Pre Set marking

[The_Fit_Ness_Monster]

For the guys that use SRT and go around setting pre sets, how do you guys mark your pre sets on public land? I’ve never had a need to set them yet bc I’m pretty good with a throwball even on a bad day. I have my garmin instinct watch that I can mark spots with and it’s accurate but accurate enough to get me in the vicinity of a marked paracord loop in a tree in the middle of the woods I’m a bit skeptical without buying fluorescent paracord as marker.

 

[Iron_llama]

Not with pre-sets, specifically, but I've used reflective thumbtacks to mark trees for pre-dawn approaches. I've bought both red and white, and you can come up with patterns - say, three in a triangle at knee height for 'your tree', singles at head height to mark your trail, red dots to show bad or unsafe trees, etc. The public land I'm on, I'd be hesitant to use anything, like fluorescent paracord, to help the neighboring landowners prevent me from killing 'his deer'.

 

[bfriendly]

Not with pre-sets, specifically, but I've used reflective thumbtacks to mark trees for pre-dawn approaches. I've bought both red and white, and you can come up with patterns - say, three in a triangle at knee height for 'your tree', singles at head height to mark your trail, red dots to show bad or unsafe trees, etc. The public land I'm on, I'd be hesitant to use anything, like fluorescent paracord, to help the neighboring landowners prevent me from killing 'his deer'.

THIS^^^
I love me some tacks! I just put them on the trail going in, “my tree” will get two tacks close together. Got a bunch of holes around here from rotted out stumps so I usually put a stick in them, but the red tack ain’t a bad idea either. I hate flagging too! But if I find flagging, I’ll usually follow it and see where it goes. I’m one sticking now but my presets will have tacks and a camo or green paracord line. You can also tack the line against the tree so it’s not blowing around.

 

[bfriendly]

Oh yeah, I’ve used the brown and white tacks and prefer the white ones easily……I also get mine off eBay. Small items like this with free shipping can’t be beat. Last thing, buy twice as many as your initial thought.

 

[The_Fit_Ness_Monster]

All good stuff, and I’ve thought of the tacs but they don’t light up well during the day, i recently have stopped hunting sunrise, if I’m in the tree before sun up its strictly bc I love watching the sunrise from a tree. I’ve never killed before 9am, so the past 2 seasons I’ve pretty much stopped walking in at dark, I usually head in as the light is coming and get set up but I don’t expect to kill until almost mid day, or if I’m walking in at dark it’s bc it’ll be light by the time I get to where I’m going. The paracord I have for my presets is fluorescent orange and I use my gps or land nav “skills” to get me close enough to see the paracord loop. i can’t wrap my head around why you would camouflage your loop, are people concerned other people will use it? around here I’ve only met one other person who saddle hunts and they use sticks lol like genuinel, why camo the loop?

 

[Iron_llama]

i can’t wrap my head around why you would camouflage your loop, are people concerned other people will use it? around here I’ve only met one other person who saddle hunts and they use sticks lol like genuinel, why camo the loop?

For me, it's because the same sort of jerk who will drop a deuce under a stranger's ladder stand, is someone whose attention I don't want to attract. He might not recognize a pre-set for what it is, but he might take my paracord to "clean up litter" or just because. When I'm in the woods, I like to be as discreet as I can be, even when I'm in head-to-toe blaze orange.

 

[dhoff545]

If I mark a tree it's never the one I hunt out of. I use camo mason's line for presets, I don't think it will have the longevity of paracord, but it's cheap and very small. I typically just girth hitch it around a dead stick on the backside of the tree to general travel and let it hang. I'll sometimes mark a tree nearby like say double tacks 10 yds north of the tree I have preset and then note that in OnX. That way I can navigate close, find the tacks and then just turn and pace to the tree and if someone finds my tacks they will probably miss my preset. I won't mark trails at all, that's all electronic breadcrumbs and I only use tacks in really thick stuff.

 

[bfriendly]

All good stuff, and I’ve thought of the tacs but they don’t light up well during the day, i recently have stopped hunting sunrise, if I’m in the tree before sun up its strictly bc I love watching the sunrise from a tree. I’ve never killed before 9am, so the past 2 seasons I’ve pretty much stopped walking in at dark, I usually head in as the light is coming and get set up but I don’t expect to kill until almost mid day, or if I’m walking in at dark it’s bc it’ll be light by the time I get to where I’m going. The paracord I have for my presets is fluorescent orange and I use my gps or land nav “skills” to get me close enough to see the paracord loop. i can’t wrap my head around why you would camouflage your loop, are people concerned other people will use it? around here I’ve only met one other person who saddle hunts and they use sticks lol like genuinel, why camo the loop?

I just tacked a trail to a tree I picked out, for 1 sticking. I went back to the area to put a cam out and had no problem finding my white tacks to get back on the trail. They didn’t stand out but were easily found when looking for them. I’m going with white from here on out. The brown ones didn’t reflect the red light I like to use to walk in with during deer season. BTW- I seldom get in before day either, but it’s just cause I’m always running later than I want…..lol

 

[1simplemann]

For the guys that use SRT and go around setting pre sets, how do you guys mark your pre sets on public land? I’ve never had a need to set them yet bc I’m pretty good with a throwball even on a bad day. I have my garmin instinct watch that I can mark spots with and it’s accurate but accurate enough to get me in the vicinity of a marked paracord loop in a tree in the middle of the woods I’m a bit skeptical without buying fluorescent paracord as marker.

I NEVER mark a trail to my trees especially on public. I learned a long time ago, DON'T advertise where you hunt. I navigate from memory. I usually can do it in the dark without a light. Lately though I find I need a light more. Old eyes. If I felt I needed to tack a trail, I would do so sparely and definitely not the last 100-200 yds. Also if your going to preset a cord on public, make sure it's camo not flapping in wind. People will see cord hanging and come over to investigate. I know I do whenever I see a cord in the woods.

 

[bfriendly]

I NEVER mark a trail to my trees especially on public. I learned a long time ago, DON'T advertise where you hunt. I navigate from memory. I usually can do it in the dark without a light. Lately though I find I need a light more. Old eyes. If I felt I needed to tack a trail, I would do so sparely and definitely not the last 100-200 yds. Also if your going to preset a cord on public, make sure it's camo not flapping in wind. People will see cord hanging and come over to investigate. I know I do whenever I see a cord in the woods.

I follow trails too, but I’ve NEVER seen a preset cord on a tree where I hunt. I cover a lot of areas, all public. I will find great spots and often times see climber marks on trees that I pick too. I find stands all the time…..some new, some historical. I do take a stick and lineman’s belt to hang cams up nice and high, or use a cable lock. I have no worries about someone finding my tacks or a preset cord. I will tack the green or camo cord against the tree..…I’ll never hang flagging.

 

[bfriendly]

Ok, if I’m on a blood trail, I may start putting TP on branches along the way so I don’t get turned around…..

 

[Iron_llama]

Ok, if I’m on a blood trail, I may start putting TP on branches along the way so I don’t get turned around…..

I've thought of getting crepe paper party streamers to use for this instead of TP. Biodegradable, and more colorful, more contrast against snow.