Sequoia cat rescue

[bstewert]

Had my first Sequoia cat rescue yesterday. What a beautiful tree! About 90' tall and 9' DBH. The cat was up for 4 days and I found him in some kind of a nest at the top.

I'd like to know what you guys do to get into these trees. The branches from 20-40' were crowded, slightly down-sloping, and so slick I couldn't even pull a throwline over without it sliding away from the trunk. I ended up using a 24' extension ladder to get me up to the lowest branches, then limb-cinched 2 lanyards for the next 15' or so, until I found a somewhat horizontal branch. I use a snap on the lanyard end, and even that wanted to slip unless it was fully loaded.

I've admired these trees ever since I was a kid, and finally, I got to climb one.

 

[SoonerFan]

How did the owner know her cat was up there? Looks like it would have been difficult to see from the ground.

 

[Treepreacher51]

That's cool!
How did the H.O. find you?
Are you on Dan Kraus' cat in a tree rescue site?

 

[Treepreacher51]

Bet the kitty was making a buncha noise askin' to be rescued...

 

[SkwerI]

First of all, good job! That last picture is a heck of a reward for your efforts.

As far as setting a line, I suck at throwing by hand and wouldn't attempt anything over 30' without my Big Shot. I would have shot and pulled a line through as high as possible and secured it on the back side of the trunk, then gone up SRT. That eliminates having to isolate a limb and keeps the line from sliding out.

 

[MasterBlaster]

<aki>

 

[wiley_p]

Brian has it right. .

 

[sotc]

You can set your line over two that are about the same level and a little ways apart, that will help keep your rope close to the trunk usually

 

[gf beranek]

Looks like that cat was nesting.

 

[pigwot]

It's good the last resident raptor was no longer using that 'nest', or that kitty would've climbed down or been dinner.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Kitty and bits in a nest

 

[Newfie]

Siily cats.

 

[bstewert]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

First of all, the H.O. actually saw her cat chase a squirrel up the tree. She called me the next day, but I told one or two days was not very long, and to wait a few days. The cat had changed positions several times, and it was not at the top when I got there.

Yes, I'm on Dan's site.

Skwerl, I'm not good at throwing either, so I used the slingshot. But there were so many branches, especially little dead ones that would deflect your shot, trying to shoot from underneath. You mean, stand back and lob it over the top, or shoot it into the middle somewhere? Then how do you know what you get? I usually access SRT, and drag or pull up my Ddrt once up there.

I like the idea of trying to catch two branches. I didn't think of doing that on purpose, but I remember doing that and watching my throwline slide away from the trunk on both branches.

Well, today I had another rescue, this time 100' up a fir for 5 days. I learned that I stink at Slingshot, too. I hit the target branch 8 times, and I sure couldn't do that if I tried! It was in a row of maybe 15 firs that had been topped numerous times over the years, so there were tons of dead branches and disfigured structures all over. My bag kept breaking off little snags on the way up to the one good crouch I felt I had and deflecting off, but after a while I had a clean path. Not the actual intent. Bear in mind, all this time we weren't sure if it was even the right tree. You'd stand in one place and it sounded like the meows were over there, then you'd go there and it sounded like the meows were across the street, and so on.

I had just "rescued" this same cat a couple months ago. Well, actually it jumped when I got one foot from grabbing it at 40'. No, not jumped. It started running down the tree head first, slipped, hit three branches hard on the way down, then hit the asphalt on its side. It let out a scream and took off, then showed up at the house two hours later. It was positioned to jump again today, but fortunately I got my net around its head first.

 

[Blinky]

Nice work. I think the SRT would've been the best thing to try but I've spiked up trees to get cats before; a sweetgum way out in the woods with precious few substantial branches and a skinny pine, same deal, no branches I was willing to jug up on.

The pictures are excellent.