60+ saddle hunters?

[LostArra]

Any 60+ whitetail hunters using a saddle setup? Now that I'm fully retired I have more hunting time and I can see where saddles have a place especially in late season when leaves are gone.

After some Google mining it seems like a safe method of hunting from a tree, probably safer than what I'm doing now with preset stands (private land).

 

[bonehed67]

I am 56 and began using a saddle last season. It's a very versatile way to hunt and I feel extremely safe. Sure wish this equipment was available when I was in my 20's.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[LostArra]

. Sure wish this equipment was available when I was in my 20's.

Agree!!
I'm "mentoring" a 19 yo nephew in his deer hunting. I told him the best thing he could do for his future deer hunting is learn to hunt with a saddle and a variety of safe tree climbing methods.

 

[MallardSX2]

I know a lot of boomers who hunt with a tree diaper. You should like it as most of them do. Be safe!

 

[LostArra]

I know a lot of boomers who hunt with a tree diaper. You should like it as most of them do. Be safe!

I've been using a rock climbing harness for many years. I figure it can't be much different except cost.

 

[DWinVA]

Six years to go before I’m in the 60 club but i’ve been saddle hunting the last 3. I can’t imagine another 6 years will make much difference. I stay in shape to hunt and the saddle setup helps me go where others can’t/won’t. It is safe quiet & lightweight. I’m always connected to the tree. I also one-stick and feel much better doing that than hanging on while hanging multiple (noisy) sticks.

With all of this being said if you hunt easy access areas ladder stands, hang-ons and even climbers are a great option as we age. But if you go deep in the mountains nothing beats a quality saddle setup.

God Bless.

 

[DooleyVT]

Mid 50s here and my 3rd season in a saddle. It has reignited my love being in a tree and bowhunting in general. So much safer, adaptable and more comfortable. Love it and look forward to doing it for a long time to come. Do it!

 

[mavinwa2]

65yo, been saddle hunting for past 5 years.
Used various treestands for past 25 years, all LWolf brand. Fixed Alpha (3) with LW climbing sticks modified, Assault Hand climber modified too.
Use the Kestrel Lite saddle from the Oregon company. It's great.
For getting up in the tree, I use a combo of methods, depending on the situation. Refined this up/down method, using LW sticks, Custom 1-stick, or combo of both. For Platform, like the Mission Lite-EDP. I use a single line to go up and rappel down. Very happy with my up/down system, and it's lightweight compared to standard treestands.

 

[‘Ike’]

Intrigued by them, haven’t tried them though…Still using a lightweight Hang-on!

 

[TradArcher]

In CO in the woods there are an insane amount of fallen trees all over the woods. A lot of the trees look to be pretty healthy too but tipped over. I used to get into stands in the upper midwest but I am not so sure about climbing into trees where I am at with what I see.

 

[LostArra]

I wondered about this after setting up a hangon stand in the Wyo elk woods. I was in a sizeable aspen but then I realized there were sizeable aspens laying on the ground. I told myself it was the brutal Wyo wind

 

[isherwood91]

I'm with the others in their 50s who are thrilled to have discovered saddle hunting. It's been getting pretty tough for me to heave a hang on stand up onto the tree, and the saddle eliminates that whole fiasco. It's also more comfortable for me over a long day, and if I decide I had set up in a bad spot in the morning I'm not so reluctant to tear down and move.

 

[buffybr]

I had horses and hunted off of them every year from the late '70s until 2001.

My last horseback hunt was in 2017 on a hunt in Azerbaijan for Dagestan Tur. The horses took us up to our base camp which was above timberline, then we hunted and spike camp above there. I was 71 on that hunt.