About me…
I am from Pennsylvania, USA. I am a life-time hunter and avid outdoorsman and engineer. My father started taking me on hunts with him when I was only 3 years old. For 42 consecutive years, we spent the opening day of PA firearm buck season on the same hill together. It was a great tradition, and I will continue to maintain it as long as I can in his honor. Dad taught me that deer hunting is more effective from an elevated position and would climb trees with help from branches, steps, and straps and once situated, could stay in the tree from dawn to dusk, without a tree-stand or platform of any kind, just an improvised web strap system to secure him to the tree. Dad was a stone mason, capable of building anything, and in fact, built a hunting cabin on his weekends by himself (with me at his side) from the first cinderblock to the last finishing nail. I was taught that there is nothing we can’t do if we think about it, learn about it and apply ourselves.
As I got older, and spent more and more time archery hunting, in 2008, after having (another) tree-stand stolen, I decided to figure out how to get in a tree on the ropes, ‘like the arborists do’. I did some research and started rope climbing using MRS in an improvised DIY “flying seat” that same season. Each year, I made improvements to the climbing system and the seat. It never stopped evolving. After 10+ years of MRS, I built my first (non mechanical) SRT system. It was about that time that I heard of “saddle hunting” for the first time. In fact, I didn’t find the saddle movement; it found me, as friends told friends and all wanted to know more about my methods.
In 2020, 12 years into my Saddle Hunting career, I devised what I dubbed the “JRB Climbing Method”, a Doubled Stationary Rope Technique (DSRT) which combined the best features MRS and SRT. This was my initial motivation to create both a Facebook Group and YouTube channel, simply as a place to archive my own videos/info and to help others. At the time, I didn’t realize that I might devise other climbing methods in the future, and so the “JRB Climbing Method” has morphed into “JRB DSRT”, which is adequately different than “JRB Hitch Climbing”.
This is a place for some INNOVATION, EXPLORATION, and a strong emphasis on SAFETY. Trying new things is fun, but potentially dangerous; we just need to make sure we never test anything by putting ourselves at risk.
Regarding the systems and methods we are creating, I like to think that they are a living entity… and that the “Natural Selection” of information will decide if they thrive or die off as a passing fad. If it’s information worth sharing, the news will simply spread, organically, by friends telling friends, sharing successes and promoting safety. Sure, I planted the seed and am happy its growing… but because I am not selling it, I can’t measure success in dollars… I will need to measure success by the number of bones NOT broken… and that’s tough to count. And there’s another reason… ya see, I have two autistic children, and although I don’t want to sell them short of their full potential, it’s safe to say I won’t be able to pass the wisdom and lessons onto my own kids, like dad did with me… and so I am doing it for you and for your kids… and just because it feels like the right thing to do. If anybody questions that, I would be offended. Ya simply wouldn’t understand if you were not in my shoes, but suffice it to say that when I see photos of my friends and their kids, I get a little jealous… and so I tie some more knots and look for one more climber I can help out.
According to what I have researched on accident statistics, multiple HUNDREDS of hunters die and thousands are injured (nationally) in treestand and climbing related incidents every year. We have a lot of work to do.
When we get further along in the climbing safety, we’ll have some time to talk more about hunting. I have plenty to share, but it’s simply not a priority. There’s a million people who want to take your money and sell you stuff, and a million who want to show you what a great hunter they are. How many just want you to come home safely? Your friends and family do. I do.
Thanks for being a part of this journey. Be safe.
jrb