One Sticking Questions for those who have experience

[Nate]

I've been diving in hard online to one sticking as a lot of it really appeals to me. Some thoughts/questions I have for those who have done it. How much of a problem is it on crooked trees? I swear there isn't a straight tree around me. With gravity wanting to take over, I feel like I'd constantly be swinging to the low side of the tree while I'm reaching for the stick. The same is true for the aider. I've virtually gone away from any aider as the fiddle factor just seems to much for all the trees I seem to find. Are these real issues or is this just my inexperience? I always have limbs to go around, so that's going to be an issue no matter what.

 

[trailblazer75]

Going around limbs is easiest with the one sticking method IF you hang from your tether and use a quick link. It works quite well so you can stand on your stick and work your tether around the limb and then reset the tether and move your stick. I simply stand on the bottom step and lock the top step behind my knees. This is no more dangerous than climbing sticks without a LB or tether hooked up (which is inherently dangerous).

As far as climbing up, as long as you’re on the upside, you make swing out some as you hang but you can quite easily control yourself by putting your knees and shins into the tree to hold your position while you move the stick. And even if you ride to the low side, you can pull yourself back around using the stick. It’s not all that difficult.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wyatt_burp]

A longer stick is a pain with crooked trees, a shorter stick is a pain in general. I've only had 1 kick out, and I knew it was gonna happen but I already had my platform set. I climbed a crooked as all get out tree tonight with a shikar mini and a 5 step aider. Shot one right at dusk and now I have to find it in the morning. Dark blood with bubbles.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

 

[zurr4013]

I have found that using the tether and a lineman’s belt while one sticking on a leaning tree has made better.

I have a two step aider. On a leaning tree I am less likely to go toe to tree when I put my foot in. I will put my foot sideways against the tree to keep me from moving around the tree while only having my footing in the aider for two steps.

 

[Wyatt_burp]

Also, always climb the lower leaning side, not the high side. And setting up on the lower leaning is almost imperative, but if you are already saddle hunting you probably know that already.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

 

[trailblazer75]

Also, always climb the lower leaning side, not the high side. And setting up on the lower leaning is almost imperative, but if you are already saddle hunting you probably know that already.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

Man I’ve had the exact opposite experience. I prefer the topside while climbing and in a hunting situation myself. Obviously this is a person to person thing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wyatt_burp]

Man I’ve had the exact opposite experience. I prefer the topside while climbing and in a hunting situation myself. Obviously this is a person to person thing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

First time I missed a step and swung around the back side I changed my mind real fast. But sure, different strokes for different folks.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

 

[boyne bowhunter]

I actually like climbing the lower side for no other reason than the aider hangs open away from the tree. I find I can set up either on the high or low side to hunt as necessary but I actually prefer the high side when using a platform as I'm not falling away from the tree. Its also easier to step down around the tree than up around the tree if necessary.

 

[Squirrels]

I actually like climbing the lower side for no other reason than the aider hangs open away from the tree. I find I can set up either on the high or low side to hunt as necessary but I actually prefer the high side when using a platform as I'm not falling away from the tree. Its also easier to step down around the tree than up around the tree if necessary.

Spot on for me as well

 

[CZMark]

I always climb the high side. Sure, it's more difficult to get your foot in the aider (I usually pull the aider out from the tree with my hand while inserting my foot). Climbing the low side spooks me for two reasons: your weight is pulling the lower standoff away from the tree (admittedly, I have never seen the lower standoff come off the tree); and you are loading the stick/attachment method in a way it may not have been designed for.

I may be all wet on my reasoning, but I avoid climbing the low side.

 

[TreeMunkie]

I have climbed using the one-stick method for a year now so not a ton of experience. I climb with my tether and LB and use a 24 inch stick with a 2-step aider. I made my DIY aider steps a little bigger than they should be. It's a little harder to use one-sticking than it was when I was using 4 sticks.
One thing about the aider I like that I don't know that I've seen mentioned is that it sets the stick very well on the tree so that by the time I step on my bottom double-step of my stick I have had all of my weight pulling straight down digging the standoffs into the tree. Much less chance of a kickout at that point versus hanging the stick and stepping on the bottom step first.

 

[Phaco]

Crooked trees a a pain no matter what you use to climb. I think the secret is to just take your time. I use a quick link and move past limbs like mentioned above. I like to climb on the high side because i feel that it is easier to control the aider and climb in general...when I am on the low side, I feel like the aider moves too far from the tree and is impossible to stabilize the aider when your stepping up. Also I dont like the idea of the aider pulling the stick away from the tree as your climbing the aider.

 

[davecarp]

A longer stick is a pain with crooked trees, a shorter stick is a pain in general. I've only had 1 kick out, and I knew it was gonna happen but I already had my platform set. I climbed a crooked as all get out tree tonight with a shikar mini and a 5 step aider. Shot one right at dusk and now I have to find it in the morning. Dark blood with bubbles.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

good luck in the AM brother... many of us been there. backing out is almost always the right choice.

 

[Wyatt_burp]

good luck in the AM brother... many of us been there. backing out is almost always the right choice.

I either drop em in 10 yards or lose em. I had a quartering shot on a big doe at 30yrds, it was a 5 minutes before it was illegal to shoot. Im hoping I find a liver and lung shot doe 100 yards away. It was dark red with bubbles.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

 

[CharlieTN]

Started one-sticking and rappelling this year. Crooked and leaning trees do present a challenge. Here’s a couple of tips. Slow down, take your time, and pause if you’re having difficulty. I prefer to climb the top side. However I learned the hard way on a recent hackberry tree to make sure you have the stick actually on the top side, I had it off to one side and it made it a bear to swing back around onto the aider/stick.

Another suggestion is that you don’t have to use all of the aider steps each move. If you’re working a particularly difficult section, only move enough to need 1 or two of the aider steps. I would much rather move the stick more times than to fight with toe kick out and such.

When passing branches, the quick link is your friend. Always, and I do repeat, always, use an additional tether or lineman’s rope when passing a branch and moving your main tether. Never, never, never, stand on the stick with no rope attaching you to the tree. It’s just not worth the risk. It only takes a few seconds to attach the lineman’s rope or a secondary tether above the branch then move your main tether.