Much like fishing, collecting with the slingshot and chainsaw equipment takes a lot of patience. First you have to choose the perfect branch, level and not too big or too small; about the diameter of your wrist or just under. Too big and the saw will get stuck, too small and it will slip off. A successful shot doesn't mean just getting the lead weight and attached line over the right branch; you've got to get the weight and line to come down. When the line gets stuck, quick snaps of the line (to jerk the lead weight back up a foot or so for it to plummet back down) will often coax it on down. If you first use the lighter weight line (ca. 8 lb test) for the tallest trees, you will have to tie the heavier line (25 lb test) onto the end of the lighter one when you get the weight down. Finally you attach the end of the rope and pull it over until the blade is ready to cut.
© Barry Hammel 1996