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Favorite tree to climb

bfriendly

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2021
Messages
1,110
Curious what your favorite trees to climb are and how about pines? Seems most of the pines I see are ate up with beetles or very branchy. I have not climbed any yet. Mostly poplar and sweetgums maybe some oaks. I’m always on the lookout for the next tree to climb and have seen a few pines that look good, but have been hesitant to do so.
 
Ash trees are great, minus the fact that we've been slammed with an invasive beetle that is killing them so I don't touch them now. Least favorite would be shagbark hickory.
 
Beech. They keep their leaves longer than most trees and have smooth, but hard bark. You can get up a beech very quietly and have decent cover.
 
Ash is nice as many are like climbing a telephone pole with limited limbs to get in the way. Downside is that you stick out without heavy back cover. Oaks are equally nice for opposite reasons.


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Black Gum would probably be my #1 around here. Usually straight, often some branches for cover, super quiet soft bark. But I just climb the right tree any species as long as it's alive and doesn't have poison ivy vines. I hate climbing quaking aspen and any number of shagbark trees but if it's the right spot, it's the right tree.
 
Where I'm at it seems like I'm in maples most of the time. My favorites are multi trunked or split from one into two trunks. I like to hang off one and use the other(s) for background cover.
 
Where I'm at, dutch elm went through and the oaks took over. Then, oak wilt went through and ash took over. Now, emerald ash borer is moving that way which leaves who knows what.
 
Bitternut hickory. They have tight, tough bark, and grow straight. Ash would be awesome if it weren't for the ash borer killing most of them. The bitternut hickory actually looks a lot like ash from a distance.
 
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