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Summer Tree Prepping

Nutterbuster

Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Messages
10,066
Location
Where the skys are so blue!

One of the several goals that I set for myself this year was to really ramp up the amount of preset "stands" I have available to hunt. Run-and-gun is nice, but there are huge benefits of having a large number of ready to go trees in strategic locations.

Stealth is perhaps the biggest advantage. You cannot climb a tree with steps, sticks, spurs, or bolts as quietly as you can a preset tree. You can come close, but there is always more noise, movement, and effort involved.

Time is another big factor. I can walk up to a prepped tree, shimmy up, and be tethered in in just a couple of minutes. In areas way off the beaten path, saving a few minutes can be the difference between beating deer movement. It's also nice for those quickie before or after work hunts.

I am also more confident hunting prepped trees. Something about following a marked trail straight to a tree and quietly getting setup with a minimum of sweat and time just seems to put me in the right mindset. "Everything is according to plan."

This video shows the tools I use to efficiently preset trees, and discusses how I go about the process for public and private land.
 
Sitting here at my desk watching this and listening with headphones. Around 9 minutes in your mic picked up a mosquito and I'm sitting here swatting at my ears. :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:
 
bowhuntr09 said:
Sitting here at my desk watching this and listening with headphones. Around 9 minutes in your mic picked up a mosquito and I'm sitting here swatting at my ears. :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:
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Hahahaha!!

They are not in short supply this time of year. They're not as bad as the gnats though.

Next time I'll leave my thermacell next to the camera. ;)
 
Nice job. I do a lot of similar things except I don't do a chainsaw.
A couple other things I carry in my pack are a dozen or so releasable zip ties.they come in handy from time to time and take up almost no space.
I also carry a spare bit for my Treehopper drill and I've taped an allen wrench to the drill. I want to be able to change the bit in the rare event I hit a chunk of old fence or something buried in the growth of the tree.
I like to dedicate a haul line to each pre set. I loop the bottom end onto the 3rd step. It allows me to hang my bow off the ground before I climb. I just don't like laying my bow on the ground for several reasons.
I love pre sets, and with the preset gear we use, its not a big deal to move it if need be.
One of the great things about pre sets is the POST hunt. Sometimes just getting down and out when deer are around is a challenge. Having to undo and repack an entire rig sucks when I'm stuck in the stand well after dark because deer were still in my lap. Being able to get out quickly and with stealth is critical.
And there are times when it IS IMPOSSIBLE to sneak in. One situation is when there is frozen snow on the ground. Every step sounds like an army marching thru. In those cases, I sometimes pull out my grunt tube and trot in to the stand TRYING to make as much noise as possible. A few toots on the grunt while smashing my way in and I do so like a chasing frenzy. The downside is that other bucks hear it and come to join the "chase". Having a tree prepped and ready to climb is essential. Goofing around and wasting time with gear at the tree can be a deal breaker. Pre prep! Oh yeah!
 
Keep the videos coming. Your post and videos turned into my Outdoor channel. I am another hunter that is attempting the saddle method in the 2019 season. I can't prep in the area I hunt, but enjoyed the share. This is the first post to a forum I just sit back and enjoy the conversation.
 
Kenbama said:
Keep the videos coming. Your post and videos turned into my Outdoor channel. I am another hunter that is attempting the saddle method in the 2019 season. I can't prep in the area I hunt, but enjoyed the share. This is the first post to a forum I just sit back and enjoy the conversation.
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Thank you for the kind words. I was just an observer too not that long ago. Still am. Listening is more valuable than talking. :)

What part of bama are from?
 
Great video. That's something that I want to do this year with bolts. Like the chain saw idea.
 
Nutterbuster said:
Thank you for the kind words. I was just an observer too not that long ago. Still am. Listening is more valuable than talking. :)

What part of bama are from?
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North, hunting Wheeler Refuge. Not easy hunting. Spend most weekend there biking, running, hunting. Deer hunt with the bike. That is the interest in saddle hunting. I am getting older the old climbing stand hard to handle on a bike. The backwater causes most trees not suitable for a climbing stand.
 
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