climbing speed

[flinginairos]

Safety is not the only reason to slow down. I personally believe most hunts are RUINED during approach and set up.

Truer words have never been spoken right here.


Tethrd-Ginger Ninja/Fire Crotch Fiddler

 

[dlist777]

imho, climbing speed is only useful in comparing how easy two styles are. yes, if you have a style that you can do quicker than mine, that interests me. but in actual practice it is meaningless. i go slow. really slow. quiet and safe is 100% more important than fast. if you're worried about getting up quickly, you should just get up earlier to hunt and get to your stand.

 

[Live4Now]

I have had several occasions where deer have walked right to me while climbing or setting up before I was able to hoist my bow/weapon. I don't think there is really any range/height that your more exposed, just treat it all like you trying to be stealthy and enjoy.

 

[blzn04]

One thing im going to focus on this year is slowing down my entire entry. not just the setting up of the stand. Im going 1.5-3 miles in all of my hunts. So i tend to rush and wear myself out and overheat as well. then when i get to my stand location(when i need to be the most quiet) I find myself being out of it and kinda foggy. Which leads to some fumbling and/or noise. And im always worried that a deer is going to come in while im halfway up a tree and ill be screwed so i try to hurry and get setup. Which is counter intuitive bc the noise im making probably means nothing will come by lol

 

[DaveT1963]

I am sure I will get spears for this - but climbing speed has zero benefit to hunting outcome; it is more about egos and pushing personal climbing preferences and methods. The ONLY relevant factors are 1) did you get in without ruining a chance at a deer walking by, and 2) can you execute a killing shot when a deer walks by. One without the other is useless.

 

[shwacker]

Stay slow, safe, quiet. If you do that you will likely see or hear the see before it sees you. I had a buck (non shooter luckily) come up on me and walk right under me last year as I hugged the tree about 8-10 ft up. Never knew I was there. Of course my bow was on the ground and if it was a nice one I would have missed the shot opportunity, of course that sucks if it’s a shooter but not worth being loud and fast, risking mistakes or a fall, trying to get up the tree


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Pretty much every one of you used the word "quiet" in conjunction with "slow".
What do you do when "quiet" is physically impossible?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[shwacker]

Quiet is relative, you can be more quiet when moving slow and methodical. What are you doing or referring to that you can’t be quiet?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sdonx]

I have shot 2 bucks in 42 seasons while ascending the tree, and while standing on a climbing stick/step. I pulled the bow up slowly, and killed both within 20 yards. First time I was on screw in steps about 9-10 foot off ground, and last time was on my 3rd stick, about 15 foot up. I almost pulled it off again in 2017 season on my way down - shot never materialized and he passed 40 yards way. Taking my time and paying attention while I was climbing got me both those opportunities and almost a third. Not saying folks should "screw around" but I also don't think folks need to be in such a rush.

I killed a doe in the Adirondaks. I was on a LW climber. I just stopped slowly stood up, slowly pulled bow up and BLAM. I remember she came in to my scent bag which is no longer around. It was like a bag of hair in a nylon?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Allegheny Tom]

I am sure I will get spears for this - but climbing speed has zero benefit to hunting outcome; it is more about egos and pushing personal climbing preferences and methods. The ONLY relevant factors are 1) did you get in without ruining a chance at a deer walking by, and 2) can you execute a killing shot when a deer walks by. One without the other is useless.

If speed means nothing, then why do so many of us prefer pre sets when possible? Its because we want to go from ground to stand height as quickly as we can safely do so.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[Gator]

Quiet is relative, you can be more quiet when moving slow and methodical. What are you doing or referring to that you can’t be quiet?

His previous reply about fresh leaves on the ground

 

[Nutterbuster]

If speed means nothing, then why do so many of us prefer pre sets when possible? Its because we want to go from ground to stand height as quickly as we can safely do so.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Yeah, for me setup speed is important in the same way having my clothes laid out, my bag and bow ready and hanging by the door, my kayak on the roof, etc. is important. You can take it further and look at the GPS breadcrumb trail I leave, the scribbles on the map, the trail tacks at swamp crossings, and the journal I keep.

It's all about being mentally prepared, and having things go smoothly and according to plan. There's a LOT that goes into each hunt, and it's too much to do if you're not putting a lot of it on "autopilot" and planning ahead.

 

[elk yinzer]

Pretty much every one of you used the word "quiet" in conjunction with "slow".
What do you do when "quiet" is physically impossible?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

The OP was talking about climbing specifically. I totally agree with your premise that in crunchy leaves you are better off making noise that doesn't sound human than creeping along clearly sounding like a hunter.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Quiet is relative, you can be more quiet when moving slow and methodical. What are you doing or referring to that you can’t be quiet?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The access is what is sometimes impossible to do quietly.
Example...I sometimes have access routes clean. On one day I can access a stand as quiet as a mouse. But 4 days later, I return to that stand and leaf drop has occurred and there is literally 6" of a layer of crunchy leaves on the ground. Unless a person can levitate, there is NO WAY you can go quiet...maybe slow, but not quiet. I can't tell you how often Ive had deer come to me because of how I sound when I walk under those conditions.
It kinda sucks when you take 3 extra minutes to get up the tree and get pinned before you are set.
The thread is about actual climbing speed but you can't leave out of the equation access noise. It certainly does effect how quickly you need to get up the tree.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[shwacker]

The access is what is sometimes impossible to do quietly.
Example...I sometimes have access routes clean. On one day I can access a stand as quiet as a mouse. But 4 days later, I return to that stand and leaf drop has occurred and there is literally 6" of a layer of crunchy leaves on the ground. Unless a person can levitate, there is NO WAY you can go quiet...maybe slow, but not quiet. I can't tell you how often Ive had deer come to me because of how I sound when I walk under those conditions.
It kinda sucks when you take 3 extra minutes to get up the tree and get pinned before you are set.
The thread is about actual climbing speed but you can't leave out of the equation access noise. It certainly does effect how quickly you need to get up the tree.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

I got ya, missed your earlier post about leaves. Yes that’s tough, I’ve heard of people running to their stand to help sound like a deer running or chasing. And yeah, if you do that or not and have a deer come to investigate it’s def nice to be already set up. At same time if you rush and bang some metal together then you are ruining any chance you had at potentially sounding like just another animal in the woods


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ImThere]

The access is what is sometimes impossible to do quietly.
Example...I sometimes have access routes clean. On one day I can access a stand as quiet as a mouse. But 4 days later, I return to that stand and leaf drop has occurred and there is literally 6" of a layer of crunchy leaves on the ground. Unless a person can levitate, there is NO WAY you can go quiet...maybe slow, but not quiet. I can't tell you how often Ive had deer come to me because of how I sound when I walk under those conditions.
It kinda sucks when you take 3 extra minutes to get up the tree and get pinned before you are set.
The thread is about actual climbing speed but you can't leave out of the equation access noise. It certainly does effect how quickly you need to get up the tree.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

during the rut I wont worry about being as quite in the leaves and will try to make a bee line and will not stop or look if a deer happens to blow at me. If i get caught climbing by a doe I will keep climbing I want her to blow and run away as fast as possible, I don't want her standing there blowing for the next 45 min the same for a buck if he isn't the one I'm looking for. I hate for a deer to stand there not really knowing what I am and blow at me for the first hour of day light

 

[Allegheny Tom]

I got ya, missed your earlier post about leaves. Yes that’s tough, I’ve heard of people running to their stand to help sound like a deer running or chasing. And yeah, if you do that or not and have a deer come to investigate it’s def nice to be already set up. At same time if you rush and bang some metal together then you are ruining any chance you had at potentially sounding like just another animal in the woods


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Another thing of noise that seems to happen at least once a year...frozen mat of grass, or frozen extremely crunchy snow. Its nothing that any human being can sneak thru. It just plain physics. SOMETIMES you are gonna make noise walking...period. A slow, hard-sounding crunch is much more alarming to game than when trotting in with the cadence of a cruising buck.
If I have no choice but to make noise, then Im going to try to make the RIGHT kind of noise. And when you make the right kind, you tend to draw deer TO you instead of away from you. That is the scenario when getting up the tree quickly matters.
Hey, yeah, always be as quiet as you can be, but sometimes that's
just not physically possible.
Almost every post says slow and quiet. Agree...if quiet is possible.
When quiet isnt possible get in fast and climb fast (with no climbing racket).

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[Allegheny Tom]

The OP was talking about climbing specifically. I totally agree with your premise that in crunchy leaves you are better off making noise that doesn't sound human than creeping along clearly sounding like a hunter.

You can't separate the access from the climb.
The final approach is just as critical as the climb itself.
Can deer be shot DURING the climb? Of course they can be.
But is there any part of a hunt when we are most vulnerable to being busted and unable to shoot than the climb? No way.
Removing the bottom few screw in steps has cost me some book sized bucks. The extra minute it took to replace those steps is what had me hanging on the side of the tree helpless to shoot with deer in my lap.
Why were they in my lap? Because they thought I was another deer when I was walking and they cam TO ME. If I had been up the tree faster, I very well could have a 200" buck on my wall right now. Some lessons are hard.


Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[DB4x4]

Slow is smooth.
Smooth is fast.

 

[Nutterbuster]

Actual image of @Allegheny Tom enroute to his deer stand on a crisp, leafy day.