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Tree lean

Be careful if you are using climbing sticks on a leaner. They don’t always sit right and can kick out on you. I was on a leaner last week and my stick kicked out as I was moving my tether around a branch and I took a spill. I hadn’t climbed learners with sticks much and wasn’t expecting the kick out. I thought ‘I can just balance for a second’, un clipped and reached around the tree..then my stick kicked, I spilled, and I was falling. I had some amazing luck and my bridge carabiner caught on the Ameristep I had set up and I was jerked to a stop on the way down. It was going to be a 20 foot fall but I only took 5 of it. Oh and also, always tie in before you untie, I know, I know I cut a corner and should have paid big ... lucky to be here today with just a couple bruises. Watch those leaners.
 
Adamcincy said:
Be careful if you are using climbing sticks on a leaner. They don’t always sit right and can kick out on you. I was on a leaner last week and my stick kicked out as I was moving my tether around a branch and I took a spill. I hadn’t climbed learners with sticks much and wasn’t expecting the kick out. I thought ‘I can just balance for a second’, un clipped and reached around the tree..then my stick kicked, I spilled, and I was falling. I had some amazing luck and my bridge carabiner caught on the Ameristep I had set up and I was jerked to a stop on the way down. It was going to be a 20 foot fall but I only took 5 of it. Oh and also, always tie in before you untie, I know, I know I cut a corner and should have paid big ... lucky to be here today with just a couple bruises. Watch those leaners.
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Thanks I learned my lesson. I did a couple of sit ups today things worked a lot better. Glad to hear you spilled turned out ok
 
Bought the saddle to solve my non-straight tree problem. With short twisted trees it is a challenge, with my limited experience, I’d have to go with the down side of the lean de[ending on the amount. Can’t beat gravity!
 
I hunt from leaning trees alot because i like to hunt from trees that are in multiples ( 3 or more in a bunch) because it hides my big silhouette better and i dont get spotted as much that way. Seems when theres abunch of trees together theres leaners. I hunt the topside of the tree and place steps 6"-10" higher on the bent / downside depending on the lean , if i dont.place the steps higher then it will feel like your slipping off and not sturdy moving around the tree.
 
Slickiron said:
I hunt from leaning trees alot because i like to hunt from trees that are in multiples ( 3 or more in a bunch) because it hides my big silhouette better and i dont get spotted as much that way. Seems when theres abunch of trees together theres leaners. I hunt the topside of the tree and place steps 6"-10" higher on the bent / downside depending on the lean , if i dont.place the steps higher then it will feel like your slipping off and not sturdy moving around the tree.
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That’s brilliant Slickiron, I assume they have to be separate steps and not a ROS?
 
I like the tree leaning away from me and adjusting the tether longer than normal. I don't find any difference between setting up this way and straight trees. They can actually be kind of comfortable if you're a sitter and can hunch over using the tree for a pillow for a nap if needed.
 
I like to climb on top of the arch. Wild edge type steps are perfect for leaners... Or any tree for that matter. No matter what the lean I tie tether way higher for leaners so I can swing around on the tree and place the knot on the Arch side

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 
ARERHODES said:
I like to climb on top of the arch. Wild edge type steps are perfect for leaners... Or any tree for that matter. No matter what the lean I tie tether way higher for leaners so I can swing around on the tree and place the knot on the Arch side

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
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I'd agree on the WE Stepps. Might be a pain with a long stick or something else.
 
Currently hunting River bottom cottonwoods in Western Nebraska-there are no straight trees, unless they are fully mature, which means extensions on 8' daisy chain!!! Leaners suck, but not as much in the saddle as in a lone Wolf!! Good luck this season
 
NATHAN said:
That’s brilliant Slickiron, I assume they have to be separate steps and not a ROS?
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Yep ive always used separate steps. This year im trying out the primal steps for a platform & i use cranford strap ons at the bottom of the tree 2-4 and then lone wolf sticks rest of the way up. Only exception is the 1-2 presets that i have set-up and those platforms will be the bigger/longer screw in steps with the shorter steps screwed in for climbing. Usually set up a preset for the furthest spot and the closest spot that are my best locations so that i can get setup quick as possible without getting busted.
 
Islandshooter said:
Currently hunting River bottom cottonwoods in Western Nebraska-there are no straight trees, unless they are fully mature, which means extensions on 8' daisy chain!!! Leaners suck, but not as much in the saddle as in a lone Wolf!! Good luck this season
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Good luck, they're running like crazy around here!
 
Still new and learning, but current tree I lean a bit to my right. I moved my Tether girth hitch to my left eye (eye of split on left when I am facing tree). I moved my left foot support step about 3-4 inches below my right foot support step, with this setup in this tree I can move small amounts to distribute weight. Seems to work nice.
 
Woodsman said:
Bought the saddle to solve my non-straight tree problem. With short twisted trees it is a challenge, with my limited experience, I’d have to go with the down side of the lean de[ending on the amount. Can’t beat gravity!
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You can't beat gravity - which can make moving from a low-side position much more difficult (worst case you can't reach the tree with your feet on a hard leaner). Depending on where you expect to or can shoot (and set up for that first) either the high side or especially one of the leaning sides with a high-side tether (naturally balances you with a pull back to the hugh side) leaves you much less stranded. Low side rapidly becomes unhuntable.
 
My first day in the saddle hunting for real I set up on a leaner facing away and that was pretty comfortable. I had my tether at chin height with the stock mantis bridge and that let me lean straight back from the tree for like 5 hours before my neck got sore. I moved spots in the afternoon and set up on a leaner facing toward me and felt like I was going to get pitched off the tree anytime I moved against gravity.
 
Great discussion on leaning trees I have to now recant my previous statement and say I like the upper hillside of the tree better more stable specially with a predator platform. Hey G2 can we possibly have some videos about leaning trees this at all looks great on perfectly straight ones all the time but most of us don’t have straight trees just a thought for some added information for us new guys
 
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