Subtle safety reminder

[DroptineKrazy]

This is what I found when I went out to put that climbing stick up. I knew this tree was a little sketchy but didn’t think it was that bad. Look them over good boys. This also might be a good reason to go in at grey light in the mornings so that if you don’t already have a tree picked out this won’t happen to you.

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[Jammintree]

and that’s why they cal it “the pine tree state”.

White pines are such a susceptible tree. Had that one been previously struck by lightening?

 

[chaded]

“Little sketchy” = a big no for me. Not only should one be on the look out for bad trees that they are wanting to climb, but also trees around that tree that could be bad. Whether that’s the tree itself or a dead limb that could come down.

 

[boyne bowhunter]

I climbed a solid 18" diameter maple one pre-season during an observation sit. Later that year during season I went back to it in the dark one morning intending to hunt out of it. I couldn't find it and ended up sitting in a different tree. Come daylight I discovered why I couldn't find it . . . it was broke clean off about 3' up. Now granted, it had to have broken in a storm but it just goes to show there's no guarantees when it comes to climbing trees.

 

[DroptineKrazy]

and that’s why they cal it “the pine tree state”.

White pines are such a susceptible tree. Had that one been previously struck by lightening?

I don't think so. This tree is on my property across the road from my house and was taken down by one of the really bad storms we've had this past month or so. I've been eyeballing it for a setup for a couple of years now.

 

[DroptineKrazy]

Looks to be eaten out from the inside by ants which makes it harder to judge pines. I see this a lot. Sometimes you have to look them over really good.

 

[Black Titan]

“Little sketchy” = a big no for me. Not only should one be on the look out for bad trees that they are wanting to climb, but also trees around that tree that could be bad. Whether that’s the tree itself or a dead limb that could come down.

Yup. Watch for deadfalls and branches above you too. I've had to change trees after climbing in the dark, then upon daylight looking up and seeing a big dead branch hanging across some limbs overhead.

One day I just completely left the woods. Was sitting at the base of a tree, and the wind picked up. No storms or anything, it was a calm fall day, but then out of nowhere the wind on that mountain top just started howling. Then before I know it, a branch fell about 10 feet away from where I was sitting that was about as big around as a softball.

There were no safe spots in the woods that day due to the wind.

BT

 

[DroptineKrazy]

I've left the woods because of the wind more than once myself. Sometimes the tree is just swaying too much to shoot accurately.

 

[dalton916]

As a kid we would climb trees in the woods behind my house during storms and hang on. Smart? Well, upon reflection, probably not. Fun? Absodamnlutely, but I was born in ‘65 feralist of the feral generation so take that into consideration before deciding if such behavior is for you.

 

[Jammintree]

Looks to be eaten out from the inside by ants which makes it harder to judge pines. I see this a lot. Sometimes you have to look them over really good.

Ants only colonize already dead and punky wood. From the pic it looks like the core of that pine had died and rotted long ago - presumably from some kind of severe injury. “Trees don’t heal, they seal” - which can make them very good as enduring and hiding major damage and weakness.

I once did a tree removal project of several dozen silver maples in a suburban neighborhood. The trees were all 4-8’ diameter giant soft maples and most looked relatively healthy. At some point we discovered that most all of them had been very hollow at one time - and as a remedy were filled with massive amounts of cement…

 

[Still Kicking]

I select my trees in full daylight so I can go back in the dark and set up without this worry. I developed this habit after picking a tree to sit in before daylight back in the 70's. I was sitting on a fenceline in an elm with three main branches spreading out from the main trunk about 10 feet up. It had a perfect seat where the limbs spread out so I was sitting there a little after 7 and felt something scratching my butt. When I stood up and looked down there was a large racoon staring at me from a hole in the crotch. I let the racoon have it's home and left feeling thankful it didn't bite me in an embarrassing area.

 

[woodsdog2]

I've left the woods because of the wind more than once myself. Sometimes the tree is just swaying too much to shoot accurately.

Me too. That and lightening.

 

[Glenn]

As a kid we would climb trees in the woods behind my house during storms and hang on. Smart? Well, upon reflection, probably not. Fun? Absodamnlutely, but I was born in ‘65 feralist of the feral generation so take that into consideration before deciding if such behavior is for you.

We spent a lot of time skinnin cats. All fun till a trunk snaps on you about 6 foot from the ground.

 

[dalton916]

lol

 

[Skunkworkx]

No tree is 100% safe, just keep that in mind.

Did the "free ride down" climbing small trees as a kid too... ended up in the stickers and briers more than once when they snapped....was still fun at the time, 1970something.