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How long does it take you to set up?

Following this thread...pretty sure I am in the 30 minute range with setup of camera gear. Seems long and just a lot of movement for me. Ground hunting is a lot faster easier. The saddle is totally something I enjoy and definitely has its place in my hunting style!

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I just posted a video on youtube just to test out my new pc and it's vid editing software. It was my next to last hunt of the year. Turned camera on when I got to the tree. Had to fight out a rope tangle and it was at the 6minute mark that I finally was able to climb. Set and ready 12 mins later. Probably would of been a bit faster but I had to go 90* around the tree to get to the side I wanted to hunt from and it wasn't easy.
 
In North GA we have a ton of straight limbless trees and since I use the LWHC as my climbing method and platform my setup time is fairly short at around 10 - 15 min depending on hunting height. I am hunting exclusively public ground right now, and many spots for the first time. Honestly, I spend way more time trying to figure out which tree to climb than I do actually climbing. I really need to speed up that decision process.
 
With my sticks and alpha I am usually in the 5 to 7 minute range.Takes me 12 to 15 with my bolts.And all of that can change depending on the tree.Very seldom do i climb a tree that i dont have trimming and then i dont like it.Feel like everything is looking at me.LOL Setup time is about the same with my Kestrel
 
I'm willing to bet if everyone used a stopwatch to time themselves during an actual hunt when trying to be as quiet as possible and moving slowly as opposed to racing up the tee wearing shorts in the backyard and not having gear fully set up we'd see just how off most of these times are.
There are other factors to consider in regards to the times given like how high, are there limbs to get around, climbing method, age and physical fitness, hunting in the north in multiple layers or south in a tee shirt, etc. All of these elements impact time.
I timed myself last year one summer day one sticking on a leaner with a limb to get around and it was 5 - 6 minutes to reach 22'. You can easily add another 10-15 minutes to pull up bow and get everything setup ready to hunt.
In the grand scheme of things a few extra minutes or 15 shouldn't impact a hunt and it's better to take it slow and climb safely than race up a tree and risk injury or dropping equipment.
 
slonstdy said:
I'm willing to bet if everyone used a stopwatch to time themselves during an actual hunt when trying to be as quiet as possible and moving slowly as opposed to racing up the tee wearing shorts in the backyard and not having gear fully set up we'd see just how off most of these times are.
There are other factors to consider in regards to the times given like how high, are there limbs to get around, climbing method, age and physical fitness, hunting in the north in multiple layers or south in a tee shirt, etc. All of these elements impact time.
I timed myself last year one summer day one sticking on a leaner with a limb to get around and it was 5 - 6 minutes to reach 22'. You can easily add another 10-15 minutes to pull up bow and get everything setup ready to hunt.
In the grand scheme of things a few extra minutes or 15 shouldn't impact a hunt and it's better to take it slow and climb safely than race up a tree and risk injury or dropping equipment.
Click to expand...
Best reply so far! I think some watches are off a bit on some of these times.
 
When I'm hunting I am in no race to get to a tree and climb up a tree considering I will be sitting silently for the next 4 to 8 hours and any noise will alert the deer. If it gets to be a race I will just go buy some steaks at the grocery store instead of hunting. It is quicker. It might take me 15 minutes to climb the tree to answer the OP.
 
I Use 3-4 hawk helium’s with a one step aider. 24’ Is about my max. I can get to my hunting height (which varies) and set up in about 30 minutes from the time I get to the bottom of the tree. Most of that time is getting everything organized and safe before I climb. Climbing is pretty quick. Then maybe 3-5 minutes to get bow up, arrow nocked, And everything the way I like it.
The first couple times I tried. It took me almost an hour to get up the tree. Get you a system that works for you, and one trip up the tree definitely helps.
 
15 min and under seems reasonable. my guess is those taking much longer....are either in crap physical shape or are unnecessarily bogged down with equipment/gadgets.
 
I'm about 5 minutes to climb, give or take 30 seconds depending on height. Another minute or two to pull out and set my platform and get situated on it. Add a minute to hang my pack and another one to get my bow up, nock an arrow attach my release. Technically I'm hunting in 9-10 minutes from approach to the tree. After that I still have to swap bridges and put on my outer layers (say two minutes), another two minutes to attach my camera arm and get the camera setup so I'm definitely completely setup in under 15 minutes.

EDIT: Funny thing is I typically spend more time than that trying to decide which tree is the "right" tree before I climb. :)
 
With the amount of people claiming 15+ minutes im really starting to think that I'm actually taking longer than I think I am.

If I remember to do it ill time myself this afternoon and report back.
 
Even when I was better with this years system I’d say 20-30 min depending on clothes etc. and that from base of tree to everything sorted where I want with bow and pack hung, release on, settled in. Maybe I’m too picky but I feel like I spend 10 minutes on getting settled in.
And yes I too spend too much time dissecting what tree I want to be in also.
I’m going to give one sticking an honest effort starting this spring and see how that works out.
 
To the OP - speed is relative to many factors (one of them is your own integrity if you elect to post your time).

I recommend you time yourself when actually hunting and try to best THAT time if you feel the need to get quicker. Don't sacrifice safety or you may never learn what your best time actually is...

LW sticks with aiders are faster for me but I love climbing with WE stepps and a CAYG 3-step aider I made. It is plenty fast enough, super safe, reasonably quiet if I do my part but most of all it is compact to lug with me into these dadgum Florida swamps.

As for me - sometimes I am so fast I can get up to hunting height with an arrow nocked before the rope on my bottom stepp stops swinging from when I tied it to the tree; then I wake up from my first nap-in-the-saddle and cuss at the white flag bounding away from me...
 
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