44Hunter45 semi live climbing stand hunt

[Treeshark]

The real question is can you find them hour ir so before daylight? I use to put a tack 10-12' off ground just as a here I am. Less likely to be seen by someone not looking that high.

The feeling of finding your stand in the dark is oddly exhilarating.

“Ope! There she is!”

 

[rjthehunter]

The feeling of finding your stand in the dark is oddly exhilarating.

“Ope! There she is!”

It's like stage 1 of the hunt. First leg complete, next leg is killing the deer lol!

 

[rjthehunter]

I switched from climbers & hang on stands to a saddle like 3 or 4 years ago. I still use a hang on occasionally, but 95% of the time I use the saddle. I can be up any tree of any shape in less than 10 mins and hunting. I think it's one of the safest ways to hunt from a tree because you're under tension all the time and tied to the tree.

It's definitely not for everyone, but I really like it. The setup is light and is easy to throw on your pack and bring with.

I'm looking forward to seeing this grip n grin with this buck you corner!

 

[Treeshark]

It's definitely not for everyone, but I really like it. The setup is light and is easy to throw on your pack and bring with.

How do you do with the saddle in cold weather gear? In my mind, that would be the biggest challenge. Issue or no?

 

[rjthehunter]

How do you do with the saddle in cold weather gear? In my mind, that would be the biggest challenge. Issue or no?

No issue really. Add a couple mins to setting up and taking down, or be like me and rock fingerless gloves. Then curse yourself for frozen hands because handling frozen climbing sticks freezes your hands fast!

The bridge rope makes it possible to have a pretty steady shooting rest if you rifle hunt from one!

It saves a lot of money rocking a saddle and set of sticks vs managing a pile of stands. Can also shoot 360 degrees around a tree. I also like keeping the tree between myself and the deer. Makes way more sense than sitting on the side of the tree where they can see your every move!

 

[Cemetery Sling Blade]

I’d rather put up a lightweight hang on stand with climbing sticks.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

Climbers and saddle hunting allow you to attack from different angles for first time encounter which may be the only shot you can get at a nice animal. IMO, saddle hunting is faster and quieter but when old enough to have painted cave walls, the climber is safer option.

 

[44hunter45]

Test run yesterday.

I'm in the right place. when I drove in, there were two shooter bucks standing under one of the trees I prepped. I tried to put a stalk on them but they had bugged out.

Learned that the tree is not prepped until every little branch that interferes with the cables is cut flush. Lots of Touret's over this revelation.
Got the nesting and backpack straps sorted out.

Back this afternoon earlier and cleaning up the prep. I will have the saws back in the truck and be up the tree by 3:30PM

 

[44hunter45]

Today I learned how to silence the clang clang in backpack mode. Climbed my tree and spent a few hours watching beef cows. I'm in the right spot, I just need to put in the time.
Shot some field points. No cow pie is safe out to 30 yards.

Stay tuned. No buyer's remorse on the Titan SD. Really comfortable.

 

[44hunter45]

Had a 3x3 and a 4x5 so close tonight. My stand is 100 yards off a road. I needed the bucks to come another 30 yards into my shooting lane but they ghosted when a couple of SxS came by blasting cowboy music.

I should have stuck it out in the tree. I climbed down and drove off. When I came back by on the way home, the bucks were right under my tree.

I plan to stay with this until something happens.

I'm back to work tomorrow, so it's evenings only from here out. I'm off work at 1:30PM.

First day back after two weeks of PTO. It might be crazy tomorrow.

 

[Pheasantking]

I’ve hunted from a climber for over 15 years now and love it. The ability to change your location and switch up your strategy on a dime is a game changer. The times I’ve had close calls were on stationary blinds that have been there for a long time and began to fail. Sounds like you do your safety checks very well already with I bet you would do the same with the climbers. Just always wear your harness at all stages of the climb and make sure to attach the “umbilical cord” so both sections stay connected. You’ll love the versatility

 

[Ballistic]

I've used a Summit climber pretty extensively to hunt public lands since about 2000. These are perfectly safe given a couple practices: I use the stirrups for the bottom section so no matter what boots I'm wearing it's not flopping around, actually sit and climb instead of getting cute and doing dips, the bottom section must have a tether so you don't find yourself at altitude without it, and a short prussic tether that moves as you go.

I hunted Oklahoma public last year and did not expect to find many tall straight trees like here in the Midwest, so I bought a Novix system. I really liked it save for the seat. It took about twice as long to get 20' up, but I didn't have to cut every branch and make all of that noise on the edge of a bucks bedroom.

 

[Keep'er Movin]

I'm sure that Titan is comfortable but I can't imagine carrying 25lbs in just "stand" alone not counting any other gear. My hang on and 4 sticks weigh 9 lbs and my saddle and sticks weight 6 lbs. It just seems like a ton of weight to be lugging around.

 

[44hunter45]

I'm sure that Titan is comfortable but I can't imagine carrying 25lbs in just "stand" alone not counting any other gear. My hang on and 4 sticks weigh 9 lbs and my saddle and sticks weight 6 lbs. It just seems like a ton of weight to be lugging around.

I haven't actually weighed it. It sure doesn't feel that heavy on your back. It sure as heck is lighter than my ladder stands. You need a helo to install those things.

As i posted on that thread, my day pack for elk is never less than 25 lbs. It seems like NBD to me. The Titan doesn't have a hip belt, only shoulder straps. It can't be too heavy or you'd be in pain pretty quickly.

 

[44hunter45]

This thread is no longer about trusting the gear. I've played with it enough to trust it. The thread is now about how long it will take me to get my first archery WT buck out of the stand.
I will try to remember to shoot some pics if I can do it without burning the spot.

I got to the stand site about 4:45 PM today. Forgot my paracord which I use to both link the stand parts and pull up my bow. I set up the climber on the tree and ran back to the truck.
Back to the tree and climbing in 10 minutes. I turned the stand a little around the tree to the north to increase my shooting lanes. I also went about 2 feet higher tonight.

It was a slow evening until about 20 minutes before sunset. There have been elk hunters up the road from me. I was focused on the spot I've seen the bucks come out before. I turned to look at the skid road and both bucks are ghost walking down the road looking over their shoulders. I've got nothing to lose so I try a grunt. They look in my direction but keep heading across the road and away.

Then I hear a hunter bugle out of sight to my left. Then a cow party. So Ok, game over for tonight.

I'm a newb at this, but I really feel like I've got them patterned. If I keep getting up this tree early enough, I will get a shot at some point. I would shoot either of these bucks in a heartbeat.

Where they came out tonight makes me think if I had been in one of the other trees I prepped I may have gotten a shot.. But - the more I think about it, I want to stay in this tree unless they bust me. Moving around may actually reduce my odds of getting them under my stand.

I have 22 days to get this done before archery season is over. I could keep hunting this stand with a rifle after October 10th. My extra buck controlled hunt in another unit also begins October 10th. I really want to get this hunt done before then so I can focus on that hunt.

 

[44hunter45]

Slow day in the stand. I was in my stand by 4PM. At exactly 5PM I watched a forky cross by at about 75 yards.

I spent the rest of the afternoon watching firefighting aircraft do drops on the White Pine fire.

 

[Robert N]

I don’t envy your fire country…I dealt with it enough in SoCal…I’m super happy in TN these days.

 

[44hunter45]

I don’t envy your fire country…I dealt with it enough in SoCal…I’m super happy in TN these days.

They are going to stop me from driving in at some point. Technically I am outside the redistricted zone, but my ingress road is marked as closed. Well, kind of. It as closed on one map, but not closed on the Sheriff and District Ranger closure order. Subject to interpretation I suppose.

The fire is actually growing in my direction. Still a couple of drainages over. If it were to breakout, I have a good escape route and plan.

Getting ready to head out there tonight. The current winds put me directly downwind at 5-10 knots. Doesn't sound like much, but enough to heat things up. I'm about 3 air miles

One of my favorite elk drainages is getting a good purge and regen. So long as no one gets hurt I'm OK with that. Not OK with the >$3M spent fighting the fire in 900 acres of doghair that really needs a good burn. I posted a pic once of one of the old skid roads completely blocked up with doghair blow down. I couldn't find the pic on my hard drive today.

I hate to see good men and women put at risk for ground that needs a burn. There was one structure at risk in this fire and that line held. The fire is growing S/SE away from it now.
The Northern Rocky Mountain Incident team has their hands full right now.

Choppers are flying over our house regularly on their refueling runs.

 

[44hunter45]

No deer tonight.

I have got to bring a diaphragm call with me tomorrow. I really want to wind up the guy in the dark blue Tundra who keeps crawling up and down the road and giving his whole elk calling repertoire every 500 yards. It could be some fun.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Climbing tree stands are like a fart after eating freeze dried meals for a week. You can never fully trust them but if you know your equipment and proceed with caution you’ll be ok. Also similar to eating freeze dried meals for a week, expect to change your underroos if and when you have a close call.

I don’t have a signature line, but I am tempted to make one using this @Gellar post.