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Hunting dead trees!

Arrowsquirrel said:
The amount a people in this thread killing deer out of dead trees make me want to go get in one :frowning:
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Don't do it ! I don't think any of us are advocating hunting out of dead trees. It just happened that we killed deer while accidentally climbing up into a dead one. I would never intentionally climb one. Too many live trees out there.
 
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The first buck I ever killed with a bow was from a dead tree. Graveyard dead with no bark and not another tree with 75 yards any direction, lol.

Buck was using a narrow creek to traverse an abandoned beaver pond. His mistake was rubbing a few scrub bushes along the way alerting me to his nefarious behavior.
 
When I was a kid my Dad handed me a 7mm and had me use an old steel climber up a dead tree. I'll never forget shooting a buck on the other side of a creek 80 yards away... when I fired the gun the tree trunk swayed back and forth from the recoil.
Good times!
 
Hunting out dead trees is like taking strippers home with you. May seem like a great idea in the moment. May even be your only option right then. There’s even a decent chance things may end up fine the first few times. But odds are, eventually, you’re going to end up in the doctor’s office if you keep doing it.
 
Spartan said:
Hunting out dead trees is like taking strippers home with you. May seem like a great idea in the moment. May even be your only option right then. There’s even a decent chance things may end up fine the first few times. But odds are, eventually, you’re going to end up in the doctor’s office if you keep doing it.
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How many times have you done this?…
 
I'm always a bit nervous hunting here in November and December. Once the leaves come off, it's impossible to tell if a tree is dead unless the bark is peeling off.
 
Shapeshifter said:
Was out doing some scouting this weekend. I found this really nice spot in drainage bottom that had multiple intersecting deer trails. I looked for a good tree that had plenty of background cover and that was about 25 yards back. I finally found what I thought was the perfect tree but when I walked up to it I realized it was dead. I don't think it's been dead very long. It still had all the bark in tacked and it didn’t seem to be overly decayed. This got me thinking. How many of you guys have hunted dead trees either accidentally or on purpose. I have hunted them in the past but it has always been by accident.
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If it's a great tree, maybe you can knock together a brush blind and cut some lanes. The deer that's worth climbing a dead tree for hasn't been born yet.
 
This is one of the Golden Rules of Tree Stand Safety in our Hunter- Bowhunter Education Classes…. Never climb a dead tree!! Others include: Never Climb Utility Poles, Never climb a tree with rough or loose bark, Never climb a tree next to a dead or dying tree or where there is evidence of decay or insect infestation.
 
I've done it 3 times. All accidentally on a blind setup in the AM in the dark. I'd never do it intentionally. HOWEVER....

time 1) passed a small 8 that walked right under my tree
time 2) missed a big 8 on public
time 3) IMG_2663.jpg

Looking back on it, it's pretty strange that I had great encounters on all 3 sits.
 
hokiehunter373 said:
I've done it 3 times. All accidentally on a blind setup in the AM in the dark. I'd never do it intentionally. HOWEVER....

time 1) passed a small 8 that walked right under my tree
time 2) missed a big 8 on public
time 3) View attachment 86999

Looking back on it, it's pretty strange that I had great encounters on all 3 sits.
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That's a nice buck brother, well done. Yeah, that's weird that all 3 sits have been good for you. Guess that trees is just in the right spot.
 
woodsdog2 said:
This is one of the Golden Rules of Tree Stand Safety in our Hunter- Bowhunter Education Classes…. Never climb a dead tree!! Others include: Never Climb Utility Poles, Never climb a tree with rough or loose bark, Never climb a tree next to a dead or dying tree or where there is evidence of decay or insect infestation.
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But somebody gotta win a Darwin Award……
 
hokiehunter373 said:
I've done it 3 times. All accidentally on a blind setup in the AM in the dark. I'd never do it intentionally. HOWEVER....

time 1) passed a small 8 that walked right under my tree
time 2) missed a big 8 on public
time 3) View attachment 86999

Looking back on it, it's pretty strange that I had great encounters on all 3 sits.
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I just wanted to recognize your artistry with this photo, with the 1-stick. I really like that. Classier than the generic grip 'n grin, and incorporates your hunting method.
 
woodsdog2 said:
This is one of the Golden Rules of Tree Stand Safety in our Hunter- Bowhunter Education Classes…. Never climb a dead tree!! Others include: Never Climb Utility Poles, Never climb a tree with rough or loose bark, Never climb a tree next to a dead or dying tree or where there is evidence of decay or insect infestation.
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These all make sense... but I have a question about the telephone poles. Other threads have discussed planting practice climbing poles in the yard, and the safety discussion has revolved around how deep to sink them, whether or not it's necessary to cement them in, and the like. Is the hazard from the pole itself, from the risk of power lines falling on the hunter, because the pole is private property and climbing it would constitute trespassing, or something I'm not considering?
 
Iron_llama said:
These all make sense... but I have a question about the telephone poles. Other threads have discussed planting practice climbing poles in the yard, and the safety discussion has revolved around how deep to sink them, whether or not it's necessary to cement them in, and the like. Is the hazard from the pole itself, from the risk of power lines falling on the hunter, because the pole is private property and climbing it would constitute trespassing, or something I'm not considering?
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Im about to instal a telephone pole diameter post in my garage to support a loft for storage and to have a warm and dry place for working out saddle hunting techniques and tools. I’d feel comfortable climbing a telephone pole sized post so long as I could personally verify that it was properly installed and not connected to a grid.
 
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