Creative ways to shake pecan trees?

[emmy71]

Let's hear some ways to shake pecans. We put cones on our trees made out of sheet metal to keep the squirrels out. We can't wait on the pecans to fall on their own because the squirrels will beat us to them. Dad used to have me climb the trees and shake them when I was a kid. Thirty years later, I don't think so. Used a 24 foot painters pole to reach the low limbs which worked well. Threw a broom handle into the higher limbs but that gets tiring and doesn't get many of them. Had a suggestion to tie a weight to a rope and throw across the limbs and shake but have not tried that yet. Trees are probably 40 to 50 feet tall. Suggested to dad that he eat the squirrels as they should be pretty tasty being pecan and walnut fed. He didn't go for that. Let's hear some ideas.

Thanks,
Terry

 

[jonyyuma]

You can make a vibrator that saddles your tree and vibrates, it fits the back of the tractor. there are commercial versions for back-hoes.Yes, I remember climbing the tree and jumping too.Jy.

 

[Sumpter]

Hey I know....You can get one of those old weight loss belt shakers from the 50's. Didn't work for weight loss but maybe for the trees. :laughing::laughing:

 

[SARG]

And it probably costs less than $100K.

YouTube - Pecan Tree Shaker

 

[grnspot110]

Another point on the squirrels, I had to cut our pecan (yard tree) this Fall as it had split. Found a lot of places, including some dead limbs (girdled) where the little rats had eaten the bark off the tree! Mostly in crotches, but some on the smaller limbs. ~~ grnspot110

 

[ray66v]

Flying a helicopter low over them could be an option. :thumbsup:

 

[charlz]

Big propane cannon and aim it at the tree.... your neighbors are sure to love it :thumbsup:

 

[jcato]

Get a roll of 'mason's twine' at the hardware store -- tie on a 3oz lead sinker (the teardrop shape) and toss over the limbs. Make your line about twice +10ft the height you want to reach. On the opposite end, tie on a snap-swivel and connect this to a larger line (I use 1/2" tubular nylon) again, about twice +10ft as high as the limb. Use the mason's twine to pull the heavier line over the limb. You can pretty well clean the entire limb in just a few shakes (if you time it right - when the hulls are open and dry). Leave the opposite end of your heavy line unencumbered (no knots, etc), so it makes it easy to pull off the limb when finished and not get hung up.

You can (as I have) try putting a heavier sinker (up to 16oz) on the heavy line - but it will wear you out after just a few throws. Also, the lighter sinker/line is really easy to throw (and I've reached near the top of some 70-80' trees) - and, with practice, you'll get quite good at it. A *whole* lot easier than tossing any heavy line system.

-- john.

 

[charlz]

Get a roll of 'mason's twine' at the hardware store -- tie on a 3oz lead sinker (the teardrop shape) and toss over the limbs. Make your line about twice +10ft the height you want to reach. On the opposite end, tie on a snap-swivel and connect this to a larger line (I use 1/2" tubular nylon) again, about twice +10ft as high as the limb. Use the mason's twine to pull the heavier line over the limb. You can pretty well clean the entire limb in just a few shakes (if you time it right - when the hulls are open and dry). Leave the opposite end of your heavy line unencumbered (no knots, etc), so it makes it easy to pull off the limb when finished and not get hung up.

You can (as I have) try putting a heavier sinker (up to 16oz) on the heavy line - but it will wear you out after just a few throws. Also, the lighter sinker/line is really easy to throw (and I've reached near the top of some 70-80' trees) - and, with practice, you'll get quite good at it. A *whole* lot easier than tossing any heavy line system.

-- john.

Could you shoot the line over with a mini crossbow? Might save on the arm. Not sure how much power the mini's have but probably a lot easier to cock than a full-size one.

 

[Richard]

Could you shoot the line over with a mini crossbow?

Make one of those spud launchers (PVC pipe, V05 hairspray, pizo igniter) and load the weight on top of the spud.

Might be fun as well!?!?!

 

[jcato]

Could you shoot the line over with a mini crossbow? Might save on the arm. Not sure how much power the mini's have but probably a lot easier to cock than a full-size one.

That is something that I've thought about -- but haven't (yet) carried through with it.

-- john.

 

[teg]

Fishing line with a sinker.... cast into tree, tie a 1/4" rope back through and use that to shake the limbs. Easier than throwing rope with a weight.

 

[tallyho8]

I've always used a slingshot with a large nut (metal) with a string tied through the hole and to a rope on the other end.

 

[LRTX1]

Get a roll of 'mason's twine' at the hardware store -- tie on a 3oz lead sinker (the teardrop shape) and toss over the limbs. Make your line about twice +10ft the height you want to reach. On the opposite end, tie on a snap-swivel and connect this to a larger line (I use 1/2" tubular nylon) again, about twice +10ft as high as the limb. Use the mason's twine to pull the heavier line over the limb. You can pretty well clean the entire limb in just a few shakes (if you time it right - when the hulls are open and dry). Leave the opposite end of your heavy line unencumbered (no knots, etc), so it makes it easy to pull off the limb when finished and not get hung up.

You can (as I have) try putting a heavier sinker (up to 16oz) on the heavy line - but it will wear you out after just a few throws. Also, the lighter sinker/line is really easy to throw (and I've reached near the top of some 70-80' trees) - and, with practice, you'll get quite good at it. A *whole* lot easier than tossing any heavy line system.

-- john.

Tree guys in my area use weed eater line and a pad-lock. The weed eater line doesn't tangle or catch on anything. I assume they stretch it first to remove the coils. The guy I seen use it, tossed it up 60' or so no problem by holding back on the line about 2' or so. It might be strong enough to use as the "shake rope" too.


On a side note, 30' of weed eater string tied to a hunting dogs collar makes 'em a lot easier to catch.

 

[Bird]

I remember when I was a little kid, my dad would climb the trees and use a long cane fishing pole to thrash the pecans out. But unlike the originating poster's dad, my dad was going to eat every squirrel he could get.:laughing:

 

[zzvyb6]

How about taking an old sickle bar mower and connecting the pitman arm to a rope or pump rod that's attached to the tree's trunk. At some rpm, the vibration will hook up to the natural frequency of the tree and presto: raining nuts.

 

[emmy71]

Get a roll of 'mason's twine' at the hardware store -- tie on a 3oz lead sinker (the teardrop shape) and toss over the limbs. Make your line about twice +10ft the height you want to reach. On the opposite end, tie on a snap-swivel and connect this to a larger line (I use 1/2" tubular nylon) again, about twice +10ft as high as the limb. Use the mason's twine to pull the heavier line over the limb. You can pretty well clean the entire limb in just a few shakes (if you time it right - when the hulls are open and dry). Leave the opposite end of your heavy line unencumbered (no knots, etc), so it makes it easy to pull off the limb when finished and not get hung up.

You can (as I have) try putting a heavier sinker (up to 16oz) on the heavy line - but it will wear you out after just a few throws. Also, the lighter sinker/line is really easy to throw (and I've reached near the top of some 70-80' trees) - and, with practice, you'll get quite good at it. A *whole* lot easier than tossing any heavy line system.

-- john.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I think this one wins out as the best due to the simplicity and cost. I already have all the materials for this. This had already been suggested to me but I had visualized a rope with a large weight being thrown into the tree. That is the great thing about this site. I like the pecan tree shaker but that's just a bit out of my price range:laughing:.

Thanks again,
Terry

 

[jcato]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I think this one wins out as the best due to the simplicity and cost. I already have all the materials for this. This had already been suggested to me but I had visualized a rope with a large weight being thrown into the tree. That is the great thing about this site. I like the pecan tree shaker but that's just a bit out of my price range:laughing:.

Thanks again,
Terry

Terry,

A few additional thoughts:

You will need to experiment with your small weight -- might be more (probably) than 3 oz -- as what you want to do is have *enough* weight that it can pull the mason's line back down to the ground after clearing the limb. If it doesn't, doing a few 'waves' of your line (i.e. raise your arm then snap it down to send a loop up the line) -- giving a little bit of slack that will allow the weight to drop down. If your weight it too light it can't pull the line back down. You'll just have to experiment with your weights and technique. The important thing is to get that weight as light as possible, while still being heavy enough to pull the line down. Too much and (as stated), it will wear you out in short order.

Also, make all your connections (and the sinker) smooth and easy to pull over (and through) crotches, etc -- so as to not have the line foul up and get hung. (sometimes, you get it over the wrong limb and need to pull it back to try again -- better to do that than have to pull *all* the line over (in the forward direction).

I have kind of standardized on a standard egg sinker and form an eye from some solid conductor (12 ga or so) copper wire (down through the hole, then back up and wrap around the eye portion). This seems to work the best.

-- john.

 

[treman]

Just saw this and couldn't help myself from putting in my 2 cents. I used to climb for a living and we would routinely use weights ranging from 12 to 16 oz. like the previous poster said if the weight is not heavy enough your line will get stuck on the friction from the bark of the tree and throwing loops won't work some of the time with something like masons twine. i have whats known as slick line which you could guess is rather smooth and doesn't snag and slides over bark very well. I wouldn't buy this just for this purpose because its rather expensive. This is the best solution in my eyes for your current dilemma. Also i didn't look but you may be able to put the word out and get someone local who would like to take care of the squirrel problem you.