I know this is an age old question. What is your best recommendation
on getting some ropes in the tops of my 80 - 100 FT (25 - 33 M) pine
trees ? I have heard a sling shot or bow and arrow can work. I have
good access to the trees but there are too many trees to try getting a
balloon supported line over. Thank you, Eric N4HGZ
-0-
No method is perfect, particularly in dense trees. However, I have
found that
bow and arrow works well, providing that you use a fiberglass fishing
arrow. anything
lighter may get hung up in the trees. (trust me, I've tried.)
In my present incarnation, I use a thing called a 'game tracker',
which has 15lb waxed string
in a cartridge which attaches to the bow. In turn, I use this to
pull up 100lb string, which then
pulls up the rope. I use 1/8" braided dacron. have tried kevlar
coated, and it's both stiffer and
heavier. There is an axiom that says when you get the rope pulled
such that it's 15' from you,
you'll have 15.5 lbs pull and the gametracker will break. That's
why I use an intermediate.
This is not a foolproof method. You will have mis-fires, and have to
repeat the attempt.
And, sometimes you get lucky and nail it first shot. Then, again,
sometimes you manage to
drill the very branch you want to go over... dead center. I had
one arrow up in a tree in VT @ 100'
for 6 months before it shook loose.
One other recommendation: spray paint your arrow(s) a fluorescent
pink or orange, so they stand
out. It is sometimes necessary to finesse their path by pulling
them back a bit, particularly if you
have to thread through, around and over multiple trees. Being able
to see the bloody things is
important.
I've used slingshots, as well, with trees up to 60' or so, which is
what I have in my present yard.
Having a closed face fishing reel mounted on the slingshot makes for
a tidy package, but I don't
think that will work for 90'.
One other thing: plan on wearing work gloves when pulling on the
string. You'll definitely feel it.
N2EA
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