Climbing Stand Dos and Dont's?

[Moon]

Climbing Stand Dos and Don'ts?

I just ordered a my first climbing stand (a Summit Bullet). I have never used a climber before, and would appreciate any advice, tips, tricks, etc... that might save me a hassle or two and keep me safe. Thanks in advance for your posts.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Wear a harness from the time you put your body into the climber until you come out of it.

Use 2 lengths of parachute cord about 2ft and tie them to the top/bottom of the climber. That way if your feet slip out of the bottom part half way up the tree you arn't dangling there in your seat.

 

[Atticus]

#1 Practice climbing with it in the daylight (many times), while wearing your hunting clothes (at least the boots). Zero dark thirty ain't the time to learn how to use it, particularly when you are in a hurry to get set up and your working with little or no light. Realizing too late that your boots won't fit in the straps is no good either. Also, practice packing and unpacking it a few times, shake it a few times to check for excessive shifting and rattling.

#2 Avoid trees with smooth bark - WARNING slippery when wet.

#3 Don't get lazy at the end of an evening's hunt and leave it sit under your tree till the next morning. It's amazing how much trees look alike in the dark (not that I've done that mind you).

 

[MDHunter]

Safety First

Moon,

+1 to LennyJoe's recommendation to ALWAYS wear your safety harness, when climbing up, climbing down, and sitting in the stand. The Hunter Safety System makes a great harness, four latches and you're in/out,with one sie camo and one side orange. Also to tying the top and bottom of the stand together.

+1 to Atticus' recommendations to PRACTICE in the daylight, and to avoid smooth bark trees - even trees with rough bark get a little sketchy when wet, smooth bark is bad karma.

I have my climber stand about 16 feet up a tree, so I also rigged two lengths of 18 feet of parachute cord, tied to the BOTTOM of the stand, and with a carabiner at the end of each - just before I start climbing up, I attach my pack to one of the carabiners, and my gun or bow to the other - then, when I'm up at hunting height, I can quickly bring up my gear.

Also have a couple of eyerings screwed into the tree about three feet above the top of the stand, for holding my daypack and gun/bow, while I'm up in the stand.

Atticus - you owe me a new keyboard, thanks to your story about NOT losing your stand.

Michael

 

[Roadkill]

I agree to all above, plus I keep a hunting knife in my boot and a folder in my exterior pocket so I can cut myself loose if necessary. Also do maintenance on it. Oil the screws/lock downs. Check all straps and especially the foot straps. I also keep an additional 25 feet of cord in my pull up bag. I use snaplinks on each end of the lines for attaching to stand and equipment and for securing equipment. I put my safety harness on at home and attach the tree loop when I start going up. Remember the higher you go the narrower the tree so adjust the tilt on the ground to compensate for it. Carry a small folding hand saw with a wrist attachment for trimming limbs on the first trip up. Make sure you toss the cut limbs well away from equipment on the ground so they won't get tangled in the pull up line. I use the wire insert of a paint roller without the handle to wrap my pull up line on, keeps it from getting tangled. The small ones are perfect. Practice at home. It takes a while to figure out which is the largest and smallest diameter trees your stand will work with. And keep your cell phone in a pocket and practice using it while hanging upside down.

rk

 

[mete]

These have been good comments .Keep safety always in mind , there has already been one death this year of a young hunter who fell out of a tree stand.

 

[GunGoBoom]

OK.

1. Always, always use your harness, unless you're only going up 5 to 8 feet. That's about the height I will first put the harness around the tree.

2. Choose a tree that is consistent in its thickness from bottom to top - with very little change in diameter. Many trees are thick near the base, but thin out quickly - this will screw you up, and leave your stand hanging loose, angling down toward the ground, once you get up higher. And don't ever try to change/adjust the cables when you're up in it.

3. Choose a tree that is straight up and down, or very slightly angled away from the side you're climbing up from, and one that is smooth, without limbs. If there are just a few little limbs, then try it, but take a little saw with you to cut the limbs off as you go up.

4. Don't carry your gun/bow up with you. Tie a cord/rope to your fanny pack or belt on one end, and your weapon on the other. Pull up your weapon when you get settled in. Open the bolt/action on your gun before you climb, cuz it may be pointed at you as you pull it up.

5. Keep an extra cotter pin or two in your fanny pack or pocket. If you accidentally pull a pin and the top or bottom parts fail you, you can sit or stand on the part that didn't fail, and repair the other one.

6. For scenario 5 (which happened to me), make sure you tie a string about 3 or 4 feet long to both the top and bottom parts. For example, when the bottom failed on me, it dropped, but hung there due to the rope. I caught myself on the top with my arms, pulled myself up into the seat (not easy), and then pulled up the bottom with the rope, and repaired the bottom. I had pulled out a pin with my bootlaces. I used on that day a little screw-in-to-the-tree accessory hook as a backup pin.

7. Keep a knife for cutting yourself loose if necessary. But don't put it in your pants pocket, because the leg straps of the harness will compress your pocket, and keep you from getting it out. Keep a knife or 3 in your jacket pocket or fanny pack/backpack.

8. Not a bad idea to keep a cell phone (and walkie talkie) on your person, if you have a signal. Turn ringer off before hunting.

9. Don't choose a tree that is too thin (esp. on a windy day). Don't choose a tree that is too thick either, or you harness may not go around it.

smooth bark is bad karma.

Hmm, I did not realize that. I've not had problems using cottonwood (smooth tree), but glad you said that - wouldn't want to try it when wet. Thanks.

 

[Newt]

Don't get lazy at the end of an evening's hunt and leave it sit under your tree till the next morning. It's amazing how much trees look alike in the dark (not that I've done that mind you).

+1 I got a good laugh from that too. I guess you can really get a sense of where someone's coming from when you've been there yourself.

Remember the higher you go the narrower the tree so adjust the tilt on the ground to compensate for it.

+1 here too. Once again, I guess you learn from experience.

Use 2 lengths of parachute cord about 2ft and tie them to the top/bottom of the climber. That way if your feet slip out of the bottom part half way up the tree you arn't dangling there in your seat.

I lucked out on this one. Without having the top tied to the bottom, I dropped the bottom. Luckily, it hung up about 4 feet down the tree. Ever tried hanging from your elbows while trying to reach the bottom of your stand with your toes?

Looks like I used to be a poster child for "don'ts" in a climbing treestand.

 

[f4t9r]

Wear a harness !!!!!!!!!!!!!!