I was just wondering if anyone has used climbing gaffs instead of climbing sticks or tree steps. The portability would be a definate plus, but I was wondering if they were hard to climb with, or much harder on the tree than screw in steps. I've got a buddy who's a lineman and says gaffs are the only way to get up in the air. Anybody have an opinion?

I have a pair i bought about 8 years ago. I could never get confortable with them. A telephone pole is a lot softer than a lot of trees. It was just a matter of trust, I didn't trust them to hold me up like steps or a ladder.
I havn't used them since.

Stick with tree steps and climbing sticks. Leave the pole climbing to the professionals. I ordered a pair a few years ago. I climbed ok at first but after the first hair raising slip I sent the things back. Stick with safer methods.

CONSIDERING YOU'D BE USING THEM BEFORE DAYLIGHT OR CLIMBING DOWN AFTER DARK, MUCH MORE DANGEROUS. EVEN IN DAYLIGHT IT CAN BE TRICKY.
I WORK FOR THE LOCAL PHONE CO. AND IF YOU DON'T HOOK POLES REGULARLY YOU TEND TO GET RUSTY. BUT JUST LIKE SHOOTING OUR BOWS, IF YOU PRACTICE YOU CAN BECOME PROFICIENT. IF YOU THINK YOU'D LIKE TO TRY IT JUST MAKE SURE YOU GET CLIMBERS DESIGNED FOR TREE WORK. LINEMAN HOOKS HAVE SHORTER GAFFS FOR SMOOTH POLES, TREE HOOKS HAVE A LONGER GAFF TO PENETRATE THROUGH THE BARK AND INTO THE MEAT OF THE TREE.
YOU COULD PRACTICE BY JUST GOING UP A FEW FEET AND GRADUALLY GOING HIGHER AS YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.
SOMETHING ELSE TO CONSIDER IS THE NOISE MADE BY YOU DRIVING THE GAFFS INTO THE TREE.
BUT I GUESS, MOST IMPORTANTLY, REALIZE THIS IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN OTHER METHODS.

BEST OF LUCK!

What we do is already dangerous. Reading the other psts from the people who have them or have used them...I would stick with ladders, and other traditional meathods of hunting.

Funny.....when I was a kid I would climb ANYTHING and not think twice about it...what gives?

j

It sure isn't the ground! LOL!