Man, if I don't get at least 25 foot up in a tree I am way too low. Where I hunt is very open and big tall pines. The humidity makes sure that your scent gets to the ground quickly and there is a good bit of short underbrush so I must get up high enough to shoot down into this stuff. My pull up rope is 30 foot long and I climb until it is tight. Many times I wish I was 40 foot or higher so I could see down into the brush better and shoot over the short shrubbery. If I only climbed 15 foot I would feel like I was sitting on the ground.


FYI, soft bark trees are far easier and safer to climb. The stand bites into soft bark, like pine bark, much much better than hard bark like birch, hickory or oak. If you climb a big pine with thick bark you can dance a jig in the stand and it won't move and shift on you.

thx man, i was wonderin that..and i feel ya on 20 feet..same here..its all hilly and brushy in this 4-5 year ol pine tree farm..so i imagine ill be up higher as well.

.make sure you have a way down after your fall..people die in their safety harness from blood poisoning!!!

I made a reference earlier about to me it's nonsense to favor one tree species over another for climbing. However, I didn't consider maybe it was for safety reasons, like bigbulls was referring to. In that case, the softer bark trees do allow climbers to dig in more to get a better bite for grip. When it's freezing, like during later hunting seasons, trees like Birch and Oak can get very hard. I guess bigbulls just said that. LOL!

iSnipe

My reasoning for asking about the tree was most definitely about safety and getting the stand to bite into the tree. I can pick out the tree for hunting purposes, it is the safety that I am primarily posting about.

I know how high I was because I had a rope with me the first day that I practiced on the tree. We (Dad and I) measured how high I was after I got to the point of being uncomfortable. I then tied a small rope to the tree where I stopped being comfortable so I would know where to stop that next morning. At that particular hunting spot I think 20'-25' would be better than where i was.

i cant believe how many people are afraid of heights? especially in a secure treestand etc...? did you guys climb trees as a kid?

I'm always in a ladderstand with a full shooting rail wrapped around me feeling very secure.

I don't have a problem after I am seated, its the climb that bothers me. I used to climb trees all the time and walk down a branch to get on my grandma's roof. Never bothered me. I guess things change? :confused0024: Heck maybe people that are scared of heights have actually gotten smarter with age and realize the danger of hitting the ground!!:poke:

Afraid of heights is a poor way to put it.

Take you and I for example. We're in the ring about to square off. You know for fact you're going to taste canvas. You're scared. It's your first time. The 2nd time around, same thing, you're scared. You eat canvas again. However, as time goes on and you step in the ring, time after time eating canvas, you eventually get use to the taste of canvas and yet, you're fear level for the event is waning.

Going up in trees is like that. The more you do it, the more you get use to it.

iSnipe

i have an old api climber i love it you can move anywhere you want took me some getting used to but i can climb with it very easily now. i only go bout 12-15ft i just dont see a point in going higher

keep focused on climbing, and don't look down,go slow, plan each step up and down and did i mention GO SLOW,, i have a titan also and am 60 years old,, love it
p.s. go slow

A pain in the ass is spending your life in a wheelchair.

a slight inconvenience is wearing a harness. it can save your life. These are the lightest most comfortable harness i have found.
http://gomuddy.com/shopping/Departme...d-Harness.aspx