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Stick Brackets

CrackbottomLouis

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2019
Messages
346
Location
Georgia
Due to my recent misadventure, I am looking at different brackets for my sticks (as well as the obvious correction I noted in my other thread). A little kick out shy.

I have looked at a couple but think I am leaning towards the beast antler brackets. Eastern Outdoors has some ones I like as well but the beast brackets look like they will have the most stable contact with the tree.

Will the beast antler brackets be compatible with helium hawk sticks? Will they interfere with them nesting together?

I have thought out my climbing method and I think I'm going to veer away from one sticking. Climbing very loud bark trees like pines makes moving my tether up the tree quietly without having my fingers behind the tether at any point difficult at best.

So, I'm just going to bite the bullet and carry several cut down (2 step) sticks. I'll use a 5 step aider on my bottom stick. Don't like long aiders at height. Then I'll have a one step aider on my next stick and top stick. Also might change out my top step platform for the angled one on eastern outdoors. I keep the ability to make a one stick move if I need to and feel and I can do it quietly and safely.

I also am thinking of switching my linemans belt for the flip line I can easily flip up the back of the tree as I climb. Anyone use one and have some pro and con thoughts?

I'm thinking this is the quietest and safest way that will work for me that will let me quickly ascend a tree with as little effort as possible.

I know a lot of folks like srt and drt. I have thought that through and not an option I like for me. Limited to trees I can get a line up. A lot of places I hunt have tall straight trees without branches to get a line up. Part of what I like about saddle hunting is any tree, anywhere, anytime. I don't want to carry a climber bottom and that doesn't solve my moving my tether up the tree issue.

My long way of asking for experience with the brackets as they relate to helium hawks and the flip line for a linemans belt I guess.
 
if you live in an area where a majority of your hunting is on tall straight trees with little or no branches, might i suggest picking up a lwhc seat and using the climber as a climbing method and as a platform for a light weight solution.

it would still require moving up of the tether as you go, but its an option
 
Eastern outdoors brackets are really good

I like the look of them I was just wondering how much extra contact they had with the tree as opposed to the standard helium hawk brackets. The shape seems pretty similar and couldn't tell by pics what angle they widened out to.
 
if you live in an area where a majority of your hunting is on tall straight trees with little or no branches, might i suggest picking up a lwhc seat and using the climber as a climbing method and as a platform for a light weight solution.

it would still require moving up of the tether as you go, but its an option

Certainly an option but I discarded because bigger and cumbersome to carry and doesn't solve the moving tether part. I'm fine with carrying the sticks so I'm pretty settled on that part. Flip line for linemans belt, better brackets, multiple sticks/aiders, and the necessary correction to my top stick to prevent sideways movement seems pretty simple to me. Personally I like less effort and quieter up the tree than the effort required to carry a couple extra pounds.
 
The beast brackets are thinner and much weaker than the EWO brackets. The EWO brackets will give you over an inch more distance between tree and step. They grip the tree just fine.
 
I like the look of them I was just wondering how much extra contact they had with the tree as opposed to the standard helium hawk brackets. The shape seems pretty similar and couldn't tell by pics what angle they widened out to.
I can't compare to hawks since I've never had them.
 
I wouldn’t expect any other commercial brackets that are intended for use on 1” tubing sticks to work on hawks because the hawk stick does not have a 1” tube profile.
 
I wouldn’t expect any other commercial brackets that are intended for use on 1” tubing sticks to work on hawks because the hawk stick does not have a 1” tube profile.

Yes. That is the conundrum. Can't seem to find any compatible with hawks. I've already put in a lot of time and effort with my hawks. Dont really want to start over and build my own sticks. But, 6 custom brackets that will fit my hawks might just make new sticks look like a deal :)
 
That being said, if anyone knows where to find such a thing as more aggressive brackets that are compatible with the helium hawks I am all ears.
 
@CrackbottomLouis Why don't you like the Helium brackets? I have the Heliums and they seem to grip the trees I've had them in really well so far. I admit I've only tried them out about a dozen times or so but so far they have been pretty rock solid for me.
 
I did read that post but I thought that was caused by the way you had the rope attached to your sticks. If the rope was hooked in the normal way I think the stand offs probably would have held fine. Like I said my experience so for is that they grab the tree great.
 
I did read that post but I thought that was caused by the way you had the rope attached to your sticks. If the rope was hooked in the normal way I think the stand offs probably would have held fine. Like I said my experience so for is that they grab the tree great.

Just got a little kick out shy. I've fixed the rope so probably fine was just looking for an extra step to prevent repeat. Figured it couldn't hurt to have more aggressive brackets.
 
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