Tree choices.

[IrishnId]

Are there certain types of trees not to saddle hunt? Biggest question is Aspen trees. They have a smooth bark with a fine powder coating, almost like a dusting of baby powder. These are in most of my areas and one of the only ones without branches every couple feet. How do you guys rope up heavily branched or forked trees. Two linesman belts or tether and unclip lineman? Maybe I'm thinking into it too much.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Loopwing]

I would say the only trees not to climb would be too small or too big. Small would be less than a foreman in width, to big would be if you can't reach your lineman's around. Yes alternate between your tether and lineman's or 2 lineman's to navigate all the limbs. Just make sure you always have one or the other attached and holding your weight securely before unhooking the first one.
Above everything else, if you don't feel confident don't do it. Just because someone else might climb a certain tree it doesn't mean you should.

 

[JPS]

Maybe trees with a somewhat heavy lean are some to avoid. To go over branches, two lanyards is what I use. In fact, I use the tether as a lanyard but I add a carbiner (that I always have in my saddle) to the eye of the tether, so I don't have to open the main lanyard's carbiner until the other lanyard (thether) is in place. I am a new stick climber and I afraid of heights, so I am not taking any chances

 

[Loopwing]

Yeah a bad leaner is a NO. Basically if you have to look at a tree to long to figure out "How in the hell am I going to climb/hunt that thing?" It might be the wrong tree OR...........

 

[Sniper4hire]

Are there certain types of trees not to saddle hunt? Biggest question is Aspen trees. They have a smooth bark with a fine powder coating, almost like a dusting of baby powder. These are in most of my areas and one of the only ones without branches every couple feet. How do you guys rope up heavily branched or forked trees. Two linesman belts or tether and unclip lineman? Maybe I'm thinking into it too much.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Double wrap your tether around the tree. I just set up in an aspen last weekend. I did not need to do a double in this case, but that should take care of the issue.

 

[IrishnId]

Wouldve never even thought about double wrapping, thanks.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Sniper4hire]

Not a bad thing to do all the time but its a good reason to have a few extra feet of tether line whether you do or don't double it up.

 

[Exhumis]

I would say the only trees not to climb would be too small or too big. Small would be less than a foreman in width, to big would be if you can't reach.....

It’s for this reason I use longer ropes and straps now. Was set up in a tree couple weeks ago cuz I didn’t have long enough straps to set up in the tree I wanted. Very nice 8 point went walking right by that tree outside my range.
to OP I’ve set up on aspen before and kinda like it, the bark is soft and my sticks and platform really dig in and grip. The only tree I won’t set up in is a really shaggy bark tree simply cause they make so much noise.
Tree I set up in last week was covered in ants, watched this guy for awhile.