Two Knots I Use In My Tree Stand Tether When Climbing And Hunting

[@NoahOakleyHunting]

I’ve been practicing with these two knots this summer and will definitely be using this system this season and here on out! Thanks Jason!

[@SamkoTradBow]

Glad its working great for you too.

[@thedangler1371]

Great video Jason. Your knowledge has influenced so many people on this public land hunting platform. Your part of the top guys on u tube when it comes to public land hunting. Been watching, learning, and copying your methods for a few years now. Great work brother!

[@SamkoTradBow]

Thank you. Greatly appreciate that.

[@FrictionFire-q5z]

Amazon dropped off A Rope man 1 and 4 Caribeners this Afternoon. This one guy on KZbin said to Order them early and don't be emailing him for His .😁

[@SamkoTradBow]

🤣🤣🤣

[@caseymclamb5890]

Great video Jason, I was just practicing with my harnesses on the other day acting if I was in the tree and I can’t seem to remember how the running bowline was tied. I prefer knots because of the weight factor of buckles and no noise. Need to practice more.

[@SamkoTradBow]

Yep I have to practice it a few times before each season again as a refesher. I actually go back and what my video called "better than a quick link" to see how to tie the knots again. Thats why I show them again in this video. so I always have something quick to go back to to refrsh.

[@toddgover1447]

Jason, check out bowline and running bowline overhand flip method video. Arborist knots may be even simpler for you

[@SamkoTradBow]

Will do. Thanks

[@swampbiologist]

I love the Bowline knot but am not familiar with the Running Bowline! I'll have to learn it! Very quiet also! No noise, very important!

[@SamkoTradBow]

The running bowline is awesome.

[@Wiscobowhunt]

Hey Jason, can you recommend a knot besides the bowline, once in the stand I found it to be more fiddle factor with trying to get the slack out of my knot and keep it at my desired height etc.

[@SamkoTradBow]

I have not tried any other knots bit I bet and climbing anchor knot like the bowline would work perfectly

[@chuckbert3117]

I also use a tether with mine, a lineman’s belt was never enough for me. I will stick with carabiners, I don’t trust myself with tying knots 😁.

[@SamkoTradBow]

That works too! Glad you are taking the time to stay safe

[@michaelhaworth8317]

Just purchased a Beast tree stand and so far I am incredibly impressed with it. What economical shoulder harnesses do you recommend?

[@SamkoTradBow]

You will love the beast stand. The big game hunter harness is a great one for very affordable. anything by tree spider or gorilla is great too. make sure it has lineman belt loops if you are hunting from hang on stands.

[@UncleDanBand64]

I will work on that thanks

[@coreym5072]

I do it the not safe way with nothing and I almost paid for it last time hanging a stand. I’m doing to buy all this right now. The 11mm rope on Amazon says 10.5mm but 32ft. Do you have a video on length of belt and have to shorten/make knots?

[@SamkoTradBow]

I would go with 12 feet in length to start and if you need trim off a foot or so you can. But this way you have some extra. Glad to see you are gonna to be safe now.

[@coreym5072]

@@SamkoTradBow do you have videos on knots?

[@robertwilliamson6958]

Been following your stuff a long while. I know your not a saddle hunter, how would you feel this would work for a saddle hunters tether line? Instead of a sewn loop and a girth hitch which is the average route. It could eliminate the need for a friction hitch, and a carabiner for tree-to-bridge attachment. Do you think it would work?

[@SamkoTradBow]

Yes the running bowline would work excellent anywhere you are using a girth hitch but allow you to quickly untie and retie around branches.

[@georgepfeifer2222]

As a 25 year veteran in the rope access industry, meaning I work at height on rope for a living and also a 40 year veteran of bow hunting from an elevated position, mainly using a climbing tree stand but also fixed position tree stands, I see some issues in what you're attempting. You're on the right track, but your methods need a little tweaking. First off there are never ever "tethers" used in rope access! Tethers are something you would use to tie a bunny rabbit to a tree, they are called " main lines, life lines and anchor lines, terminology is critical wether you're ten feet off the ground or a thousand feet off the ground, gravity doesn't discriminate. The line men's belt method is fine if you are using sticks or tree steps. My preferred method is to use a throw bag and shoot a line over a suitable branch, attach my main line and ascend the rope, eliminating sticks or steps all together, this is a much safer method and once you learn the technique of ascending a rope, it's much faster then the method you're using. If you have a pull line pre installed, when you get to your tree it's just a matter of pulling up your main line, anchoring it the base of the tree and ascending the rope, also when leaving your tree, whether done for the day or in an emergency situation, rappelling out of the tree is much safer and faster then climbing down on sticks or steps, remember most climbing accidents happen on the descend rather then the ascend. The use of the bowline, standing or running is fine but because your using it as a moveable anchor line you really should be backing up the bowline with a grapevine knot due to the likeliness that the bowline knot will capsize loosen up and come undone with you constantly moving it up and down the tree, a figure of eight knot would be a much more safer alternative and you should be using two moveable anchor lines not just one, your line men's belt doesn't count as an anchor, "redundancy" is the key to staying alive, if you only are using one moving anchor every time you loosen up that bite to move it up, you essentially are detaching yourself from the tree, having two moveable anchors allows you to remaine attached to the tree 100% of the time during your ascent. I don't think you mentioned the types of ropes you are using but it's been my experience that a dynamic kernmatel rope 9mm is the appropriate rope for your moving anchors, I also use a 10mm static kernmantel rope for my main line, the line I use to ascend and rappell on. Ok I've rambled enough, obviously there is way way more stuff involved but I hope some of this may help..stay safe

[@SamkoTradBow]

Appreciate the comment. Single line climbing is not for me and I never have a tree with a suitable branch and when i tried it half the time I end up snagging the throw line. yes there are always going to be safer ways. heck If I could swing it Id just use a bucket truck at each tree spot. But there is a blanace between huntability and not being feasable. for me and my hunting and the way i move stands 4 times a day your method is noe feasable or practical. Most likely great for many others. but not for me. A figure 8 knot takes me way to long to tie and get right so the running bowline works perfect. But again I do appreciate you taking the time to write this and help others be safe.

[@1ststater611]

I like the bucket truck method 😃😃

[@andyb1205]

Hi Jason. Newer subscriber here. Thank you for these great videos! I was curious if the 11 mm lineman rope you have linked to Amazon could also be used as a tether rope. It seems strong enough, but is listed as static vs dynamic. Your thought?

[@SamkoTradBow]

Yep would work great. The dynamic has a little give but not much as the tether is so short. So really not much difference in our application for static or dynamic

[@ChristopherGreen-p4j]

How do you connect the tether to your harness ?

[@SamkoTradBow]

I use a figure 8 knot and leave it always connected to the harness

[@bluegrassdroneguy3495]

Hey Jason do you leave your tether line tied on your harness or tie it every time you use it, if so how do you arrange it so it’s tucked away

[@SamkoTradBow]

I leave it tied to my harness with a figure 8 all the time. When im dont hunting I roll it around my hand and then wrapp around it. just like you would a bow pull up rope. then I let it dangle from the harness. but I also do not walk in with the harness on. Its in my pack until I get to the tree. If i was gonna walk in with it I would wrap it around my waist a couple times and tuck it.

[@bluegrassdroneguy3495]

I thought of tying mine onto the harness with a bowline ? Do you not have any issues with the figure 8 coming loose? Figure 8 same as square not your referring to?

[@Bigmamou1990]

Would it be possible to use a running bowline for both knots? Or would that be considered unsafe due to the possibility of running part of the bowline?

[@SamkoTradBow]

That would 100% work great. Only addition I would do is use a rubber coated wire gear tie or something when up on stand to make sure the ending bowline doesn't sag down when up in the stand. Just something small wrapped around the knot so it doesn't droop and slide down the tree when you stand to move for a shot etc.

[@edwardlynch3742]

What knot do you use to attach tether to safety harness?

[@SamkoTradBow]

Figure 8 and leave it attached all the time

[@christopherjmoklerassociat7700]

Your method seems to be safer than how most people climb with only a lineman’s belt. But what would you do if you’re on your last stick, your tether is above you, and your lineman belt is on you…..then your stick comes loose and falls to ground. You did not fall far, but you hanging on the tether. You have no way down as you cannot reach a stick or anything else, oh yea, during the short fall you dropped your cell phone. Why not have a rope (say a 30’ or 40’) and a method to repel down safely. You would still advance as you are doing. You would also need some paracord to pull your bowline down.

[@SamkoTradBow]

Could do that too. And repelling down the tree is probably safer than climbing down.

[@bluegrassdroneguy3495]

How long is your tether rope Jason?

[@SamkoTradBow]

Will have to measure Thursday when I get back home. Will get back to you. If I forget email me thru my site. Tbwpodcast.com.

[@bluegrassdroneguy3495]

Ok thanks

[@nathanburns3954]

Question: How many feet of cord do you use for your tether?

[@SamkoTradBow]

@nathanburns3954 never measured as I buy it in 100 foot ropes. But if you are buying it buy the foot I would get 12 or 15 feet just to be safe and have enough to tie the figure 8, etc.

[@nathanburns3954]

@@SamkoTradBow thank ya!

[@greglowe9220]

What size/ diameter rope do you use for the tether?

[@SamkoTradBow]

@@greglowe9220 sterling duetto 8.4 dynamic

[@SticksSteelAboveBelow]

I recognize those knots 😂

[@SamkoTradBow]

Best knots out there. You taught the running bowline to me

[@bluegrassdroneguy3495]

Seems to me if you fell you could possibly flip upside down? Have you tested that? No criticizing just concerned

[@SamkoTradBow]

I have tested it and it does keep me up right. It's not pulling from the belt line. Uts pulling from top of belly thru the back of the legs like a rock climbing harness. I love it!

[@bluegrassdroneguy3495]

Link where I can purchase that harnes?

[@SamkoTradBow]

@@bluegrassdroneguy3495 tactisaddle.com. called the tbws tree stand harness

[@bluegrassdroneguy3495]

They have different models with different waist buckles and leg strap connectors?

[@SamkoTradBow]

@bluegrassdroneguy3495 they do. I use the fixed leg buckles and aluminum lineman rings. The pass theu buckles are a super light weight quick release option so you don't have to step thru the leg holes. The covra buckles are old school buckles on the legs kind of like a seat belt. You pick what options you want on yours.

[@1ststater611]

Have not climbed a tree in 30 years. Climbing a tree is inherently dangerous and an overall pain in the ass. Been successful hunting from the ground. Be careful out there tree climbers and good luck this season.

[@SamkoTradBow]

Very true on all points!