Climbing trees with poison vines or just vines

[Waylon mark]

Do you pull it loose then run your rope under when using steps and sticks or brace it and go over ,if I catch it before I leave the base I usually jerk it loose ,if not I saw it then jerk it loose ,but I know I have had no luck getting we steps tight over it

 

[sweats]

I don't climb if there are poison vines on it. Just seems like asking for trouble.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[Waylon mark]

95% of the trees where I hunt have some sort of vine ,I've never been bothered by any of the poison vines ,but I read a post where someone had a stick kick out and I thought I bet he strapped over a vine

 

[Wyatt_burp]

I hunt in very viney areas, I used to throw the climber on whatever. I climbed 2 dead trees by accident and now I don't climb the vine. Wind picked up and I heard a crack, it was just daybreak and I scuttled outta there.

I don't get poison, so I understand climbing them because whatever, but dead trees lead to injured or dead hunters.

But yeah, if you still want to climb live trees with vines make sure they are small vines and climb on the outside. Anything bigger than a finger is getting chopped.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

 

[KYRanger]

Many of the trees I am climbing on the property I am hunting have vines. It depends on how large the vines are and how tight they are adhered to the tree. Some vines are small enough to strap around and move up. Others are so large they require a saw. I hate dealing with the vines, but it’s necessary to hunt certain places.

Each tree and climb is different. If I can avoid the vine covered tree, I do. But usually that perfect tree for my left handed strong side shot is the one with thorns around the base and vines growing up it. If the vines are small, I climb to height, then I cut them out way for my final stick or platform placement. I also want them cleared for my tether/rappel rope. If the vine is large, many times you can cut it and it will fall to the ground. Sometimes you have to run your attachments under the larger vines. I guess I’m saying it depends, but I’m more comfortable with them being cleared. I am allergic to poison ivy, so I always wear gloves and avoid touching them as much as possible. I use my shears as I go.
Once I get home, shower in hot water and scrub exposed areas with dawn and a rag. The rag is important to remove the oils. Think of rubbing as you would to wipe up an oil spill. It takes some effort. This process has really helped me eliminate break outs.

 

[raisins]

Try to kill them in the spring. If a poison ivy vine is killed before it produces leaves in the spring, and then is dead until the next fall season....does anyone know if the vine will have the noxious oils still? I assume at some point dead poison ivy would lose its oils enough to not cause a rash. The stuff isn't water soluble though and so might hang out.

 

[RainingBlades]

The oils do kick around for awhile but sorry I don’t know how long. I was shocked watching hunting public hey were in Tennessee ward was leaning against a tree with poison ivy. Seems like so many great spots I go to 80-90 percent trees have poison ivy. There’s got to be something to that.

 

[gcr0003]

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE. Ask @Kenbama how he likes climbing those poison ivy trees. I’ve done it and I’ve regretted it more than once. The worst is when you don’t know you’ve gotten into the stuff.

If they are normal vines I sometimes climb under them if I can get close to hunting height then I may (allegedly) cut the vine from the top side and let the whole thing fall to the ground. It’s very satisfying removing vines from on my way. If they are tight to the tree I’ll just climb over them with my sticks, no big deal. It just depends.

 

[raisins]

The oils do kick around for awhile but sorry I don’t know how long. I was shocked watching hunting public hey were in Tennessee ward was leaning against a tree with poison ivy. Seems like so many great spots I go to 80-90 percent trees have poison ivy. There’s got to be something to that.

It seems poison ivy climbs trees in areas with mixed age classes of trees and diversity of trees and then more open/shrubs (which allows light in to hit the tree). This diverse habitat is pretty good for deer. I can't remember a more even stand/big woods type set up where I saw much poison ivy climbing in the shade (it likes edge it seems).

 

[DMTJAGER]

If you are even moderately let alone highly allergic/sensitized to poison ivy you would be risking ruining your entire hunt. Poison ivy can long term contaminate anything or any gear it touches and continue to give your a rash.

My friend who in his words is "immune" to poison ivy knowing allowed the wrist strap of his release to come in contact repeatedly with a huge furry nasty poison ivy vine while hunting out of his tree stand on day two while we were on a 6 day peek of pre-rut bow trip. Same guy felt it was financially imprudent to buy a second back up release aid. Utter and complete poison ivy rash induced misery doesn't even approach the level of discomfort he soon found himself in.

While I am not immune to poison ivy I am not all that sensitized either and have to make direct contact with it to get the rash, I would never hunt in a tree with poison ivy as I have had only a few rash out brakes and can not imagine what a really bad rash would be like. But my other very good friend did. His BIL asked our help to clear a lot he bought to build a house on. I showed up to help with my three Sthil chain saws in tow. two 16" and one 20" and once I got within a few feet of the tree they had just felled and were busily cutting up I hit the brakes and did an IMEDEATE about face and put about 20-30' between me and them.

The tree they had felled an dead old gnarly looking oak was literally covered in poison ivy and I got their attention and said you guys had better stop this instant or be very very sorry. To make matter worse they were both wearing t-shirts they had had cut the sleeves out of exposing about half of the sides of their torso. My friend was not an outdoor guy as neither was his BIL but both claimed I was wrong and the vine all over the tree was not PI, I pointed out that regardless who's right the fact the vine had leaves that were in groups of three and that the center one was higher then the two on the side was the hallmark indicator of poison ivy should be enough to convince them to GTH away from it and stop cutting trough the vines with chain saws filling the air with dust from the dried vines.

The BIL essentially said if I was to much of a chicken**** and to afraid to help then he didn't need my help. So I gave a final warning to my friend and went to his house not far from there told his mom to call her daughter a RN and tell her she had better drive over and intercede or her husband was going to end up in the ER in the next few hours. Unfortunately she couldn't reach her daughter at work and by the time she got there they were done cutting up the tree.

Needless to say they both ended up at the ER and even got admitted their rashes were so severe. I saw my friend the next day he came home and I do not exaggerate one bit saying he looked like he had leprosy his rash was so awful.

 

[sojourner]

If you are even moderately let alone highly allergic/sensitized to poison ivy you would be risking ruining your entire hunt. Poison ivy can long term contaminate anything or any gear it touches and continue to give your a rash.

My friend who in his words is "immune" to poison ivy knowing allowed the wrist strap of his release to come in contact repeatedly with a huge furry nasty poison ivy vine while hunting out of his tree stand on day two while we were on a 6 day peek of pre-rut bow trip. Same guy felt it was financially imprudent to buy a second back up release aid. Utter and complete poison ivy rash induced misery doesn't even approach the level of discomfort he soon found himself in.

While I am not immune to poison ivy I am not all that sensitized either and have to make direct contact with it to get the rash, I would never hunt in a tree with poison ivy as I have had only a few rash out brakes and can not imagine what a really bad rash would be like. But my other very good friend did. His BIL asked our help to clear a lot he bought to build a house on. I showed up to help with my three Sthil chain saws in tow. two 16" and one 20" and once I got within a few feet of the tree they had just felled and were busily cutting up I hit the brakes and did an IMEDEATE about face and put about 20-30' between me and them.

The tree they had felled an dead old gnarly looking oak was literally covered in poison ivy and I got their attention and said you guys had better stop this instant or be very very sorry. To make matter worse they were both wearing t-shirts they had had cut the sleeves out of exposing about half of the sides of their torso. My friend was not an outdoor guy as neither was his BIL but both claimed I was wrong and the vine all over the tree was not PI, I pointed out that regardless who's right the fact the vine had leaves that were in groups of three and that the center one was higher then the two on the side was the hallmark indicator of poison ivy should be enough to convince them to GTH away from it and stop cutting trough the vines with chain saws filling the air with dust from the dried vines.

The BIL essentially said if I was to much of a chicken**** and to afraid to help then he didn't need my help. So I gave a final warning to my friend and went to his house not far from there told his mom to call her daughter a RN and tell her she had better drive over and intercede or her husband was going to end up in the ER in the next few hours. Unfortunately she couldn't reach her daughter at work and by the time she got there they were done cutting up the tree.

Needless to say they both ended up at the ER and even got admitted their rashes were so severe. I saw my friend the next day he came home and I do not exaggerate one bit saying he looked like he had leprosy his rash was so awful.

Thx for sharing. No deer is worth that!

I was never affected by PI, until one day, I was. I learned quick!

 

[thedutchtouch]

cant speak to climbing them, i haven't had to make that decision yet where i've hunted, but an arborist/landscaper neighbor swears that you should take a shower in COLD water first and scrub the heck out of your skin/ use degreaser like that orange stuff car mechanics use. the cold water is to keep the pores in your skin from opening up and letting more of the poison oil in.

 

[DMTJAGER]

cant speak to climbing them, i haven't had to make that decision yet where i've hunted, but an arborist/landscaper neighbor swears that you should take a shower in COLD water first and scrub the heck out of your skin/ use degreaser like that orange stuff car mechanics use. the cold water is to keep the pores in your skin from opening up and letting more of the poison oil in.

He is correct.

After a very stupid moment on my part, I had to shimmy down a shag bark hickory COVERED in PI and scraped the s**t out of my stomach and chest. Hauled *** back to my motel a little Ma&Pa place barrowed a big scrub brush from the motel owner asked the girl tending the front desk to spray me with the hose in back of the motel after I removed my shirt and with a PI preventative scrub/soap called "Ivy Dry" and the directions were to run cold water over effected area and scrub with product. The Ivy Dry was a two part treatment that included an after wash ointment.
I literally scrubbed while she sprayed me with cold water until I could no longer tolerate the pain, took a brake and did it again and again. Yes my skin was raw and I was in significant discomfort, then I applied the ointment and thankfully didn't have any significant rash occur. Couldn't wear anything but a tee-shirt for days but beat the crap out of the God awful rash that would have undoubtedly would have developed and most certainly had me paying a visit to the ER.
Figured use the hose and keep my pants on to keep the PI from rinsing off and getting on my "Vitals" if you will. Girl was at first quite startled but judging from her ever increasing giggles had became quite amused by my misfortune after a while.

 

[KYRanger]

I think the op was asking about climbing trees with vines in general, with a concern for getting sticks and ropes secured when vines are present on the tree. I don’t think anyone advocates climbing trees that are known to have poison ivy. Anyone allergic will tell you to avoid it like the plague. The issue is there are a lot of trees with vines that may or may not be poison ivy. You either avoid trees with vines, or take precautions when climbing and properly clean exposed areas afterwards. This video has been posted on this forum before. I have been following this advice, and so far so good.