On Treestands

From the 24hourcampfire: (about a year ago)

09/22/06 08:10 AM Re: Treestands

The shaman’s treestand rule #1: Don’t use other people’s abandoned stands. They’reabandoned for a reason.

No, I will not sell you my stand. I just would not want it on my conscience.

See if you can compare the API and the Summits. I have no direct experience with the Summits, but I picked the API back in 2000, and since then most people who make the comparison pick the Summits. The API Grand Slam Super Magnum that I have is bulky, but once you’re up it’s like sitting in your living room.

One thing I can tell you is that having a climbing stand sort of becomes a sport unto itself. When I was using one more often, it dominated my hunting experience. Beyond gravity and sweat, you will find that climbing trees with the climber will occupy your attentions as much as the deer. I did not realize this until I was away from my climber for a while, and then tried to do a simple setup for an afternoon hunt. JEEZ! To think that I used to hike in a mile with that and a bow AND a doe decoy on my back.

That’s not to say it is an ineffective method. It just adds an extra level of complexity. I’ve put a stand up at 3 O’Clock in the afternoon, having parked within 70 yards of the tree, gotten into a tree and had a buck arrowed by 4, having passed on one at 3:30.

To save on sweat, I’ve hiked in at night and left my stand at the base of the tree, or hidden my stand under a tarp and fallen leaves from one week to the next.

Practice. Practice a lot. Practice until getting a climber on the tree and up 15 feet is second nature. No matter how much you can practice, it will always feel like you need a third hand to get everything done. Practice will help tremendously.

Keep three points of contact on the tree, and always keep top and bottom halves attached to each other. Usually that means the bottom half of the climber, the top half and your safety harness. Only move one of the three at any point in time. I use a noose around the tree to hook my harness into. I slide that up and then put my seat up and then drag my base up. At each step along the way, make sure two points of contact are rock solid while you move the third. Only a hardcore nutcase will climb without a harness on the tree after having a climber fail. I’ve had all three components slide on me at one point or another; I’ve never had all three go at once. You haven’t lived until you had your platform go with your boots attached ( or better yet, not attached!) And the ultimate thrill was the day I was looping my harness over a branch and had the platform let go. I was left hanging with my boots in the stirrups, and hanging on to the ‘biner on my harness.

Carry a knife in a place where you can get to it no matter what. I’ve never actually had to cut myself out of my harness, but I’ve had worse: a situation where I had to climb up a tree to get enough slack in the harness to get it released. I carry a cheap lock blade in an outside breast pocket at all times.

Hope this helps. Best of luck.

From: mdatlanta 8/13/2006 Yesterday at 04:16 PM Re: Re: Treestands

Shaman,

A while back I wrote you asking about tree stands and you sent me some great advice. I eneded up buying a Summit Viper SS, and have been practicing with it as you suggested. I remember now the old tree stand I almost killed myself with (literally!) was an old Baker. Harness? Never heard of one, although I was wondering about it as I slid down the tree.

Anyway, I’m writing to thank you again for your insight–it really helped.

Mike

From Shaman

Aw, shucks!

I doubt that was a bad choice; I’ve heard a lot of people say nice things about the Viper. Let me know how things turn out.

Folks just don’t know what it’s like taking the express elevator the way we do. There’s no warning. All of a sudden, you’re on the way down. In my case, all I had was the bottom section and the safety strap. The bark was too smooth for the strap to catch, so I went trundling down the tree.

Take care. Write soon. Write often

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