How to tie a string to a rock?

[bstewert]

What would be a good way to tie a string to a rock? Not that it would come up every day, but it might be good to know.

Had a cat rescue today where the owner was trying to pull up a basket on a string, hoping the cat would come to the food and climb in. He had a rock with string wrapped around it several times (not convenient for untying the bag!) and was trying to overhand throw it into the tree. But the cat was too high. Thought his efforts were pretty resourceful.

There was so much junk in the tree the basket got stuck. So I had to rescue the cat, the basket, and my first-shot line and bag, which also got stuck. Here's the cat:

 

[SkwerI]

She doesn't look entirely comfortable with the situation...

 

[MasterBlaster]

Just tie that sucker. If you can't tie a knot, tie a lot. The latter is what you need and not the knot but the wraps.

 

[Richard]

Dont know how to tie a sting to a rock I have nice little rings on the ends of my trow bags to tie onto nice and easy but if anyone knows I am willing to learn if I run out off throw bags

 

[wiley_p]

I can't say fro sure. I do know how to kill a pet rock though.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Seek advice from Pamela Anderson.

 

[Al Smith]

The old sailor to the rescue .It's called a monkey fist knot .Not to be confused with an "Old Monkey " tying a knot . http://www.animatedknots.com/monkeysfist/index.php

 

[SkwerI]

I can't say fro sure. I do know how to kill a pet rock though.

Stuff it in a bag of kittens and throw it in the river?

 

[Fiddler]

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Put the rock in a sock and tie the string to the sock.....

 

[kevin bingham]

I have used a small water bottle filled with water as a throw weight and it works quite nicely.

 

[Al Smith]

Geeze what you want another knot or something ? http://www.thepirateking.com/knots/knot_heaving_line.htm

 

[bstewert]

She doesn't look entirely comfortable with the situation...

The cat cried a lot but was very sweet. She stayed in the same spot the whole time, which made it easy for me. The rock thing came up cuz I was going to "show" the owner a few tips on throwing. His house was on the way to get my gear, so I just stopped by to check out the tree.

OK, first thing, take the bag (uh.....rock) off the end of the string when you pull it back thru so it doesn't get stuck. Hmmm, not easy to do with a ton of wraps and no slip-knot.

Next, let me show you the basket-throw. You might be able to shoot farther than with an overhand throw. Uh-oh, no little ring on the end of the rock to slip the string thru. OK, I need a little more practice throwing with a rock.

Then I showed up with the the big slingshot. COOL!!! Except my first shot got totally stuck. No prob, grab another throwline. The day ended nicely when I zipped the cat down to the owner. I had a short 80' Ddrt line pre-setup in a small backpack, just in case the cat decided to climb higher. The pack weight is similar to a cat-in-the-bag, so we got in a practice run before actually sending down the cat.

 

[wiley_p]

Stuff it in a bag of kittens and throw it in the river?

Yep.

 

[Paul B]

tie a rope around a rock? Heck, just throw it, if you miss the cat, get another, there is usually lots of rocks around, no?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Thinkin lawn dart

 

[Paul B]

can you launch them from a Bigshot?

 

[SouthSoundTree]

pulling a basket up to the cat is a good idea.

 

[Al Smith]

That feline is obviously a calico and looks like it has extra toes . For some reason those conditions usually means the cat is a good mouser .Evidently though not good climbers .

 

[bstewert]

The old sailor to the rescue .It's called a monkey fist knot .Not to be confused with an "Old Monkey " tying a knot . http://www.animatedknots.com/monkeysfist/index.php

Is it just me, or is tying that monkey fist the most tedious knot there is? It sure is pretty, but I can't imagine dressing that knot for a quick throw up in the tree. What's that called when you just wrap three or four coils around three or so loops, then stick a bight thru the top and cinch up the bight?

 

[bstewert]

pulling a basket up to the cat is a good idea.

Sean, I thought of you when I saw the little laundry basket, cat blanket and food. That's why I thought this guy ( a total non-climber) was pretty creative.

Fortunately I brought my 20' extension pole cuz the basket got wedged way out on a limb, and the blanket was on another branch. My stuck throwbag had wrapped around the top branch of an unclimbable plum tree and the pole barely reached that. So I spent as much time retrieving all the other stuff as getting the cat.

 

[Al Smith]

Tedious is what you make it I suppose .Yes a monkey fist takes some time but a simple old heaving line knot doesn't take but half a minute .

As for the monkey fist ,it's been years since I tied one .Back in my sailor days we put a 4 ounce chunk of lead in them which BTW is the exact same weight as a baseball .It would raise a pretty good knot on the noggin if you got smacked by one . I imagine if you hit a cat with one it would launch the feline clean out of the tree .--Sail cat ---

 

[sotc]

Is it just me, or is tying that monkey fist the most tedious knot there is? It sure is pretty, but I can't imagine dressing that knot for a quick throw up in the tree. What's that called when you just wrap three or four coils around three or so loops, then stick a bight thru the top and cinch up the bight?

Well call it a Johnny ball

 

[SouthSoundTree]

can you launch them from a Bigshot?

Tough part is not getting clawed while loading...or did you mean the rock?

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Is it just me, or is tying that monkey fist the most tedious knot there is? It sure is pretty, but I can't imagine dressing that knot for a quick throw up in the tree. What's that called when you just wrap three or four coils around three or so loops, then stick a bight thru the top and cinch up the bight?

Closed form throwing knot.

Open form just isn't cinched, so that it unfurls, hopefully after hitting your target crotch.