Hunting dead trees!

[boyne bowhunter]

I used to hunt dead trees pretty regularly when I was younger and hunting from a stand. I was younger and dumber then (I have mentioned I never wore a harness right?). I also figured that if the tree started to go over I could always bail out at the last moment and take my chances on the landing. Unfortunately one of the drawbacks of saddle hunting is that you're physically tied to the tree, there's no bailing out. For that very reason I'm also very cognative of dead trees around my setup now. If a neighboring tree decides it's going to come down in my direction there's little or no way to get out of the way if your hanging off the side of a tree. You just get scraped off as it falls by.

 

[Iron_llama]

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.

I've toyed with the idea of putting a 4x4 post in my unfinished basement, tied to a support pillar, with an eye bolt and perch. As I type that I had a thought - If I ever upgrade my reloading/tinkering bench and bolt it to the wall I could incorporate such a post.

 

[woodsdog2]

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.

@hokiehunter is a killer for sure!!!

 

[SNIPERBBB]

I've toyed with the idea of putting a 4x4 post in my unfinished basement, tied to a support pillar, with an eye bolt and perch. As I type that I had a thought - If I ever upgrade my reloading/tinkering bench and bolt it to the wall I could incorporate such a post.

I just wonder with it being squared how well a tether would hold on it.. or a platform. Probably wouldn't get off the floor by much

 

[Fgirtyman]

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.

I don’t hunt in dead trees and am always looking around where I plan to sit. Dead trees next to you in a wind storm or can for seemingly no reason tip over on you and kill you. An old hunter told me years ago( now I’m the old hunter) I you see a wood pecker pounding on a tree he already knows that tree is dying inside,stay away from it. I have seen those same trees loosing bark and tipping over within a few years. No dead trees for me.

 

[Still Kicking]

I also avoid those leaning trees on a creek bank, especially those with half of the roots exposed.

 

[Arrowsquirrel]

On the subject of dead trees. I drive through some of Illinois and a bunch of Wisconsin today. What is up with all the dead trees? It seems like they are everywhere. I can see the subject being an actual thing up here. I'm not used to seeing dead trees unless they are on the ground. At least not huge groves of them. It did seem like most of them are in the lower areas. Maybe in Kansas the wind blows or trees over as soon as they become somewhat dead?

 

[Iron_llama]

On the subject of dead trees. I drive through some of Illinois and a bunch of Wisconsin today. What is up with all the dead trees? It seems like they are everywhere. I can see the subject being an actual thing up here. I'm not used to seeing dead trees unless they are on the ground. At least not huge groves of them. It did seem like most of them are in the lower areas. Maybe in Kansas the wind blows or trees over as soon as they become somewhat dead?

Not sure where you were but Emerald Ash Borer is wrecking havoc on MN hardwoods.

 

[Jammintree]

On the subject of dead trees. I drive through some of Illinois and a bunch of Wisconsin today. What is up with all the dead trees? It seems like they are everywhere. I can see the subject being an actual thing up here. I'm not used to seeing dead trees unless they are on the ground. At least not huge groves of them. It did seem like most of them are in the lower areas. Maybe in Kansas the wind blows or trees over as soon as they become somewhat dead?

Ash and hemlock are both being pretty well decimated at different rates in different regions.

 

[CZMark]

As @Iron_llama said, our ash trees have been decimated. We also had a huge infestation of tent caterpillars this spring which stripped many of the oak trees bare of leaves.