What is the most time-efficient mobile setup?

[matt1336]

Don’t worry about “fast and quick”. Mistakes are make when you’re not taking your time. IMO you’re way better of being “slow and conscious”....of your movement. Who cares if you get up the tree quick if you spook the deer that are around you? Take your time, you’ll notice more and IMO be a better hunter. Use what you’re comfortable with. Personally I use a mantis and beast sticks. It works well for me.

[cbigbear]

I haven’t timed my setups recently, but would guess I’m in the 5-10 minute range on clean trees, 10-15 on moderately trashy, & 15-20 on trash. I have my setups dialed in so there is no wasted movement. Once I’m at the base of my tree I drop the bow & climb. Basically unpacking as I’m going up. From watching other’s climbing videos on YouTube, I’m hanging my second stick by the time most have unpacked & made themselves ready to climb.

I understand hanging isn’t a race & I’m not making it one, but standing on the ground shuffling gear isn’t efficient. I have zero chance of killing a deer without bow in hand & arrow knocked so I do all possible to limit that time without alerting anything around.

Setups

Assault & heliums, rch - probably 2 minutes faster but not nearly as packing friendly in heavy cover.
12” Assault platform, modded LW sticks, fleece saddle & rch -nature of the beast more stuff to fiddle with so
slower tree top setup but o so compact.

[raisins]

Don’t worry about “fast and quick”. Mistakes are make when you’re not taking your time. IMO you’re way better of being “slow and conscious”....of your movement. Who cares if you get up the tree quick if you spook the deer that are around you? Take your time, you’ll notice more and IMO be a better hunter. Use what you’re comfortable with. Personally I use a mantis and beast sticks. It works well for me.

I agree with this. I have my set up dialed in pretty well and a system for climbing where I do the same thing every time/have my pack organized a certain way, and it takes me at least 20 minutes on straight trees with sticks and up to 30 on twisty trees.

[jwilkstn]

Sitting on the ground, then a climber, then sticks. Hanging a stand or a platform is pretty much a wash on time so it’s really climbing method.

And the tree. Straight trees are a lot faster with any method compared to a Christmas tree

This 100%

Like said above, however, speed of setup should probably take a backseat to stealth and other factors.

[OH nontypical]

Was a climber guy for years. Switched to LW sticks and either an XOP vanish or LW alpha.

I was taking 45 minutes at the start of the season to get set up with 4 sticks. I had that down to about 20 minutes in no time. The day I shot my buck in November I had to make a quick move and was probably up the tree and set in 15 minutes.

I use 2 ropes. 1 on the stand and one from the stand to my bow. I set bottom two sticks from the ground and the other two are in loops I tied on my harness. Pull the stand up and I use a bungee with loops to hold the Stand on the tree while I strap it on and then slide it up the tree to use as a bow holder.

I decided I was going to stick to the stand and sticks no matter what this season and it paid off for me.

I watched a lot of videos and practiced in the back yard to get comfortable. A good linesmen rope with one hand operation makes a huge difference. Never tried a saddle and will be looking for a lighter stand before next season.

Liked the size of the Vanish but it was over 14 lbs.
Probably get a LW Assault if Dans stand isn’t ready before next season. Maybe try a saddle. Climber just hangs on the wall now.

[OH nontypical]

Was a climber guy for years. I have an old API that I could get set up in no time but it was bulky and loud to carry through brush. Switched to LW sticks and either an XOP vanish or LW alpha.

I was taking 45 minutes at the start of the season to get set up with 4 sticks. I had that down to about 20 minutes in no time. The day I shot my buck in November I had to make a quick move and was probably up the tree and set in 15 minutes.

I use 2 ropes. 1 on the stand and one from the stand to my bow. I set bottom two sticks from the ground and the other two are in loops I tied on my harness. Pull the stand up and I use a bungee with loops to hold the Stand on the tree while I strap it on and then slide it up the tree to use as a bow holder.

I decided I was going to stick to the stand and sticks no matter what this season and it paid off for me.

I watched a lot of videos and practiced in the back yard to get comfortable. A good linesmen rope with one hand operation makes a huge difference. Never tried a saddle and will be looking for a lighter stand before next season.

Liked the size of the Vanish but it was over 14 lbs.
Probably get a LW Assault if Dans stand isn’t ready before next season. Maybe try a saddle. Climber just hangs on the wall now.

[BigBuckBane]

I read your replies- lots of great thoughts so thank you everyone! I don’t actually take 45 mins to set. About 15, but it can often take longer and packing up takes a bit too.

But I think maybe everyone missed the best answer yet?? I Someone mentioned tree spikes so I looked into that, turns out probably illegal in Michigan on public land. But then I found this video... To sum it up- single rope method, thrown over a branch with a weighted ball, you then ascend using a Blake’s knot. Looks very safe and fast actually. With the bonus of being lightweight. Also looks fairly affordable since you ditch the sticks.

What do you guys think? The only downside I can think of is not being able to find a big enough branch on some trees.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0JtaEXzhlKk

[cbigbear]

From my experience in the tree industry a throw ball is a fickle beast. I can’t imagine in a hunting setting throwing & setting a line. It takes a lot of movement.

If by some stretch the throwing & setting works out, re-packing a throw ball & coiling 50’ of 8-9mm rope takes more time then packing up my setup.

[cspot]

I looked into it and I just don't see SRT being that great for me as I think you would make too much movement and noise throwing a sack over a limb. IN addition you have to have a tree with a limb suitable enough somewhere around the height you want to go. From what I saw when I researched it, I think it would great if you mainly hunted from preset trees. Then you could leave some paracord there already fed overtop of the limb, so You could just pull the rope up and over. It is a neat system though.

[cspot]

I read your replies- lots of great thoughts so thank you everyone! I don’t actually take 45 mins to set. About 15, but it can often take longer and packing up takes a bit too.

But I think maybe everyone missed the best answer yet?? I Someone mentioned tree spikes so I looked into that, turns out probably illegal in Michigan on public land. But then I found this video... To sum it up- single rope method, thrown over a branch with a weighted ball, you then ascend using a Blake’s knot. Looks very safe and fast actually. With the bonus of being lightweight. Also looks fairly affordable since you ditch the sticks.

What do you guys think? The only downside I can think of is not being able to find a big enough branch on some trees.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0JtaEXzhlKk

I don't think 15 minutes is that bad for assembly or disassembly. Getting a system down may trim the time down a little. If running late where that would be too much time, I would just hunt from the ground.

[cspot]

Here is an old video from Dan (pre beast stick) on how he sets up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Y12DRIy9M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e22bV2q3YOE

[Somthingoriginal]

Half way through this season I switched to 1 stick up and rappel down. For me it's the clear winner of the bulk, weight, time/fiddle ratio. 1 stick looks way harder than it really is and takes the same time as multiple sticks. Taking my time I can rappel down and be packed up in less than 10min. I'll be working in the off season to become more efficient. But I think it's plausible to rappel down and try to make a stalk on a deer that avoided your shooting lane.

[rfickes87]

Climbers! Im up a tree and ready to hunt in 3 minutes.

[cspot]

Climbers! Im up a tree and ready to hunt in 3 minutes.

No doubt that on a nice straight tree they are nice and quick. Comfortable to sit in. Downside is they are cumbersome to carry thru the woods. I hate carrying my climber and I doubt I use mine much more since getting a saddle. I may end up selling it this year.

[rfickes87]

Climbers! Im up a tree and ready to hunt in 3 minutes.

No doubt that on a nice straight tree they are nice and quick. Comfortable to sit in. Downside is they are cumbersome to carry thru the woods. I hate carrying my climber and I doubt I use mine much more since getting a saddle. I may end up selling it this year.

Im 32, i bought my climber when I was 16. It weighs 12 pounds. It goes in with me everytime. As the years have gone on its been modifed several times and wrapped in lots of tape, lol.