Facing the tree while using a climber???

[Toba]

Does anyone do this. I have tried it a few times with my climber and do like it. It gave me a hiding spot from incoming targets. The thing that troubles me is there a good way to tie off the safety harness while sitting like this? I would guess a guy would just find a longer safety strap from the tree to vest. Any ideas?

[Sturg]

I often place the climber away from the direction i think the deer will come. Then I stand for long periods facing that direction(with the tree trunk between me and the deer). I place the safety harness tree attachment rope above me and leave enough slack so it isn't in the way of drawing the bow. My safety rope has a prusic knot so I can slide it up or down the rope.

[Archerysniper]

I often place the climber away from the direction i think the deer will come.

+1 I always put the tree between me and the deer and try to use trees that are bigger around then me to hide behind.

[surewood]

I guess I've always gone higher if I think deer might spot me. Good cover I stick around 18' to 20'. Naked tree 22' to 24' seems to be the magic number for me. I seem to be able to get away with movement up there.

[Bear55]

I often use the tree as cover and try to setup with the tre between me and where I expect them to come from. The setup has to be righ so it doesn't alwasy pan out but its good to keep it in your bag of tricks.

[klecker]

All the time. I tend to stand a lot more as well. Sit every now and then to rest the legs.

[bigbucks]

I've tried it, I don't like it. I just go higher or try to make sure the tree's not really in their sight line. I like to stand, but my feet can't take it for real long periods of time most days.

[InTheNorthwoods]

+1 I always put the tree between me and the deer and try to use trees that are bigger around then me to hide behind.

I do the opposite when trees are bigger around [or provide more cover than] my body size. I've always heard, and tend to agree, that critters will see your outline and your movement when you lean "outside" the cover of the tree to draw your bow far easier than if you use the back-drop to cover your silhouette by staying in front of the object.

[harvey lee]

I always place my stand by wind direction to the trails I believe the deer will be on. More times than not I am correct with the movement of deer.

It also seems the higher I can get in a tree, the less I have to be concerned with movement or the deer catching me. if one can get up 25ft, scent is less of an issue and you are totally out of the deers line of sight.

[fish]

I face the tree quite a bit. I use a loggy bayou safety harness. It has a long rope to clip into. The longer rope keeps it out of the way and allows me to move around as needed. Probably not extremely safe to have a longer rope but it would still protect me from a fall.

[nbadger23]

I have only tried it a few times and I really didn't like it. Like you, I had trouble with my safety strap getting in the way but I also had other issues with comfort and movement. If I'm comfortable I don't move much. When I'm sitting, I'm comfortable. When I'm standing, not so much. Pretty easy math for me :-)

I would guess a longer safety strap would fix things for you. My only concern there would be, if you were to fall, would the impact of the fall be an issue because of the length of the safety strap? Obviously it's less than the impact of falling to the ground but I'm not sure at what point safety straps become "too long" and can cause injuries due to the length?

[Bear55]

I do the opposite when trees are bigger around [or provide more cover than] my body size. I've always heard, and tend to agree, that critters will see your outline and your movement when you lean "outside" the cover of the tree to draw your bow far easier than if you use the back-drop to cover your silhouette by staying in front of the object.

No matter where you hunt movement is going to give you away more than anything. In front of the tree or behind it doesn't really matter if they catch you moving. My preference would have me behind a tree with good back cover, then back cover, then behind a tree without much back cover.

[bigbucks]

The added length isn't the best from the standpoint that your safety straps is really designed to help you get back into the stand. The longer it is the farther you'll be below the stand & the harder that is. In the same token it would certainly be a LOT better then not using one.

[paceman]

I also have tried to face the tree. I hated it. I felt like I was exposed. I like the secure feeling of having the tree at my back. I also thought the tree blocked my view. I was constantly peeking around the tree which to me was more movement. Just not my cup of tea...

[InTheNorthwoods]

No matter where you hunt movement is going to give you away more than anything. In front of the tree or behind it doesn't really matter if they catch you moving. My preference would have me behind a tree with good back cover, then back cover, then behind a tree without much back cover.

I agree. But your movement is going to be accentuated and more noticeable if you move from behind your cover than if you are blending in and making the same amount of movement within the scope of the back cover provided by the tree.

Its hard to explain, and I don't have the time right now, but think about a single spruce tree or shrub in an open field. You have matching camo on. A critter is approaching that tree. My belief and suggestion is that you have a better setup and chance of shooting that critter if you are in front of the spruce tree and you can draw within the backcover provided by that cover than if you are set up behind it and have to move "outside" the scope of the tree to make the shot. If you can shoot through the tree, and if you have additional trees or cover around, its a different story. But that was not the context under which I understood this thread to be discussed.

[Bear55]

I hear you Northwoods, I think we are probably splitting hairs at this point. Every tree/setup will have its own speical circumstances that could apply to make one stand position better than another. Some habbits will apply across many trees, others not so much.

[killerelement]

hence, the hang-on

[Rippinlip]

I try to set-up like that quite a bit.

My climber will not take a tree much wider than 24" so I try to use the tree to block me not blend into.

Most of the trees I use with my climber are more around 16" wide.

Now if I am using a ladder stand or hang on I try bigger trees and move into areas where the tree might have a "Y" or alot of foliage.

Of course I try to get as high in the tree as I feel safe or I feel out of sight of the deer.