Saddle hunters

[Mntbuck38]

So this year I'm making the switch to a saddle, I'm wondering what everyone is using for a climbing method?

 

[hflier]

Hawk Helium Sticks. Good quality, reasonable weight and reasonable price.

 

[Mntbuck38]

I'm thinking about the wild edge steps, but don't know what it will be like to untie when its in the teens!

 

[hflier]

They look interesting, but it seems as though people really like them or really don't and I havent been able to get a good read. I see alot of them for sale on Saddlehunter.com

 

[CREillY]

I tried WE steps half a dozen times this year. I went back to climbing sticks for a couple reasons.

- With sticks I only have to go around the tree 3-4 times (once per stick)
- WE steps don't do well with thick barked trees they loosen up and slide and I have a lot of those in my area.
- I seemed to make more noise with the WE steps.

I did use 2 WE steps for my perch a few times and that worked out alright. They are great for packability and weight savings. Some guys use the knaider and swaider technique and get 18ft in a tree with 4 steps. I tried it and it just wasn't for me.

 

[Mntbuck38]

I tried WE steps half a dozen times this year. I went back to climbing sticks for a couple reasons.

- With sticks I only have to go around the tree 3-4 times (once per stick)
- WE steps don't do well with thick barked trees they loosen up and slide and I have a lot of those in my area.
- I seemed to make more noise with the WE steps.

I did use 2 WE steps for my perch a few times and that worked out alright. They are great for packability and weight savings. Some guys use the knaider and swaider technique and get 18ft in a tree with 4 steps. I tried it and it just wasn't for me.

Hmmm, that's great information. I have a variety of trees here, but there could be a situation that , the tree you need to be in is this one and it could be a one with bark like you were saying.
This will be a learning year for sure.

 

[LilBit]

I have the WE steps and the Perch. I use a 5 step Black Diamond Etrier as an aider. I'm going to reconsider using that for next season because when I was trying to climb up a not so straight tree, things got tricky with balancing each step I took. I might go with a knaider/swaider combo this year.

 

[Mntbuck38]

I have the WE steps and the Perch. I use a 5 step Black Diamond Etrier as an aider. I'm going to reconsider using that for next season because when I was trying to climb up a not so straight tree, things got tricky with balancing each step I took. I might go with a knaider/swaider combo this year.

I'm not familiar with and knaider/ swaider,

 

[DWinVA]

Beast sticks most of the season but late season I did the one stick method with a Muddy Pro & single step aider. I’m really liking it so far, much less to carry. Like a lot of things it takes practice.

God Bless

 

[wilterdink54]

I got a set of WE steps a while ago and they seem solid. I will for sure be using them for my platform. Either 2 or 3 depending on the size of the tree I’m thinking.


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[*zap*]

If you can get comfortable with them the Cranford rope steps are very light weight and low bulk to pack in. I found that using a Q-Safe strap above me I could get very good spacing on the rope steps, large biner on the Q-Safe and use it to help pull up onto the step I just set above me.

 

[wilterdink54]

WE Step Rope Mod

Check out this post on saddle hunter. This seems like an interesting mod to WE steps.

This was posted by judd1980 not myself

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[Miboy86]

I use either full length API sticks with lone wolf stand offs because in my opinion the factory ones suck for gripping but I'm also in the process of modding some lone wolfs that are cut down, those will be my main climbing source for future hunts. I have a buddy be that either one sticks it or uses wild edge steps that he loves.

 

[Wks41]

I run hawk heliums, muddy pros or a combo of both depending on the property and walk distance. The muddy pros are quiet and the quickest for me to put up but the heliums are the most Fock solid sticks I’ve owned. I need to do the versa button mod on them. Either one would would be a good choice. This was my first season in a saddle and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a stand.

 

[WannabeHunter]

hawk heliums with a single step aider, either 3 or 4 depending on how high I want to get.

Using sticks was the most comfortable transition for me. I don't generally have to walk more than 3/4-1 mile so weight isn't a huge deal breaker. Hopefully will get really comfortable and start one sticking. But that won't be this year at least.

 

[swampsnyper]

Here’s a video I made a while back. I went back to sticks because the WE steps would sink into soft trees and get loose. If I tried to recam, it would just dig deeper. There was too much fiddling when it wasn’t the ideal hard tree.
I’m now using cut down helium sticks most of the time. Using a movable aider became annoying over time. I may look into adding a cable aider like LWCG came out with. It won’t flap in the wind, it’s not very visible, and should pack up easily.

 

[cvsetter]

Hawk heliums are hard to beat.this year I used four mod. Heliums with versa straps and a carry as you go aider.thinking about trying out a beast stick to one stick up the tree .

 

[Ajvandenbosch8]

Lwcg mini sticks with ambush platform


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[Mntbuck38]

Beast sticks most of the season but late season I did the one stick method with a Muddy Pro & single step aider. I’m really liking it so far, much less to carry. Like a lot of things it takes practice.

God Bless

Thank you, I will look into this method, hoping to have everything by end of March or April and practice until season.

 

[Mntbuck38]

Lwcg mini sticks with ambush platform


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That's bad ass right there.