BCM Triple High Mist Net Pole System

Bigger is Better! The Original Triple High Forest Filter Mist Nets.

The portable Forest Filter mist net system consists of poles and an associated hoist system capable of creating a huge mist net 24’ (7.3m) tall. To remove a bat or bird from any net, a pulley system quickly and carefully collapses the net stack until the animal can be reached. The nets can be set up, raised, lowered, and packed up by a single person. Each tier of every net can be individually adjusted and tensioned in seconds for any bag-overlap desired, and to prevent sag.

The system can be used as a sturdy, easy-to-use double high net set, or can even be expanded to create a quad-high set. Other uses include raising harp traps to sample previously out of reach bat roosts and hoisting bat detector equipment 50' into the air. Everyone who has worked with this system is impressed with the ease of setup, simple ability to properly tension nets over the entire expanse, and the high rate of bat captures.

This net set has been assembled tens of thousands times since 2001 by a number of different people, of all levels of experience. The assembly procedure has been refined so one person can set it up, and anyone can very quickly tear it down. Once trained, allow at least 45 minutes to an hour for one person to properly install, string, and initially tension the net set. An experienced manager will delegate several setup tasks at once to assistants, cutting set-up time to under 15 minutes. For super fast sets, remove the nets, secure the rigging, and place the fully assembled poles on a vehicle roof rack for transport to the next net site. Full rigging instructions included in an accompanying manual, and photos and video of set-ups are online at: www.batmanagement.com. This net set has been featured at Bat Survey Solutions training workshops since 2002. Full rigging instructions included in the manual. Machined and assembled in the U.S.A.

Forest Filter Fast Facts

• Two person setup in 15 minutes including nets.
• Solo setup in 30 minutes including nets.
• Lightweight aluminum poles easily carried and erected.
• All new material, custom made poles in house.
• Large gate openings for easy net install and removal
• Nets can stay suspended 3' - 20' above ground when collapsed.
• Net carriers are pre-spaced, just add nets and go!
• Each net shelf is individually adjustable to any overlap.
• Each shelf is held tight against the pole for best tension; no more baggy nets!
• Assembled poles can be transported whole on a suitable roof rack between sites or broken down into a durable 6' long, 10'' diameter field carry bag.

Here are a few essential features to look for in a 3H system before you commit:

1. The higher you go, the more prone to bending and bowing poles will become, resulting in baggy, saggy net sets that will either entangle bats in more than one shelf, or become so obvious as to scare all but the dumbest bats away from your site.

The BCM system strikes a sweet spot between the desirability of lightweight and ease of transport, with a solid, sturdy, straight set-up that can raise nets up to 30-feet high.

2. Traditional mist net poles, telescoping aluminum poles, “painter's poles” and the like are suitable for traditional mist netting. Advanced set-ups used to stack and raise nets require special attention to detail for a trouble-free deployment. Beware of nested joints or slip joints with tightening screws that can attract debris, become worn, jam, or lose their tension, causing poles to fail to expand or collapse properly.

The BCM system uses precisely machined pole sections with no mechanical parts that can fail, wear, or jam under normal field use; such as exposure to sand, mud, water, leaf-litter, rain, sleet, heat, cold and myriad other typical field conditions.

3. High-tech pieces and parts are high maintenance. The more fancy bells and whistles added to a rigging system, the more difficult it will be to find replacement parts in a hurry when something fails in the field.

The BCM system is high-concept but delightfully low-tech with interchangeable 6-foot pole sections that can be easily replaced as needed. There is no need to replace an entire 25-30 foot tall pole when something goes wrong. And owning multiple 3H sets from BCM guarantees spare parts will always be on hand if they are needed in a hurry.

4. Some high-net sets are beautifully designed, by brilliant mechanics, handymen, or engineers; but often their clever features can prove to be impractical. Beware of poles with obvious joints, sections, or sleeves that can snag on the pulley system and prevent nets from being easily raised or lowered.

The BCM sectional poles are designed with nearly invisible joints allowing for smooth operation while raising and lowering nets year after year, under any environmental conditions.

5. Properly tensioned nets with equidistant spacing between the mainlines, are essential for effective bat capture, and nowhere is this more important than when nets are stacked or raised into the canopy. Do not invest in a system that fails to address tensioning and mainline spacing on every net in the stack.

The BCM system comes assembled with fixed spacing between net carriers, guaranteeing that nets will hang evenly top to bottom, every time. Sturdy pole anchors ensure the 3H set will go up straight and stay straight all night long. NOTE: Purchasing and using mist nets from the same manufacturing lot will ensure a properly tensioned set-up, but slight differences in length between nets can easily be addressed with simple adjustments at each pole and if wind conditions require, the fixed spacing between the net carriers can be manually adjusted to increase or decrease the amount of bag in each net as needed.

6. Do not underestimate the amount of tension required and forces involved to hoist nets 25-30 feet into the air. Any system should use high quality rope running through a marine grade pulley to prevent snags, wear, twisting, fraying or beading that will interfere with smooth operation while raising and lowering nets.

BCM has sourced out the best rope after years of trial and error, and even under extreme use by professional consultants spending 300 or more net-nights in the field each season the BCM system requires little or no rope or pulley maintenance for 2-3 years.

7. Finally, remember conditions and objectives change from field site to field site. Don't choose a system that is inflexible enough to prevent unique deployments or adjustments to special conditions. Why lock yourself into a stacked net system that will only allow a certain number of nets to be deployed to a certain height? Why be confined to working your pulley rope at the pole instead of in a more convenient (or safer) location? What prevents nets from becoming tangled in the leaf-litter when they are collapsed to reach a bat in the top tier? How easily can poles be transported to the field, erected, and broken down, in the dark without losing small pieces or damaging fragile parts?

From the modular pole sections to the ropes to the net carriers to the guy lines and pole anchors the BCM system is designed for ease of use, long life, and the vagaries of any situation that may arise in the field. Want to turn your 3H system into a 4H system? Two extra pole sections and a set of net carriers added to the pulley rope will do the job. And, the poles are modular and study enough to do double duty to raise bat detectors, camera systems, or harp traps 30-feet in the air.

Whats Included?

• Ruggedized PVC storage/carrying bag  
• 6- 72’’ new aluminum poles
• 2- 72’’ top poles with pulley lines and net carriers
• 4- 50’ main guy lines
• 2- pole anchors
• Installation manual+tips and tricks

24' tall x width depending on net used. Total weight: 35 lbs. 

WARNING: All mist net poles conduct electricity and should never be used near power lines  Be aware of the surroundings when loading and unloading poles from vehicles as well as the actual trap site. Poles coming near active power lines will lead to severe injury or death.

USUALLY IN STOCK; ORDER WELL BEFORE YOUR SURVEY NEEDS AS WE CANNOT GUARANTEE IMMEDIATE SHIPPING!