Sunday, March 21, 2010
Ever dropped gear from your tree stand? I can’t count the times I have. If you haven’t, and you keep deer hunting … you will!
Years ago on a Southern Ohio deer hunt, in the middle of the rut, I dropped my release aid from my tree stand. I had no choice but to climb down and recover it. When I was ¾ of the way back up the tree a shooter buck walked down the trail, passed within 8 yards of my stand and pawed a scrape 15 yards away for 10 minutes. I had no choice but to hug the tree and watch this deer eventually walk away. That year, I didn’t shoot a buck … but I was determined that gravity wouldn’t get the best of me again.
The Hunter's Hook is a simple rubber coated steel grappling hook with a small but powerful rare earth magnet imbedded in the bottom. This magnet in combination with the ¾”gap hooks allows a hunter to recover almost any gear that they might drop from their stand. From, bows to quivers; from releases to binoculars … the hook allows you to retrieve your gear without blowing your stand location by causing a ruckus.
In an industry that is full of gimmicks I have come to appreciate simple, solid, trustworthy gear. The Hunter’s Hook is as basic as a solid hunting knife. It’s a tool not a gadget. And there will come a time when you will wish you had the right tool for the job.
It’s a piece of gear that you can affix to your stand and forget about … one day, you will be glad you have it; guaranteed. For a cost of only $5.99 plus shipping it's a piece of insurance that’s hard to pass up.
The Hunter's Hook is small and discreet enough that I keep one (along with 40 feet of 50lb braided fishing line) attached to every treestand I use. As seen below, I attach it with electrical tape to an out of the way place, like under the seat or in a tube. A recovery devise has to be small enough that you can store it on your stand. If you happen to drop your fanny pack that holds your hook, it won’t do you any good.
I make no guarantee that the Hunter's Hook will pick up everything and anything from the ground, but it will give you a darn good chance at recovering most of the vital gear you could drop from your stand. And I do guarantee that there will be a day that you are glad you have it.
A few words of GREAT IMPORTACNE:
NEVER climb a tree or use a treestand without an approved safety harness.
NEVER use the Hunter’s Hook for recovering a firearm.
NEVER use the Hunter’s Hook for recovering a cocked crossbow.
NEVER use the Hunter’s Hook to lift more than 30 lbs.