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Trying to decide on my first tree setup

L

lukepighetti

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2016
Messages
57
Hey all. First year bow hunting deer and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get altitude. I live in Bangor, ME and hunt public land. The setup to beat is a ladder stand with a good full body harness. I have no life-and-safety rope experience, and getting up to speed on standard procedures is daunting. (Surely someone publishes tables and guidelines for gear and knot selection! Where is it?) I do have rope experience, it is marine and hobby.

Please forgive my terminology. Feel free to educate! :)

I'd like to be able to scout, climb & place a false crotch, then return later before dawn or dusk, haul myself up like an arborist might, and do a 3 hour hunt, then return safely to the ground (this is important!), and head home. I want a simple, safe, and comfortable setup.

I have a lot of questions but I'd rather get some idea from the community on which general direction would be good for me... and please remember I am not against stands, I just wonder if a saddle setup will suit me better. Maybe it won't!
 
Climbing is strenuous and not easy to be quiet and not easy in bulky hunting clothes in the cold and dark. What is your fitness level? This is something you want to start working on 6 months in advance.

I've done a few methods and went back to more conventional.

Read up on SRT and DRT climbing. There are YouTube videos. You would need a throw line, Rope, ascender/descender for that.

Unless you are doing long hikes, you are usually bettter served by using sticks. If you can drill holes, look at Tree Bolts. A strap on step called Stealth Steps. Or lightweight climbing sticks.

Sticks are bulky. Tree Bolts require prep and work.StealthbSteps go up slower than Sticks but are packable
 
Fitness level needs improvement. I had been toying around with the idea of doing indoor climbing this winter, this was before I learned about saddle hunting. That said, I would feel comfortable getting started climbing trees, with the expectation that it would be difficult at first.

I was interested in a rock harness and sit drag with a DRT technique, placing false-crotch (with twine to pull rope through ring) in key areas for quick access.

justsomedude said:
I've done a few methods and went back to more conventional.
Click to expand...

Does that mean you hunt traditional treestands now?
 
Not treestands, I meant climbing methods.

The problem with rope climbing is you'll need a good 50 or 60' of rope, an ascender setup, throwline/bag setup. That weight adds up quickly. Combine that with the effort of having to prestage your trees with the effort of the actual climb....then consider the inconvenience of descending and ascending again if you drop something or have a bathroom emergency.....

And you'll have to pick trees with good branches to throw over. It's more limiting than other methods

The diminishing returns part is that if you aren't climbing high, ropes and throw line are overkill. If you have to throw a line up 30' and pull up 60' of rope just to get up 15' for instance....

It takes all of about a minute to casually climb 15-20' and a few seconds to rappel down. But the setup takes way longer.
 
Welcome to the site! Make sure you browse the site and do a search because there is a lot of information out there already. But feel free to ask as many questions as you need.

There are many ways to climb the tree. Climbing a rope is an option but you'll have to figure out if it works for you. This will take a lot of practice in the offseason to get comfortable with whatever system you choose. There are many different techniques of even just SRT that you could go with. You definitely have to be fit to use this method and flexibility doesn't hurt either. I have been trying to integrate this climbing method into my system for the past 3 years, and I've done about 6 hunts a year with it. The problem I have with it is that I can do it no problem in my backyard at home, but when you get in a hunting scenario with more clothing, colder weather, it gets much more difficult. I'm not saying it can't work because there are guys on here who do it routinely, and I've done it, but you have to be really committed to it IMO.

I don't think DRT is a great option for a hunter. You have to carry double the rope, and then the system is not as efficient at going up the tree as SRT.

Keep your options open. I climb with screw in steps where possible, climbing sticks on the move and climbing rope in a few spots. I like to have a technique that will work for any given scenario.
 
OK. I'm going to slow it down, start hunting with a stand and good full body harness, and start doing more reading for next season. Thank you all!
 
Don't worry! This will just give me more time to explore the saddle options. Last thing I need is rushing into a setup to get hunting. :)
 
lukepighetti said:
Don't worry! This will just give me more time to explore the saddle options. Last thing I need is rushing into a setup to get hunting. :)
Click to expand...

Agreed. You don't want to go shoot at a wild animal w/o practicing a new set up and you don't want to spend a fortune just to find another option was right for you. There are still a few options. If you find a used Tree Sling or Tree Saddle, it is likely you can get all/most of your money back out of it if you change your mind.
You could try spurs for the type of hunting you are talking about. Again, buy quality - used but not abused - and you can likely recoup your money if you don't like them. They would be something you could buy now in anticipation of next year. Or you may feel comfortable later this season...
 
I think you will find that you shoot better out of saddle than a treestand. You are generally more stable. But there is a 'dance' to getting your gear management simplified and getting the routines down. Once you have all of that, setup is fast and easy
 
And once you get one saddle, you'll want 4 or 5 more.... lol
 
I'll be totally honest with you guys. I've been up 30 feet in trees before just free climbing and it doesn't feel nearly as weird as sitting in this 15 foot ladder stand. And that's with a Hunter's Safety System harness and "lifeline."

I've never been a fan of ladders. Even 4 foot stepladders.

That and I just spent a few hours setting up on public land only to find out that this is where everyone goes with their kids after school, and there's a path right next to me!

My mistake for not realizing how close stuff is when you're 15 feet up, and by that I mean you can see, and be seen, a lot further.
 
Then you will love a saddle.

I always felt unsafe in a climber. I don't like heights. But having a rope around a big healthy tree and facing it makes me feel so much more comfortable.
 
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