Pine trees & climber stands.

[MUZZYSLINGR]

Looks like I’m going to be able to bow hunt this season. I have a large amount of pine trees on my place & I would like to use a climbing stand.

I have an old Tree Lounge I could use but I never hung it on Pine trees. Would this be a viable option?

If not, what have y’all used in the past that worked in my situation?


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[jooger17]

Pines are they best, oaks are the worst. Pines will get a better bite.

[Blitz]

Pines are they best, oaks are the worst. Pines will get a better bite.

They are both fine. Pine is gonna be louder because of the bark and you have to deal with the sap. Oak actually digs in easier and is much quieter but the branches that come off will always hinder your height.

[MUZZYSLINGR]

I had a lot of tall Oak & Hickory on my old place & that is what I used to hang my Tree Lounge on.

Did a lot of limb trimming prior to the season starting.

That old Tree Lounge is real heavy and I was wondering if it’s weight would be an issue with a pine tree.


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[Blitz]

If the pines are really dry, as you climb, that bark is gonna be very loud. Almost like eating potato chips in a library.

It just depends on how high you want to get and what the situation dictates. Not all spots require you to be up 20 feet. You really want to be high enough so they can't see you sticking out like a sore thumb. I've hunted out of both. The one thing about those tall pines is man they start swaying in the wind pretty good. Hehe

[Big Lee]

If the pines are really dry, as you climb, that bark is gonna be very loud. Almost like eating potato chips in a library.

It just depends on how high you want to get and what the situation dictates. Not all spots require you to be up 20 feet. You really want to be high enough so they can't see you sticking out like a sore thumb. I've hunted out of both. The one thing about those tall pines is man they start swaying in the wind pretty good. Hehe

Wait.... You're not suppose to eat chips in a library?

[XBowHunterMike]

Wait.... You're not suppose to eat chips in a library?

[Muskles]

Not sure about the tree lounge, but I've used a couple different climbers on pine trees. They worked fine, but as mentioned above, you will make more noise. That said, I had to stop mid-climb this past season because a nubbin buck came in as I was climbing. They're used to hearing squirrels running up and down the bark, so I don't think it really alarmed him.

[GA Bowhunter]

I've hunted exclusively(as far as climbers go) out of Tree Lounges for 30+ years. I used to go up to Bob and Margret Hice's place and buy them directly.

I hunted every kind of tree they will hand on including palm trees.

On pines I've hunted 50-60' up(gun hunting) and never had an issue.
I was concerned about the tree snapping in half since a pine can snap without 290lbs of human and equipment cantilevered off of it.

I have been especially concerned when it really cold and the tree is frozen or when high winds hit.

My concern with Tree Lounges is that as they get old, the aluminum's structural integrity gets to be a concern. Aluminum will only go through so many flex cycles before it fails or a weld fails.

In gun season I like to get 50-60' and then get the stand level and sticking straight out. I use a 4" think foam pad for warmth and comfort. I have killed a lot of deer that woke me up when they walked in. Unfortunately, hearing loss has stopped the sleep until they come by method of hunting for me.

To level the stand I made a "staircase" of wood blocks. A 2x3 with 1x3's stepped down so I can put it between the tree and the top bar to "fatten up" the tree. I had one that was about 6" thick but I think I left it up a tree.

I used to scatter about 6 TL's around our property before the season and get them setup and the trees pruned so I was good to go come hunting season. Good times.

[Bayouboy]

Go up and down the pine 3-4 times before you hunt that area. It will get rid of the bark others are mentioning. Oaks are harder to dig into. But, offer more cover. Remember to always setup on the high side of the tree. Don’t setup leaning forward. I know people will tell you they hunt 30-35’ up. Whatever! 20’ is plenty. You can actually get too high.

Good luck.

[GA Bowhunter]

Whatever! 20’ is plenty. You can actually get too high.

Good luck.

I go 50'-60' with a gun where canopy allows(usually after the leaves fall) or hunting over cutover.

I have still had a buck look straight up at me.

My aim it to take scent and my movement(I'll hunt from before light until dark) out of the equation.

In bow season, 30' is about my max. Usually lower because of the canopy.

I have a couple TL buddies that go 70'+.

[White Falcon]

Pine if a lot of bark will be a widow maker. it will slip in a heart beat unless you have some good teeth on your stand, I don't think tree lounge has any!!. Also your back will get good and sticky!

[Blitz]

I go 50'-60' with a gun where canopy allows(usually after the leaves fall) or hunting over cutover.

I have still had a buck look straight up at me.

My aim it to take scent and my movement(I'll hunt from before light until dark) out of the equation.

In bow season, 30' is about my max. Usually lower because of the canopy.

I have a couple TL buddies that go 70'+.

I’m not here to call anyone crazy. But that’s crazy. Unless your hunting in wide open territory, you’ll see more foliage than deer from those heights.

[MUZZYSLINGR]

Pine trees & climber stands.

Pine if a lot of bark will be a widow maker. it will slip in a heart beat unless you have some good teeth on your stand, I don't think tree lounge has any!!. Also your back will get good and sticky!

Good point, and this was part of my concern. Someone else mentioned the tree snapping under weight. Fortunately I’m only about 185-190 lbs so I’m not terribly overweight at 6’ in height.

Any recommendations on a climber that would serve me better on the pine trees?

I’m only going to be up about 20 feet.

Thanks a bunch for all the reply’s everyone.

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[rolylane6]

Not trying to hijack your thread but I'm gonna throw in a quick story here to hopefully keep someone from making the same or similar mistake I once made. Make sure you know and follow all safety measures before using climbers, of any kind.
Many years ago a friend gave me a climber. It was just the bottom platform. There was no seat/hand climber to go with it. He said he never used one, he just bear hugged the tree as he climbed. I tried it and quickly decided that sucked (no wonder he gave it to me, right?) So I decided to build one from some scrap steel I had and a piece of plywood for the seat. It worked great but weighed at least 10 if not 15 lbs by itself. Didn't matter because I wasn't packing it very far to hunt anyway. The problem was I decided to hunt from an old telephone pole on the property that was no longer in use (wires were removed from it). I climbed up about 20 to 25 ft no problem. Even on the slick pole the teeth on the platform and the hand climber bit well and went right up. Problem was once I got to height I raised the climber as high as I could above my head (maybe a couple feet) and kneeled down on the platform to undo my feet from the stirrups and strap/secure the platform to the pole. As I was down on my knees I was suddenly struck in the head by the 10 to 15 lb climber as it slid down the pole in about a 4ft free fall because without my weight leverage against it and no bark on the bare pole it had nothing to hold it in place. It literally almost knocked me unconscious. I was barely able to keep my wits enough to not fall off the platform. I probably would have died from that fall since I was NOT wearing a harness. I know, STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!! What can I say, I was young and thought I was bulletproof. If the fall alone didn't kill me instantly, I probably would've died from injuries laying on the ground since no one knew where I was to even come look for me. Needless to say I never go up any tree without a climbing harness anymore and someone always knows where I'm going and when I'll be back if I'm going alone. I know chances are slim that anyone is going to be using a 10 or 15 lb climber and get hit in the head with it but I just want to put it out there that all kinds of weird crap can happen when climbing up trees or ladderstands so please always have a back up plan and use a safety restraint system when climbing. I got lucky, you may not.


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