New here, curious about what I should be looking for in a rope.

[Newb2hanging]

IMO u bitting off more than u can chew....

Nah, am I trying to rush it a bit? Yeah. But just because someone’s never tried something doesn’t mean they shouldn’t.

 

[LoadedLimbs]

Not sure where I would be able to find any sort of seasoned person on this sort of thing around me. Hunting from the ground blows, just eager to get elevated. Lol

1. Where are you located? Maybe someone on here is close enough to meet up with for some assistance.
2. Tactics vary, but a lot of folks on this forum will advocate staying on the ground until you locate really hot deer sign, climbing a tree only after you're convinced that you're at a spot that you're almost certain to see deer THAT DAY. If you adopt those tactics, even when you're experienced at rope climbing, you'll be ground hunting most of the time - and you'll probably be a lot more successful than sitting in a random tree hoping to see deer.

 

[Weldabeast]

Nah, am I trying to rush it a bit? Yeah. But just because someone’s never tried something doesn’t mean they shouldn’t.

I'm not saying u shouldn't....

I am saying u shouldn't buy all the stuff in the next couple weeks and then go climb a tree and hunt.

Get the right stuff and practice at ur house climbing....

My suggestion if u just wanna use the saddle to hunt with right now would be to get an appropriate rated rope 9-11mm 12ft long and the 7-9mm friction hitch from REI to build a tether and use the saddle at ground level and hunt with it....wait for the right ropes to arrive in the mail and learn climbing at home first before going out into the woods and trying it. Ewo has what u need....be sure to buy or build a Linesman's belt before u start climbing also.

 

[Newb2hanging]

I'm not saying u shouldn't....

I am saying u shouldn't buy all the stuff in the next couple weeks and then go climb a tree and hunt.

Get the right stuff and practice at ur house climbing....

My suggestion if u just wanna use the saddle to hunt with right now would be to get an appropriate rated rope 9-11mm 12ft long and the 7-9mm friction hitch from REI to build a tether and use the saddle at ground level and hunt with it....wait for the right ropes to arrive in the mail and learn climbing at home first before going out into the woods and trying it. Ewo has what u need....be sure to buy or build a Linesman's belt before u start climbing also.

I mean I’m not trying to go learn it InThe woods the day of the hunt. That’s why I was trying to find a place I could get ahold of some proper rope locally so I could practice the next couple days and be ready Saturday, but doesn’t look like that’s going to happen unless I drive like an hr and a half away to an arborist supply shop

 

[Newb2hanging]

1. Where are you located? Maybe someone on here is close enough to meet up with for some assistance.
2. Tactics vary, but a lot of folks on this forum will advocate staying on the ground until you locate really hot deer sign, climbing a tree only after you're convinced that you're at a spot that you're almost certain to see deer THAT DAY. If you adopt those tactics, even when you're experienced at rope climbing, you'll be ground hunting most of the time - and you'll probably be a lot more successful than sitting in a random tree hoping to see deer.

Im from eastern Ohio. Where I’m hunting it’s very thick and dense. You want to have some elevation to be able to see a ways.

 

[Swingin' Free]

I mean I’m not trying to go learn it InThe woods the day of the hunt. That’s why I was trying to find a place I could get ahold of some proper rope locally so I could practice the next couple days and be ready Saturday, but doesn’t look like that’s going to happen unless I drive like an hr and a half away to an arborist supply shop

This is the equivalent of shooting your bow a week before the season and calling yourself "good to go"
Except... this you're risking your life, not a missed or wounded deer...
JMHO

 

[Iron_llama]

Not sure REI will have what you need, they might have accessory cord and tubular webbing by the foot, but other rope will be dynamic and sold in 60 meter lengths.

Last time I was there they had an 11mm static line. Bluewater Assault, maybe? A bit heavy and bulky compared to what the cool kids use but entirely safe and serviceable. The topic of climbing ropes is a bit of a rabbit hole do navigate, with its own lingo and whatnot. Most rock climbing business employees I've met don't seem to understand why anybody would want to climb a tree instead of a rock, and look at me aghast if I mention killing an animal. Arborist companies like Wespur and SherrillTree are great, but arborists generally work within a few dozen yards of their truck, with a crew of colleagues, so weight isn't an issue for them; our stuff tends to be smaller and lighter in comparison. DanO at EWO (doublesteps.com) as he is not only a forum member who founded his business on here back in the day, but runs a business specifically dedicated to saddle hunting. I'm saying nice things about him because I am eagerly waiting for my order to ship...

 

[Newb2hanging]

Last time I was there they had an 11mm static line. Bluewater Assault, maybe? A bit heavy and bulky compared to what the cool kids use but entirely safe and serviceable. The topic of climbing ropes is a bit of a rabbit hole do navigate, with its own lingo and whatnot. Most rock climbing business employees I've met don't seem to understand why anybody would want to climb a tree instead of a rock, and look at me aghast if I mention killing an animal. Arborist companies like Wespur and SherrillTree are great, but arborists generally work within a few dozen yards of their truck, with a crew of colleagues, so weight isn't an issue for them; our stuff tends to be smaller and lighter in comparison. DanO at EWO (doublesteps.com) as he is not only a forum member who founded his business on here back in the day, but runs a business specifically dedicated to saddle hunting. I'm saying nice things about him because I am eagerly waiting for my order to ship...

Lol yeah I kind of figured I would get some sort of response similar to that if I went to REI and told them what I was trying to do. What size rope would you recommend? Everything I see says 11.7 is a pretty good size for the DRT method

 

[Iron_llama]

What size rope would you recommend? Everything I see says 11.7 is a pretty good size for the DRT method

11mm-12mm static line seems to be pretty common for recreational climbers and arborists. Most saddle hunters use smaller diameter stuff like 8mm Oplux or RescTec, or 9mm C-IV or Canyon Elite. I use 9mm C-IV. Nothing really wrong with using a thicker-diameter line if it's available at a good price, it will just be bulkier to pack and carry. You'll want 7mm-9mm accessory cord to tie friction hitches on thicker rope. With smaller ropes you'll want 5.5mm-7mm.

I don't DRT myself. I think the thicker stuff is common there because of the way you slide it over the branch as you climb which results in a lot of friction and wear on the rope. It seems that most of the people using smaller ropes are 1-sticking or SRTing.

Besides the diameter of the rope you'll want to consider how stiff it is. I think the Bluewater Assault is pretty stiff, and might not be well-suited to tying the Blake's Hitch used in DRT. Like I said, though, I don't use that rope or that method so hopefully somebody with more experience than I will chime in.

 

[MattMan81]

I have a predator rope and tried some blue moon I got from wesspurs. The blue is a little heavier, but I think it holds up better if your not using a friction saver. You want to make sure you run a high temp rated cord if your not tieing in a Blake's. I found the Blake's to be hit or miss. I didn't trust it to much. So I went to a cord. I pre tied a friction hitch onto the one end then some kinda knot to keep it from moving. So far I have been able to get it over the limbs I practiced on. Not sure about 5:30 am if it will work like I practiced. The other end of the rope is pre tied ready to clip into my prussic. So I will not be tieing any thing life safety wise in the dark.
These are some things you really need to work out IMO. Trying to be quiet in the dark and get everything right is a chance I don't want to take. We just all read about someone dieing while saddle hunting. No one here wants to read another. I would try and do DRT in the dark until you know how well your rope is gonna grab and on what knot with what devices. IMO

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

Not sure REI will have what you need, they might have accessory cord and tubular webbing by the foot, but other rope will be dynamic and sold in 60 meter lengths.

They usually sell 11mm Bluewater assault line which would work for SRT but not Ddrt…. I’m more concerned that he’s never climbed before and he’s gonna go out in the woods and just try it during season

 

[Iron_llama]

They usually sell 11mm Bluewater assault line which would work for SRT but not Ddrt…. I’m more concerned that he’s never climbed before and he’s gonna go out in the woods and just try it during season

Yeah, absolutely. @Newb2hanging, seriously, give yourself more practice time than you have. This stuff is exciting, yes, but go and read every post on the saddle death thread. Where are you located? Can you put your location in your profile, so somebody local can help you get acclimated?

 

[Marmuzz]

Nope and nope

Then go super slow. Yes, you can learn a new system and do things you’ve never done before. Just saying from my experience getting into a saddle, having no experience with a rope industry or treestand before, it was an awesome experience to get up a tree. But it also took me months to get proficient and safe. There’s a tremendous amount to learn.

 

[Iron_llama]

If you were to stand up and fall straight back, and hit your head on the ground, without braking your fall in any way, that is enough force to kill you. Some years ago a champion motorcyclist tipped over in the pits while walking his bike without a helmet, knocked his head, and died. Every year we see fatal slip-and-fall accidents on ice and wet floors - I'm talking young, healthy adults here. Which to say nothing of the sort of internal soft-tissue injuries sustained falling on a rope - see https://saddlehunter.com/community/index.php?threads/the-dangers-of-short-static-falls.19967/ for a discussion with lots of citations and references.

Falling out of a tree can kill you. Flipping upside down on a rope and being unable to right yourself in time can kill you.

It's very tempting to practice climbing - say, 1-sticking - by going as high as you can and then figuring how to get back down. Very, very tempting, and I'd guess that most of us have done something similar. It's a terrible idea. Go 3-4 feet up, tie in, take a couple practice shots, lower your bow, and descend. Get lots of reps in sorting out your technique at, and near, ground level. When you have that sorted out, go 6' up, then 10', in a gradual increase. Give yourself plenty of opportunities to have, and solve, problems at less-risky heights, before you climb higher than you're willing to jump down from.

Practice tying friction hitches on the hardware store rope you already have, until you can do it with your eyes closed - or in the dark, after your headlamp batteries have died, and your fingers have frozen. You can start doing that today. Get competent on a handfull of friction hitches - say, Blake's, Michoacan, Distel, Schwabisch, Prussic, maybe even an advanced one like the JRB variants.

If you can't find someone close to practice with - which I strongly suggest - don't be too bashful to post videos of your attempts to get feedback from us.

I'm also assuming that you have a proper saddle that you bought from a reputable vendor, which is an entirely other discussion.

 

[Lycomingflyfisher]

Buy yourself a tether, linemans belt and a set of sticks. Without having a handson mentor, you have a tremendous learning curve ahead of you to rope climb and hunt safely and efficiently in a month let alone 2 days.

 

[thedutchtouch]

Guys we are all trying to help here, but turning the page slightly to sounding like you're lecturing. That may turn some newbies away and windup with them trying unsafe things on their own. I think we've informed the OP to care about his safety and slow down because uneducated enthusiasm can kill, but we may want to pivot to "here's where to start" instead of "here's what not to do"? Likely Dane is still weighing heavily on us all, it is on me.

Or to put it another way... Seems like he's hell bent to get up a tree this season, so do we want to 1. Continue to say not to, 2. Try to help arm him with as much knowledge as possible in the hopes it keeps him safe 3. Wash your hands and not reply.

I hope it's 2.


OP I'd suggest buying from EWO as suggested, and practice and ask as many questions as you can. REI may have some things you need, but it's hard finding someone in REI these days that understands regular climbing, let alone saddle hunting.

That and seriously listen to these guys. They know a lot and don't want you to die. To be honest, I've learned a lot about hunting from the ground on here as well, that may help you too. Good luck and stay safe out there.

 

[gcr0003]

Buy the predator rope. Wespur use to have a deal on it using nysaddle or somethjng code.

NY saddle hunter has several several videos on DRT (now formally known as MRS)

I don’t see you using this in a tree this weekend. Get the right rope and go from there.

I would also still advise getting a lineman’s belt and a tether. You will not enjoy hanging from a crotch during your hunt, that I can guarantee.

What saddle and other gear do you currently have? What’s your familiarity with knots? Do you have throw line and throw ball? I’d recommend at least 60 ft of thrown line.

Are you hunting private or public land? You could use this weekend to go set presets with parachord. Then you would be ready to climb them next week once you get the rope and several climbs in.

 

[boyne bowhunter]

I know it seems like the guys here are a bunch of naysayers trying to rain on your parade but in reality they're concerned for you. Most of these guys have been doing this a while and went through exactly what you're going through now at one point, I know I did. They're not telling you not to hunt from a saddle, they're just trying to tell you to be careful, take your time and don't rush into it just because your season starts in 2 days. Its a long season. Picking up a saddle and trying to learn the ropes in a couple of days before jumping into a tree and heading for hunting could be a recipe for problems.

There's a lot of subtle nuances to climbing and hanging in a saddle that you really only can get from time in it. Do your practicing low to the ground where you can self rescue if necessary and/or where you can summon help if needed. None of this is really all that hard, it's just different. The only issue is that when things go bad at height it really compounds the problems for anyone that's trying to help.

I remember the first time I took a buddy to a saddle get together. He had his brand new saddle kit and platform and was sure this wasn't going to be too difficult. I stood by and watched as he put his platform on the tree (at ground level), tied on his tether and hooked up. When he sat back in that saddle he completely lost his balance and swung around the tree. Try as he might he couldn't find the stability he needed. The look on his face was one of pure "Oh Crap, I just spent all this money and I can't do this." Luckily I was right there (it could have been any experienced saddle hunter) and I was able to show him first hand where his setup mistakes were. By the end of the day he was a whole lot more comfortable. He probably was not ready to hunt at that point but was starting to figure out what adjustments did what as far as comfort and stability come into play.

Best advice, don't rush out to hunt right away. Take some time for trials and comfort. Find out what's working and what's not and come back here and get some advice on how to correct the issues you may have from guys who've been doing this for a while. This site is a great resource for that. It will help shorten your learning curve and hopefully help keep you safe.

Edit: As a starter I don't think you can go wrong with 11-12mm static rope. In that size I really like the Teufelberger Tachyon. The color isn't as cool but it wears better than the Samson Predator (I've used both), is more compressed in its sheath which gives a better grip and is less stretchy which will make a big difference if you're rope climbing.

Tachyon 11.5mm Climbing Rope

Popular 24-strand rope that maintains firm, round shape but remains flexible. Tachyon features improved grip and reduced hand fatigue, and will run well in hardware designed for 11mm ropes. Revolutionary Flexifirm Core Technology results in a lightweight 11.5mm climbing line that stays firm and...

wesspur.com

 

[LoadedLimbs]

Im from eastern Ohio. Where I’m hunting it’s very thick and dense. You want to have some elevation to be able to see a ways.

@Newb2hanging - I took a look at this site's saddle hunter user map to see which experienced, active guys on this forum are in your "vicinity" (Eastern Ohio). If you want to reach out to them, you might be able to find yourself a mentor who you can meet up with for some assistance with learning the ropes.

In Eastern OH: @Jimmyfunk60
In Western PA: @ThePennsylvanian @Hlzr @phatkaw @Allegheny Tom @Apex7
In the NW tip of MD: @GCTerpfan

Guys - if any of you would be willing to meet up with @Newb2hanging to assist him with getting up the learning curve more quickly (and safely), please shoot him a PM. Thanks!

 

[Newb2hanging]

(373) How-to Saddle Hunt with Climbing Ropes - DRT & SRT Complete Guide - YouTube

This one covers the bases of drt and srt.

P.S. If your hunting grounds have a lot of straight, limbless trees and you are used to using a climber, check out 2TC. Don't do it now, just concentrate on the Drt and hunting for now. You don't want to try a bunch of new things all at once, right before season.

hmm, two tether climbing seems like a real pain in the arse. lol i could see why it would be useful though, if the tree had no branches. ill keep it in mind!