Leaning Tree Set Up

[raisins]

I wouldn't climb or hunt those trees because they are too angled and being that skinny doesn't help. I would suggest a ground setup, as already mentioned.

If I was forced to do it, I would climb the high side and set the platform on the high side and adjust the angle to make it as flat as possible, but you might run out of adjustment. I'd probably grab my Lone Wolf Assault hang on and try it on the high side with the adjustment bottomed out. If on a saddle platform, I'd pick a larger one and stand the whole time.

Whether using a saddle or a fall arrest harness, this is a somewhat dangerous climb and set up. To climb this, using your tether as well (with minimal slack) would be absolutely necessary. A danger here is swinging to the low side. This happens way more easily than you'd think.

If you swing to the low side with just a lineman's lanyard, then you might fall as the mechanism by which it might lever you into the tree is disrupted.

However, and this is why that tree would be a hard "no" for me, if the tree is too angled (like those) then if you swing to the low side with your safety tether then you will be dangling away from the tree and you might not be able to reach the tree well enough to self-rescue. This is very real and athleticism doesn't matter here if you can't get ahold of the tree. If you dangle from a saddle (but especially a fall arrest harness), then you risk suspension trauma and possibly serious injury.

-R

 

[parkersdad]

I actually have a JX3, are you sitting on the high side?

I will sit on both sides depending on what they need is. If I sit on the high side I have two steps on a strap. I will set the steps 2 to 3 inches higher than the top of my stick on the high side. That way when you go around you have leverage so it doesn’t throw you down as bad. Still not perfect but works for me.

 

[BTaylor]

Maybe hire a beaver to drop the whole cluster and make a good ground blind. I aint climbing willow unless it is a last resort and I sure aint climbing one leaning like those.

 

[raisins]

Maybe hire a beaver to drop the whole cluster and make a good ground blind. I aint climbing willow unless it is a last resort and I sure aint climbing one leaning like those.

Is willow weak? They aren't super common around here except in people's yards. In fact, I can't recall seeing one in the wild where it wasn't at least near an old house (that might just be a foundation at that point).

 

[BTaylor]

Is willow weak? They aren't super common around here except in people's yards. In fact, I can't recall seeing one in the wild where it wasn't at least near an old house (that might just be a foundation at that point).

They make good brush for a duck blind and will grow mushrooms, other than that, pretty much worthless. Definitely a weak wood, imo.

 

[1simplemann]

I haven't been online here in a while but I'm back now that it's hunting season. I'll Give my 2 cents on this one. If this is the best spot for you to sit and you HAVE to hunt there then I would say go for it. Otherwise keep looking. With that said, I let the available tree selection choose my hunting locations for years only to watch them from the distance hoping that they come close. That why I now saddle hunt. I go to the spot and hunt. My problem was the opposite of yours. Too BIG of trees. I couldn't get a tree stand in them. Now I've figured out a way to hunt them with a saddle. In your case, you have to figure it out. These trees are not ideal but huntable IMO. . Think out of the box. NY Saddle Hunter did a video about what's called a re-direct. Essentially 2 tethers. Hunt between the trees w/ a tether on each tree. Next I would look for some sort of solid footing. A small platform might work depending on how it cams over. In the past while elk hunting, I once took stout solid branches and placed them level between two trees and lashed them to the trunks with paracord.. I could see 200 elk bedded down across the fence but I couldn't hunt there. The night before they jumped the fence and funneled down to within 50 yards of those 2 trees an hour before dark to the alfalfa field a mile away. There weren't a lot of options on the ground. 200 sets of eyes are hard to beat. I figured the best thing to do was get above them. It made a decent platform and it would've worked really well with a saddle IMO. The animals didn't cooperate though. They stayed bedded till after dark. The best laid plans! That's hunting. Anyway, I think with 2 tethers and some good footing you could get the job done depending on how close they are. Willows are plenty strong so I wouldn't worry about the tree breaking or falling over. What I would worry about is the trees moving and quivering. Wimpy trees will quiver at the slightest movement. Leaning wimpy trees only make it worse. If the deer are right on top of you, I doubt you can pull it off but 30-40 yds away might be doable. It looks very open so you have to see them before they see you. Try to set up so your looking in the direction that you expect the deer to come from. That way you'll have time to prepare and get into position. Also if possible keep your strong side to where you expect the shot to be. It definitely a challenging set up. IMO it can be done. Only way to know for sure is to hunt it. Let us know how you make out.

 

[Bratch]

So I didn’t hunt those exact trees but I did end up in leaning Willows all of last weekend. Using the JX3 I was in decent shape with offsetting my tether and shifting my weight away from the pull. I spent most of the time sitting primarily on one hip. I would slide forward on the seat until it got uncomfortable and then shift and start over. Other than having to shift from time to time for comfort and stability the only problems I had were at the bottom of the rappel when I got a little too aggressive with my movements and rotated around the tree.

 

[Maverick1]

I would just use climbing sticks on the high side and a hang on stand, also on the high side and using the leveling feature as much as possible. Using a saddle would be problematic because you’d likely be fighting gravity and the tree wanting to swing you to the low side all the time.

 

[dalton916]

So I didn’t hunt those exact trees but I did end up in leaning Willows all of last weekend. Using the JX3 I was in decent shape with offsetting my tether and shifting my weight away from the pull. I spent most of the time sitting primarily on one hip. I would slide forward on the seat until it got uncomfortable and then shift and start over. Other than having to shift from time to time for comfort and stability the only problems I had were at the bottom of the rappel when I got a little too aggressive with my movements and rotated around the tree.

One of the spots I love to hunt is full of multitrunk birch trees. The secret is to use a lineman’s rope. Girth hitch it to one of the other trunks and clip it into your saddle to hold you in place. That way you can sit comfortably and not have to stay on one hip.

 

[Iron_llama]

One of the spots I love to hunt is full of multitrunk birch trees. The secret is to use a lineman’s rope. Girth hitch it to one of the other trunks and clip it into your saddle to hold you in place. That way you can sit comfortably and not have to stay on one hip.

I'm having trouble picturing this. Do you have a photo?

 

[dalton916]

I used to, let me check….

 

[dalton916]

Found some photos taken from that spot, but not of the setup. Basically all you’re doing is setup your platform where YOU want it to, not where gravity wants you to be. Clip in with your tether like you normally would. Gravity is going to want you to go where it wants you to go so take your lineman’s rope and use it as another tether to cancel out the gravity. Girth hitch it to one of the trunks that’s going to give you the most benefit. Set it waist high if possible. Clip into your lineman’s loop with the other end.

Now your tether is holding you upright and your lineman’s rope is calling out gravity.

 

[Still Kicking]

Nope.

 

[Iron_llama]

Found some photos taken from that spot, but not of the setup. Basically all you’re doing is setup your platform where YOU want it to, not where gravity wants you to be. Clip in with your tether like you normally would. Gravity is going to want you to go where it wants you to go so take your lineman’s rope and use it as another tether to cancel out the gravity. Girth hitch it to one of the trunks that’s going to give you the most benefit. Set it waist high if possible. Clip into your lineman’s loop with the other end.

Now your tether is holding you upright and your lineman’s rope is calling out gravity.

Oh, I'm tracking now. I think NYSH has a video on using a second tether as a redirect on leaning trees, sounds like what you're describing, only you point out using a second trunk if that works out. Thanks.