty thet vice grips can do.
Some guys want to carry allen or hex wrench for removing a tight bolt but those tools can't grip an odd shaped item, and its harder to drop at 20 feet than a wrench.
Mini vice grips ate only about 3" long and light in the pack.
 
Anybody have a good supplier for these right now? All the old links seem to be duds and I can’t find any bolts for under $2 a piece.
 
A quality 3/8” bore bit is the ticket. You can find them at any quality hardware store. I use it anywhere that allows it.
 
Alfa Tools makes a nice short 3/8" auger bit # AUG61373.
You can use it in a drill chuck or the quick connect 1/4" adapter chuck.
Add a collar for depth control from Mcmaster Carr #9414T8 and you are all set.
 
JC3 said:
Alfa Tools makes a nice short 3/8" auger bit # AUG61373.
You can use it in a drill chuck or the quick connect 1/4" adapter chuck.
Add a collar for depth control from Mcmaster Carr #9414T8 and you are all set.
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I'm not sold on using a 3/8" bit for a 3/8" bolt.
There are certain species of trees that the holes don't bore out nice and clean. I was dealing with a tree like that just yesterday. Even when I immediately tried to insert the bolt after drilling with the 10mm Treehopper bit, the hole was almost too tight to slip the bolt in. I actually had to use the drill to tap the bolt to fully seat the bolt. It would have been difficult if I was using a 3/8" bit.
 
Allegheny Tom said:
I'm not sold on using a 3/8" bit for a 3/8" bolt.
There are certain species of trees that the holes don't bore out nice and clean. I was dealing with a tree like that just yesterday. Even when I immediately tried to insert the bolt after drilling with the 10mm Treehopper bit, the hole was almost too tight to slip the bolt in. I actually had to use the drill to tap the bolt to fully seat the bolt. It would have been difficult if I was using a 3/8" bit.
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I like a snug fit for the bolt so it doesn't sag, especially in soft bark, so if I had to pick between the bit being slightly too large or slightly too small, I'd take the smaller bit knowing I can quickly and quietly expand the hole with my hand drill on my way up the tree to hunt.
 
Allegheny Tom said:
I'm not sold on using a 3/8" bit for a 3/8" bolt.
There are certain species of trees that the holes don't bore out nice and clean. I was dealing with a tree like that just yesterday. Even when I immediately tried to insert the bolt after drilling with the 10mm Treehopper bit, the hole was almost too tight to slip the bolt in. I actually had to use the drill to tap the bolt to fully seat the bolt. It would have been difficult if I was using a 3/8" bit.
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You want to use a 10mm drill. Metric is better at everything!!!!
 
TNbowhunter said:
I like a snug fit for the bolt so it doesn't sag, especially in soft bark, so if I had to pick between the bit being slightly too large or slightly too small, I'd take the smaller bit knowing I can quickly and quietly expand the hole with my hand drill on my way up the tree to hunt.
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I'm not sure that you are tracking with me.
This was not a soft wood tree. And the bolts had no sag.
The issue was the fibers of the wood was stringy and even the over sized bit did not bore the hole open to a clean 3/8". The bolts were impossible to push in by hand...even when I reamed out the hole with the cordless. It would have been a challenge to slip the bolts in had I been using a 3/8" bit.
 
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Allegheny Tom said:
Im not sure that
that you are tracking with me.
This was not a soft wood tree. And the bolts had no sag.
The issue was the fibers of the wood was stringy and even the over sized bit did not bore the hole open to a clean 3/8". The bolts were impossible to push in by hand...even when I reamed out the hole with the cordless. It would have been a challenge to slip the bolts in had I been using a 3/8" bit.
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Yep, definitely wasn't tracking with you. Haha
 
justsomedude said:
View attachment 2686 Just preset a couple of trees in my back yard for potential urban hunting this weekend. Takes all of 10 minutes and then you can get up and down the tree quickly whenever you want to.

It's a very sound method if you can preset with a power drill AND YOU WEAR THE RIGHT BOOTS (and not on {Public land)

I was wearing some muck shoes that aren't thick enough and it isn't very comfortable standing on bolts while setting the next one.

You can drill the first four before you even leave the ground.
I ALWAYS set the first one at my right knee.
Then left waist...then I use my elbow to fingertips to measure to the next one.

That system makes them easy to find in the dark. Just check the tree at knee level to get started

Can't find my old thread...
I use the EZ Kut power drill bit. Buy it. Don't question it.

I also have the hand drill mostly just in case I need to clean out a hole. You can drill a tree with it but it ain't fun

My bolts are Grade 8 from Home Depot
I dip them in plastidip or gorilla tape to the point where they should in the tree. Easy visual check to make sure they are in all the way.

10 bolts spaced about 20" gets you to 16+ feet and then I put the platform above that. I carry a few extra for going higher or as spares in case I dropped one.
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Everyone eventually develops a personal technique for spacing. I discovered the knee for 1st bolt, step up to measure 2nd - then kiss, well not a real kiss, anyway, but where my lip touched the tree was the exact spot for the 3rd and every bolt after as I drilled going up. No up or down or measuring. I always used wooden pedals the size of a bike pedal with holes for the top 2 bolts. I don't climb as much as I used to, but if the sign warrants it, a climbing I go.
 
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