Climbing a Leaning Tree

[BTaylor]

Are you pairing your platform with this method now? If so are you using a re-direct or swapping to a tether?

That's where JRB and I head separate ways. He has his homemade seat and hunts off his ropes. I'm no tarzan and need to be on a solid stand. So the details and experience of what works best for that transition are up to me (us) to figure out. I'd love to bend ears to that aspect, if anyone is platform hunting after a JRB climb, so maybe we can learn a nifty trick or two.

Not sure I am following the question here. I use a mission and will be single line hitch/cinch climbing. I am not seeing any difference from 1 sticking as far as platform placement. When you get to height, attach the platform about waist high and make one foot loop move on the rope up and step on the platform.

 

[gcr0003]

Are you pairing your platform with this method now? If so are you using a re-direct or swapping to a tether?

That's where JRB and I head separate ways. He has his homemade seat and hunts off his ropes. I'm no tarzan and need to be on a solid stand. So the details and experience of what works best for that transition are up to me (us) to figure out. I'd love to bend ears to that aspect, if anyone is platform hunting after a JRB climb, so maybe we can learn a nifty trick or two.

I’m undecided at this point but, yes my thought is to use my new LWCG platform with the JRB method. Staying on the JRB ropes at hunting height doesn’t make sense to me. I would get to the height I wanted my platform, hang it, climb up a little higher, then tether onto the tree like normal. Once all my weight was on my tether and I was on my platform comfortable I would unhook from the JRB and gather my rope up and hang it from my gear strap or throw it on rope of my pack. Having to haul the rope up is one of my bigger frustrations but it is a frustration with all top climbing methods. I did leave it dangling on several hunts where I saw plenty of deer within bow range with no issue; however, it does have the potential to sway or cross up in the wind so I typically bring it up the tree, but I still leave it over the original crotch and leave it everything attached. When I get done I do the reverse. Drop the rope, attach to the two Michoacán’s with a figure 8 inline, take up slack on the JRB, unhook from the tether, drop down a little, unhook my platform, then descend.

Last year I only had a one stick with a scout on top so is what I used as my platform regardless of climbing method. Like I said earlier I have too many tools in my pouch. I always carry two tethers or (tether + LB) so I was essentially carrying 3 climbing methods (2TC, JRB, and one stick) into the deer woods every time I went. This includes on my preset JRB tree because the only thing I was not using was the additional tether.

 

[gcr0003]

Not sure I am following the question here. I use a mission and will be single line hitch/cinch climbing. I am not seeing any difference from 1 sticking as far as platform placement. When you get to height, attach the platform about waist high and make one foot loop move on the rope up and step on the platform.

What @Plebe is saying (i think) is John does not unhook from his JRB ropes when he climbs for a hunt and attach to the tree with a separate tether. Nor does he use a platform that attaches to the tree. He uses a wood aider type thing to stand on/press against the tree that’s attached to the JRB rig. So he just stays on his ropes. This is uncommon for the majority of saddle hunters as some will hunt from their climbing rope, not many of us hunt only from the climbing rope (we attach a ROS or platform of some kind). In this regard I don’t think it’s very practical for a lot of us. John also talks about splitting his ropes over two crotches and essentially spider webbing himself between the crotches of two limbs to be hidden by the branches. It’s an interesting concept that he shows in several of his videos and is a benefit to JRB climbing. It seems crazy to me but John kills nice deer so it ls clear it works for him.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

This wasn't JRB but Drt so may be relevant. I usually hooked up my regular tether once at height since my Drt line was usually well above where I wanted to be and so I would use the regular tether. I would also use the regular tether as a redirect to put myself where I wanted, not where gravity wanted to put me directly under the limb I used to climb up. Sometimes I would detach from the climbing rope and other times just let slack out and pull up the rope and store it in a backpack.

 

[Plebe]

Not sure I am following the question here. I use a mission and will be single line hitch/cinch climbing. I am not seeing any difference from 1 sticking as far as platform placement. When you get to height, attach the platform about waist high and make one foot loop move on the rope up and step on the platform.

I’m just thinking that hanging on a tree crotch can be vastly different than being tethered to a trunk.

If the usable crotch is say opposite the side I want to position myself (like the high side of a leaning tree), I could run a re-direct and stay on those ropes or I could tether in and disconnect. Those would also allow for positioning a connection for better comfort and performance in some situations.

I don’t have the experience to have tried it a bunch and sort what works best.

 

[gcr0003]

Here is an instance where I climbed past my crotch. After reaching the crotch I tethered in like one sticking then climbed onto the platform before unhooking from the JRB ropes.

This was a leaner tree and after climbing it with JRB once and having a heck of a time with it, I chose a different crotch that got me closer to just barely touch the tree and used that crotch instead going forward.

 

[Plebe]

I’m undecided at this point but, yes my thought is to use my new LWCG platform with the JRB method. Staying on the JRB ropes at hunting height doesn’t make sense to me. I would get to the height I wanted my platform, hang it, climb up a little higher, then tether onto the tree like normal. Once all my weight was on my tether and I was on my platform comfortable I would unhook from the JRB and gather my rope up and hang it from my gear strap or throw it on rope of my pack. Having to haul the rope up is one of my bigger frustrations but it is a frustration with all top climbing methods. I did leave it dangling on several hunts where I saw plenty of deer within bow range with no issue; however, it does have the potential to sway or cross up in the wind so I typically bring it up the tree, but I still leave it over the original crotch and leave it everything attached. When I get done I do the reverse. Drop the rope, attach to the two Michoacán’s with a figure 8 inline, take up slack on the JRB, unhook from the tether, drop down a little, unhook my platform, then descend.

Last year I only had a one stick with a scout on top so is what I used as my platform regardless of climbing method. Like I said earlier I have too many tools in my pouch. I always carry two tethers or (tether + LB) so I was essentially carrying 3 climbing methods (2TC, JRB, and one stick) into the deer woods every time I went. This includes on my preset JRB tree because the only thing I was not using was the additional tether.

yeah, there’s no way I’m letting my ropes dangle. I’ll coil and hang them.

A re-direct is simple enough, but I worry about having too much stuff in front of me to work around.

At the same time, maintaining that connection throughout the hunt is an attractive safety point.

And a tether is more to bring, but I can’t see not having it for one of these scenarios. I wonder if there could be a way to re direct with a tag end?

 

[gcr0003]

yeah, there’s no way I’m letting my ropes dangle. I’ll coil and hang them.

A re-direct is simple enough, but I worry about having too much stuff in front of me to work around.

At the same time, maintaining that connection throughout the hunt is an attractive safety point.

And a tether is more to bring, but I can’t see not having it for one of these scenarios. I wonder if there could be a way to re direct with a tag end?

You could easily stand on your platform, wrap a bite of rope around the tree and use a carabiner or quick link to connect to itself on the other side to creat a girth hitch. That way you stay on the Michoacán’s or JRB hitches as well as the JRB rope the entire time but you are fixed to the tree like a traditional saddle tether.

I’ll see if i can demonstrate later after work.

I won’t hang on my rope for a full hunt like that though because I’m using dynamic half rope.

 

[BowhunterXC]

I’ve never seen a 2tc video where the tree wasn’t straight and free of limbs.

I agree, but most of the videos are for demonstration purposes.
However, I have seen 1 or 2 videos, where they show how to get around limbs. They're out there, but you have to really dig to find them.

 

[BTaylor]

I’m just thinking that hanging on a tree crotch can be vastly different than being tethered to a trunk.

If the usable crotch is say opposite the side I want to position myself (like the high side of a leaning tree), I could run a re-direct and stay on those ropes or I could tether in and disconnect. Those would also allow for positioning a connection for better comfort and performance in some situations.

I don’t have the experience to have tried it a bunch and sort what works best.

Gotcha, wasnt sure where you were headed. I have committed to the single rope with 4 ascender hitches. It would not be a problem with it to make the transition you are referring too using the loose end of the rope to reposition. Not sure why you couldnt accomplish the same thing adding an ascender hitch to one leg with the appropriate orientation and use a jrb hitch with the tag end to reposition.

 

[Bowmanmike]

I have used the Jrb method all of last season and it depends on where the crotch is for me to decide if I stay on the ropes or use a tether. More often than not I stayed on the climbing ropes and was comfortable, even with a phantom,haha. I use the predator platform on just about every setup.

 

[gcr0003]

I have used the Jrb method all of last season and it depends on where the crotch is for me to decide if I stay on the ropes or use a tether. More often than not I stayed on the climbing ropes and was comfortable, even with a phantom,haha. I use the predator platform on just about every setup.

What rope are you using?

 

[Bowmanmike]

What rope are you using?

I am using the Samson predator rope,11.4 mil with 8 mm sterling accessory cord for my michocan hitched. I do bring a length of the predator rope for emergencies or a tether anyway.

 

[gcr0003]

I am using the Samson predator rope,11.4 mil with 8 mm sterling accessory cord for my michocan hitched. I do bring a length of the predator rope for emergencies or a tether anyway.

Son!

 

[Bowmanmike]

Son!

I got the rope a few years ago when I got into saddle hunting. I know I could go thinner and lighter and probably will when it comes time to replace it,but then I need new accessory as well.
Just not ready to drop the money yet when it still is a good system.

 

[gcr0003]

I got the rope a few years ago when I got into saddle hunting. I know I could go thinner and lighter and probably will when it comes time to replace it,but then I need new accessory as well.
Just not ready to drop the money yet when it still is a good system.

Great rope, I loved climbing it, hated lugging it around.

 

[Weldabeast]

I have to say, around here, with the trees I have 2TC just makes the most sense for me. I got into Drt a couple of years ago and bought 75 feet of Samson Predator and love to climb on ropes. It is fun and just feels safe. I set presets in big red oaks that year and wouldn't you know it. We had a terrible red oak crop, and I ended up not being able to use one of those spots. The biggest problem I was running into with rope climbing was that the trees in my area are like telephone poles. The first limb that I would trust to put my 150-pound weight on was usually at least 50 feet up. I can't tell you how many times I have thrown a throw ball over a limb only to discover my 75 feet of rope would just not cut it. Man, that's a tough feeling when I just spent 20 minutes making 10 throws to get over just the right limb. I strongly considered buying 120 feet of rope.

I used sticks last season and they were heavy and cumbersome, and I never felt safe climbing with them and a lineman's belt. Plus, it was taking me 15 minutes on average to get set up with sticks. Post season I went back and looked over all the trees I hunted last fall and decided that fully 95% I could have just as easily climbed using 2TC. This was out of around 80 hunts. I can be at hunting height in 7 minutes with 2TC and 2 minutes of that is set up on the ground. 2TC is made to order for the environment I hunt in.

Don't get me wrong, I really like what you are doing with the rope climbing methods and it is a real benefit to the saddle hunter community. Your innovation and focus on safety are great. I just wish rope climbing were more applicable to these telephone pole trees I have.

The throwball is the killer for me also.... I really want it to work and I have given it a dozen whole hearted attempts. Between kids/family/work and 100 degrees and Florida's public land quota system I rarely get any opportunity to go put out preset loops. How do u get a throwball in a palm tree? I carry extra prusik and with that and my aider I can rope walk up a preset rope but getting that tether up in the canopy is tuff around here in the daylight, and I won't attempt in the dark based on my daylight performance

With my stirrups and aider I climb on the downside of a leaning tree. My Linesman's belt keeps me pulled into the trunk of the tree as much as I need

 

[NMSbowhunter]

I got halfway decent with the throw ball but like the guy with New York Saddle Hunters said, "you either get it on the first or fifty first try", lol. I can't imagine trying to get one in a palm tree. I even made a throwball launcher out of pvc that was good at shooting the ball basically straight up so I could get into some spots where there was too much junk in the way for a throw. Another problem was that each throw that missed I would spend five to ten minutes detangling the throw line out of the understory and briars under the tree. In the heat, with mosquitos buzzing me, that got old fast. I really wanted Drt to be my go-to method. If I could have gotten Drt to work as my go to method, it would be pretty likely I would have moved over to JRB by now.

With my style of hunting presets just don't work as well anyway. It's hard to pick which white oak out of hundreds will be hot in mid-October right now. I just like to scout, find hot sign, and hunt it right now.

I do still have all my Drt gear and maybe a dozen presets out. If the red oaks get hot, I may drag it out and use it.

 

[Weldabeast]

Here where I'm hunting lots of trees u wanna set up in are right in the middle of head high palmettos. The is no clear area around the base of the tree. Shoot....I attach my pull rope to my bow and throw my bow up on top of the palm fronds above my head sometimes....nowhere clear to set a cube and ur throwline will 100% get tangled. I think it's best to watch and analyze all the different climbing techniques and adapt them to best fit ur spicific needs for ur terrain

 

[Bowmanmike]

I got halfway decent with the throw ball but like the guy with New York Saddle Hunters said, "you either get it on the first or fifty first try", lol. I can't imagine trying to get one in a palm tree. I even made a throwball launcher out of pvc that was good at shooting the ball basically straight up so I could get into some spots where there was too much junk in the way for a throw. Another problem was that each throw that missed I would spend five to ten minutes detangling the throw line out of the understory and briars under the tree. In the heat, with mosquitos buzzing me, that got old fast. I really wanted Drt to be my go-to method. If I could have gotten Drt to work as my go to method, it would be pretty likely I would have moved over to JRB by now.

With my style of hunting presets just don't work as well anyway. It's hard to pick which white oak out of hundreds will be hot in mid-October right now. I just like to scout, find hot sign, and hunt it right now.

I do still have all my Drt gear and maybe a dozen presets out. If the red oaks get hot, I may drag it out and use it.

Here where I'm hunting lots of trees u wanna set up in are right in the middle of head high palmettos. The is no clear area around the base of the tree. Shoot....I attach my pull rope to my bow and throw my bow up on top of the palm fronds above my head sometimes....nowhere clear to set a cube and ur throwline will 100% get tangled. I think it's best to watch and analyze all the different climbing techniques and adapt them to best fit ur spicific needs for ur terrain

I feel for you guys,tough set up. Makes me feel happy about being in NY.