Hung a Climber in very non-typical way in a difficult tree
I'm going to start this off by saying my liability spiel. I'm not suggesting anyone do this. At your own risk, all trees are different and rot might present, etc.
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I thought I would share something that worked for me on a really difficult tree.
Big cottonwood well over 3 ft in diameter went up about 20 ft. Then it split a bunch at 45° angles. Still about 2ft diameter. Angle was way too much to work with any of my hang on stands. I've been staring at this tree to figure out how to put a stand in it for a week.
I brought in my 28 ft extension ladder. It's my hunting ladder and it's painted camo in each room is completely padded. It is whisper quiet to use and it really doesn't stand out very much.
Basically I took a bunch of 3/8 in eye bolts/hooks 10 in Long. Worked like a charm. I pre-drilled them out with a smaller diameter bit. I would only use eye bolts going forward. I set two stands this way one using hooks. The hooks are pretty secure but it is possible for the cable to pop out and I didn't prefer that. In that case I used three hooks. Two is adequate but I like the comfort of three.
I made sure everything was sunk at least 5-6 in. Also so the hooks were not directly in line and at a slight angle to the direction that the cable was going to pull on them. This uses the side friction rather than just relying on only threads.
Things to keep in mind. While a 3/8" bolt is very strong, if it's got 4 inches hanging out of tree facing away from the stand, your weight will want to bend it to the middle. I had to put a rachet strap on one to stop it from bending. Ideal angle in towards the stand is better if the tree is wide enough.
I will say it was very solid.
Negatives:
Took a while to do probably 30 mins just for the bolts. Putting stand on was fairly quick.
Also some guess work (guessed correctly) to determine where to drill them for eyelet to be right when screwed in.
Worth negative but was manageable was that due to the angle the area in the front of the seat you stand on was 1/2 platform and 1/2 the teeth that hit the tree.
Oh it was a little sideways so I lag bolted a 2x4 on the tree to even the stand the direction I wanted.
Lastly, the ones where the bolts were angled out I ended up taking a 2x4 and cutting notches in it with the sawzall and making a spreader bar.
I thought I would share something that worked for me on a really difficult tree.
Big cottonwood well over 3 ft in diameter went up about 20 ft. Then it split a bunch at 45° angles. Still about 2ft diameter. Angle was way too much to work with any of my hang on stands. I've been staring at this tree to figure out how to put a stand in it for a week.
I brought in my 28 ft extension ladder. It's my hunting ladder and it's painted camo in each room is completely padded. It is whisper quiet to use and it really doesn't stand out very much.
Basically I took a bunch of 3/8 in eye bolts/hooks 10 in Long. Worked like a charm. I pre-drilled them out with a smaller diameter bit. I would only use eye bolts going forward. I set two stands this way one using hooks. The hooks are pretty secure but it is possible for the cable to pop out and I didn't prefer that. In that case I used three hooks. Two is adequate but I like the comfort of three.
I made sure everything was sunk at least 5-6 in. Also so the hooks were not directly in line and at a slight angle to the direction that the cable was going to pull on them. This uses the side friction rather than just relying on only threads.
Things to keep in mind. While a 3/8" bolt is very strong, if it's got 4 inches hanging out of tree facing away from the stand, your weight will want to bend it to the middle. I had to put a rachet strap on one to stop it from bending. Ideal angle in towards the stand is better if the tree is wide enough.
I will say it was very solid.
Negatives:
Took a while to do probably 30 mins just for the bolts. Putting stand on was fairly quick.
Also some guess work (guessed correctly) to determine where to drill them for eyelet to be right when screwed in.
Worth negative but was manageable was that due to the angle the area in the front of the seat you stand on was 1/2 platform and 1/2 the teeth that hit the tree.
Oh it was a little sideways so I lag bolted a 2x4 on the tree to even the stand the direction I wanted.
Lastly, the ones where the bolts were angled out I ended up taking a 2x4 and cutting notches in it with the sawzall and making a spreader bar.
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Well, that is one way to go...
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Hopefully you shoot a deer out of it after all that work!
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Wow!! Why not just build an old school wooden treestand? You didn't need to give such detailed directions...anyone foolish enough to try this ....well...survival of the fittest I suppose.
That "camo" ladder looks like it could stand to be a bit closer to the spray paint nozzle when you touch up the camo job. It's awful silver for a camo job. Hoping that's just a really weird lighting picture or this is all a joke. Those hooks might work great in a cottonwood, until they don't. Good luck.
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4,390 Posts
Ya don’t use a set of climbing sticks and hang on, in a perfectly good tree made for them. Unreal.
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Tools 4 tools
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I like it!…. but id at least put another ratchet strap or chain thru your cables as a backup just in case.
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I was close to doing that but situation of where I was hunting made it the way more difficult route. There was no opportunity to set it up before hunting. Tree trimming is fine. Screw/bolts are fine but whatever was set up needed removed. A wooden platform would have been way more noisy to construct. The property is small and bedding area very close. Too close to run a circular saw. It was the second week of November and that would have taken way more time and I don't know that I would have feel safer in a wood platform anyways.
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You would have to go down where the top ladder is. It way a possibility because the tree was vertical enough there but the issue down lower was the tree had a couple massive branches that hung out and down that would have really restricted where I could shoot. I had to be above them.
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12,293 Posts
Please tell me this is a joke. 🙏
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What is seen isn't exactly the finished product. The base got a 3rd hook and had a rachet strap on it. Top got a rachet strap as well. Funny part is I had to loosen the rachet strap. It pulled on the cable enough it wasn't settling into the hooks right because it took the weight off the hooks.
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