[12-Ringer]

That’s a bummer Joe! How many years have you and Bruce been going out on that hunt?

I’ve been going since 2008, started in central KS (Barton Co.), Pop’s first trip was 2009. Connected in Linn Co in 2011 and have been going there ever since. I missed 2013 when I fell from my stand here in PA.

 

[vonfoust]

Wow that stinks Joe. Take the dogs. You can duck hunt in morning and pheasant and quail in the afternoon.

 

[dougell]

For as crappy as Pals is and it can be crappy,the PGC was mandated by the state to use that vendor.The PGC had no choice.

 

[dougell]

Wow that stinks Joe. Take the dogs. You can duck hunt in morning and pheasant and quail in the afternoon.

Yeah,that wouldn't hurt my feeling any.Hunting birds in Kansas is a pretty good second prize.

 

[Mr. October]

My license arrived via USPS a few days ago. That said, New Jersey uses Active whom I use to register for a lot of running and triathlon events. Always better service from them.

 

[12-Ringer]

Same with Aspire in KS…that is a great system with email notifications when things are shipped, status updates and change alerts.

 

[perryhunter4]

I’ve been going since 2008, started in central KS (Barton Co.), Pop’s first trip was 2009. Connected in Linn Co in 2011 and have been going there ever since. I missed 2013 when I fell from my stand here in PA.

I didn’t know you fell Joe. What did you walk away with? How did it happen if you don’t mind me asking?
As I get older, I am much more conscious when I am climbing into a lock-on. Ladders and climbers don’t bother me much…. but lock-On’s are a different story. I hang quite a few stands (lock-on’s) solo each year and each year I feel slightly more conservative….not in a rush like I was in my 20’s and 30’s.

 

[12-Ringer]

I was getting settled in my Summit in an oversized shag-bark hickory tree for an evening hint. Climbing a shag bark hickory with any cable style climber is quite a chore, but this was THE spot. I was climbing with my chest harness attached but because the tree was so large I barely had about an 1-2” of spare belt laced through the chest buckle. I reached my hunting height of about 20’ and was try to turn my summit for a better vantage point on the trail. As I did that somehow the cable on the climber plopped out of the channel. That jolt sent me scrambling and I reached for the tether between me and the tree…as I did that the small 1-2” of spare strap popped through the buckle and I was on my way down.

I always try to climb trees with other saplings nearby, primarily for cover when I get to my hunting height. Realizing this was it, I literally jumped like Tarzan from my platform and grabbed onto one of the saplings. It started to bend under my weight and slowed the fall considerably until it finally broke dripping me about 12-15 feet to the ground.

I shatter my heel and ankle in my right leg. Underwent surgery two weeks after the fall as and had a series of screws and plates installed…5-months of therapy and a second surgery in May to remove the metal screws in favor of screws made of bone because my body wasn’t accepting the metal screws…let moving and getting infected.

My happened to be with me that night which is usually a rarity when I am hunting local. I called him once I composed myself and he helped me out of the woods and to the hospital that night. No doubt, prey scary for him getting that call…

All-in-all I was VERY lucky…had I fallen freely from the original height things would have likely been much different. If I had my feet under the bungee strap in the stirrups things would have likely been much different.

The day after the fall…

Two of the many images after the initial surgery….

 

[12-Ringer]

So my Pop has been on this kick the last couple years of simply hanging a branch in the middle deer trail…nothing elaborate, no scents or attractants…simply find what looks to be a good trail, run a rope/cable across it and hang a branch so that it hangs vertically down as close to center of the trail as possible.

The results are truly amazing…SEVERAL mature buck and doe visit these multiple times a day and invariably a scrape opens under the stick and stays open ALL year…I mean the move the snow in January, they clear it through the spring, and summer, truly something to see.

Now it seems the bear find it amusing??

…and hey, how about the video quality from these Reveals….it’s something else.

If you’re interested in more info or pics of “the stick”, I’m sure Pop would oblige he has THOUSANDS!

 

[LetThemGrow]

Cool video!

I’m assuming that is an original as the X video is way more saturated?

 

[12-Ringer]

Cool video!

I’m assuming that is an original as the X video is way more saturated?

Nope the X

At one point it looks like the bear is looking up at the rope trying to figure it out….

 

[LetThemGrow]

Nope the X

At one point it looks like the bear is looking up at the rope trying to figure it out….

Wow that’s better quality than I got.

Let’s hope he respects your bear boxes….

 

[AjPUNISHER]

Caught a dozen or so bass this morn but most were lacking in size.
Nothing like catching a fish on your first cast of the day though...and it being a walleye to boot! Caught 6 more of them within the first hour.

 

[AjPUNISHER]

Mega bummer about Kansas Joe.

Hoping your dad gets a shot at redemption this year! Quality time shared with dad and maybe even filming what transpires, from perhaps the same tree even, would be pretty damn memorable!

 

[nicko]

The posture on that bear is atrocious.

Very interesting about hanging the branch from a cable over a trail. Might give something like this a shot and use a branch with a lot of twigs and offshoots to see if it turns into a licking branch. So many man-made things that we can do that require very little effort to attract deer. Mock scrapes with your own pee has got to be top of the list.

 

[Straw]

I have had very good luck hanging a piece of grape vine as a licking branch over the last couple of years. Then when the rut starts to roll around I switch the vines to different locations and the deer really react to the new scents

 

[Mr. October]

I didn’t know you fell Joe. What did you walk away with? How did it happen if you don’t mind me asking?
As I get older, I am much more conscious when I am climbing into a lock-on. Ladders and climbers don’t bother me much…. but lock-On’s are a different story. I hang quite a few stands (lock-on’s) solo each year and each year I feel slightly more conservative….not in a rush like I was in my 20’s and 30’s.

These days I equip every single one of my lock-ons/permanent stands with a ground-up safety line. I buy 200' spools of line from Lowe's and make them myself. Having fallen once (thankfully with a harness) I have no desire to ever not be connected.

 

[Mr. October]

I was getting settled in my Summit in an oversized shag-bark hickory tree for an evening hint. Climbing a shag bark hickory with any cable style climber is quite a chore, but this was THE spot. I was climbing with my chest harness attached but because the tree was so large I barely had about an 1-2” of spare belt laced through the chest buckle. I reached my hunting height of about 20’ and was try to turn my summit for a better vantage point on the trail. As I did that somehow the cable on the climber plopped out of the channel. That jolt sent me scrambling and I reached for the tether between me and the tree…as I did that the small 1-2” of spare strap popped through the buckle and I was on my way down.

I always try to climb trees with other saplings nearby, primarily for cover when I get to my hunting height. Realizing this was it, I literally jumped like Tarzan from my platform and grabbed onto one of the saplings. It started to bend under my weight and slowed the fall considerably until it finally broke dripping me about 12-15 feet to the ground.

I shatter my heel and ankle in my right leg. Underwent surgery two weeks after the fall as and had a series of screws and plates installed…5-months of therapy and a second surgery in May to remove the metal screws in favor of screws made of bone because my body wasn’t accepting the metal screws…let moving and getting infected.

My happened to be with me that night which is usually a rarity when I am hunting local. I called him once I composed myself and he helped me out of the woods and to the hospital that night. No doubt, prey scary for him getting that call…

All-in-all I was VERY lucky…had I fallen freely from the original height things would have likely been much different. If I had my feet under the bungee strap in the stirrups things would have likely been much different.

The day after the fall…

Two of the many images after the initial surgery….

😲😕 It's hard to look at those pics and say "lucky indeed" but we're glad you are still here.

 

[Mr. October]

So my Pop has been on this kick the last couple years of simply hanging a branch in the middle deer trail…nothing elaborate, no scents or attractants…simply find what looks to be a good trail, run a rope/cable across it and hang a branch so that it hangs vertically down as close to center of the trail as possible.

The results are truly amazing…SEVERAL mature buck and doe visit these multiple times a day and invariably a scrape opens under the stick and stays open ALL year…I mean the move the snow in January, they clear it through the spring, and summer, truly something to see.

Now it seems the bear find it amusing??

…and hey, how about the video quality from these Reveals….it’s something else.

If you’re interested in more info or pics of “the stick”, I’m sure Pop would oblige he has THOUSANDS!

That's a riot! Bears seem to love when we leave toys in the woods. I used to hunt SGL 158 in Cambria County. At some point, the PGC and other organizations did a big improvement project on the creek bottom that runs through the middle of it and planted a couple thousand saplings. They put plastic sleeves over them to protect them from deer. The bears removed and chewed up every single one.

 

[12-Ringer]

That's a riot! Bears seem to love when we leave toys in the woods. I used to hunt SGL 158 in Cambria County. At some point, the PGC and other organizations did a big improvement project on the creek bottom that runs through the middle of it and planted a couple thousand saplings. They put plastic sleeves over them to protect them from deer. The bears removed and chewed up every single one.

I can’t even begin to count/think about how many cool pics and vids we have gotten over the years. Pop has one where the bear literally figured out how to take down the feeder we had hanging 15’ in the air, suspended between two trees…maybe he’ll share it.

This is one of my favorites….look closely you’ll see one cub sitting in one of our old original wooden stands and you’ll see a 29’ ladder stand in the background. This spot has been a top spot for catching big buck on film, but we have to yet to knock a good one down at this location.

You can see momma is no stranger to the Commission, both ears are tagged. Unfortunately we believe guys I the neighboring lease took her and two of those cubs that fall.