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Best Climbing Method for Southern NJ

L

LateStart

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2018
Messages
54
I am new to saddle hunting and evaluating potential climbing methods. I like in southern nj where we are predominantly pine forests. On the 2 private land areas I have available I have preset stick ladders for this year that were given to me. I will also be doing some public land hunting and would like to ultimately spend most of my time in the public as the private spots are on very small properties. I have been watching videos on DRT and am intrigued by that. I have ruled out WE stepps after reading up on issues using them with pines. Would there be any issue with DRT in pines? Should I just get sticks and call it a day?

Thanks for the help!
 
I'm big guy and have had good luck with dry so far. Even better if u have preset lines..
 
I was in your same boat not too long ago and the advice i kept seeing show up in the forum was to think about what method you see yourself getting comfortable and proficient with in time for hunting season. This was keeping in mind that proficient meant being able to set up your climbing method quietly in the dark and when it's cold.

When i thought about it that way then sticks made the most sense as the learning curve seemed extremely low and I could then spend more time practicing shooting out of a saddle instead of learning a brand new climbing technique that may have a steeper learning curve (still waiting on my Mantis though).

From what I've seen so far, most members here are constantly experimenting to see what works for them so maybe you can start with sticks for this season and then in the off-season practice the DRT technique for next year to see which you like better.
 
I think if you have nothing now, your best bet is to start with sticks/stepps just because there is a smaller learning curve. But if you are a member of this site there is about a 99.9% chance you will end up with all or most of the different climbing methods over the next couple seasons.... plus whatever somebody comes up with between now and then. Eventually you’ll end up with some custom combination that fits you perfect. DRT is something you probably want more time to get comfortable with and get a routine down before this season.


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I have been experimenting a bit with DRT and it is very simple with a right foot ascender. The Blakes hitches hold quite well, if not add more turns. All you really need is a rope and a harness of some type that you won't slide out of. The nice thing is you are only lifting half your weight due to the mechanical advantage of double rope so the foot ascender makes it easy.
 
Thank you guys for all of the input. I think I am going to grab a set of hawk heliums from bass pro tonight and order some rope to play with DRT. I agree that I will likely start to tinker with all over time. I just wasn’t sure if there were issues with DRT on pines like people seem to have with WE stepps.
 
LateStart, Im in Jersey also and there's one thing to keep in mind that Im sure you already know very well. Pine sap. a stick ladder or screw in steps might be a better choice if you can keep people from stealing them.
 
Im from Jersey. I have left sticks in an area I hunted for a few years and never had anyone mess with it. Then all the sudden people are messing with everything I had out there. Sold all my pre set stands and bought a lone wolf with hawk heliums and loved it a ton but still a lot of bulk to carry into the woods. Saddle with Hawk sticks is totally the way to go. Setup in the morning and tear down on your way out. Easy and no worries of people messing with your stuff
 
LateStart said:
Thank you guys for all of the input. I think I am going to grab a set of hawk heliums from bass pro tonight and order some rope to play with DRT. I agree that I will likely start to tinker with all over time. I just wasn’t sure if there were issues with DRT on pines like people seem to have with WE stepps.
Click to expand...
Your rope used for DRT will probably get sappy.
 
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