Saddle hunters?

[Btaylor]

Yea, I was considering at the very least going to amsteel daisy chains on the sticks to get rid of the metal buckles and maybe adding an aider or two. A friend just ordered everything to one-stick so I'll probably try that out and see if I like it before spending anything.

I assume you're effectively "one-stepping" but just with your platform instead of a dedicated stick? It's always seemed to me that this method would be slower and more physical than just running up the tree with sticks. Obviously there's trade offs with everything but have you found that to be the case?

There are guys that platform climb using a 2 or 3 step aider attached to the platform. There is also 2TC or 2 tether climbing. It works well also. What I am going to be doing is a single rope climb but does not require a throw ball or a limb crotch like SRT.

 

[GeoFish]

One if the reasons you see saddles for sale is they are a clothing item. You may have a 36" waist but you can buy jeans in a slim cut, regular cut or loose fitting. So sometimes it takes a few tries to find what works for you. Go on the Saddle hunter forum and try to find a meet up close to you or a local saddle manufacture so you can tryout some saddles.

 

[Lowg08]

One if the reasons you see saddles for sale is they are a clothing item. You may have a 36" waist but you can buy jeans in a slim cut, regular cut or loose fitting. So sometimes it takes a few tries to find what works for you. Go on the Saddle hunter forum and try to find a meet up close to you or a local saddle manufacture so you can tryout some saddles.

This is the truth. It took me two other saddle before the one I have now. It takes some tinkering to figure out where you are the most comfortable. I went full on saddle this year. I now sit dark to dark most every sit. I’m comfortable in the saddle I have now BUT I’ve been looking at a different one that could be more comfortable

 

[npro04]

I have a tethrd phantom and I think it’s plenty comfortable. I’m 5’10” 240 and from the comfort and adjustability from leaning to sitting and the added advantage of having the tree in front of you to “hide” behind. It’ll take something pretty major to get me to switch back to climbers or Hangons. Saddlehunter.com is a plethora of knowledge and helped me a ton.

 

[LWright]

This was my first year hunting from a saddle. I’m 6’2” , 230. I didn’t have an issue on long sits with the saddle being uncomfortable but I would definitely recommend knee pads. It took me a couple times out to figure out that I tend to put my knees into the tree a lot , the knee pads definitely help. Also the more you practice getting up the tree and shooting from the saddle will help! I did a little bit last summer but I plan on doing way more practice this off season. I had a few opportunities on some does but just couldn’t get a good shot from the way they came in. Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[Smoxley]

I am a bigger guy and I can hunt comfortably in my TX5.

 

[Undrgrndprdcts]

Knee pads are necessary for long sits but its very comfortable overall.

 

[swNEhunter]

I've heard conflicting reports about how comfortable and uncomfortable saddles truly are. If I used one it would be primarily archery hunting.
I generally pack very light. Bow, knife, grunt tube, binos and fanny pack with a water and snacks in it.
Most of my current sets are hang on with ladder sticks (about 20 total).. and a few ladderstands. We've been using bigger stands with more comfortable seats the last few years but these are impractical for some locations due to distance in.

Carrying a climber is noisy and I just didn't enjoy hunting with them. They always seemed noisy going up the tree.

Can a guy thats 6'2" 255 get comfortable in a saddle? I see quite a few for sale and makes me wonder if it's all its cracked up to be?

I'm 6'3 240 and got an aerohunter which was recommended for bigger guys. It has worked great and I have spent several hours in it. I also have a larger Trophyline platform for my size 13 boots.

Saddle hunting can definitely be a black hole. I got lost in it researching different climbing methods and platforms etc. After a year of wrestling with it, I realized most of the guys obsessing over all of the intricacies of climbing methods and lightweight savings seemed to be more into the gear than killing deer. I decided to carry 3 20" steps and a platform with me and quit spending so much time obsessing over the next best way to climb a tree. This year I killed 2 deer on public land in trees I had never laid eyes on.

There's trade-offs to everything. In my opinion:
Pros:
-Mobile
-Lightweight
-Mobile

Cons (haters gonna hate):
-Hard to sit still, I find myself shifting/swaying alot
-Extreme cold weather can get dangerous with dexterity and ropes and carabiners
-Hard to maneuver without being seen once deer is within eyesight. Moving in a saddle means a very wide shift as you are swinging around a tree. Turning around in a standard hang-on is just your body rotating in a circle. Saddlehunting fans are going to say "you don't know how to set up, the deer should be on the otherside of the tree from you". In reality, buck hunters spend the most time in stand during the rut. Bucks can show up from any direction during the rut. Try positioning for a shot on a shooter buck that shows up 40 yards directly behind you....ask me how I know...

 

[D.Rose]

I'm 6'2 and 195 pounds. It is possible to find saddle hunting very comfortable. That being said I found it more of a complex venture than I anticipated when I started. It did take me trying about 4 different brands and models to find one that really fit me. Once I found THE saddle I think it's as comfortable as anything else including most climbers.

 

[wind gypsy]

I don't think they are all that but they are a nice option to have for certain situations. Once the weather turns and you have to get the real bulky gear out to stay warm, my ass is not hanging in a saddle for long.

 

[Augie]

Personally being 6 foot 250 lbs I can't find a saddle that I can get comfortable in when I have to sit longer than two hours. You 100% need knee pads to lean into the tree and the back rest which is just more items to bring with you. I notice since I can't get as comfortable that I move a lot more than when I sit in a hang on. After giving it a couple seasons I plan on going back to a hang on., they are so lightweight anymore the weight savings from a saddle isn't very significant when I can't get comfortable. The one upside is increased shooting angles, however your shooting form from on the ground to being in a saddle isn't very transferable. Just my two cents, some people love saddles but found out it just wasn't for me.

 

[SippyCup]

give it a shot. Ive been saddle hunting for 3 years now and have not sat in a hang on since starting. there are learning pains that come with fine tuning your set up but once you have it settled its very hard to beat.

 

[scott85]

Where are you located? Maybe one of us are close to let you try ours.

 

[WRM]

What I am going to be doing is a single rope climb but does not require a throw ball or a limb crotch like SRT

What's your plan?

I usually pre set climbing rings at my target height and place a loop of light cord running to ground. Pull my climbing line terminated in another ring up and through the set ring (rings butt each other). Then foot ascender to climb the rope.

 

[sim22mie]

I've saddle hunted for a few years now and have bought and sold several. Although I'm a much smaller guy (6-2 195), I honestly believe I can sit for longer in a saddle than I can in a stand. I do miss sitting with my back to the tree (sometimes I get tired of facing the tree all the time). Then I grab a stand and remember why I use a saddle so much. I do set a couple pre-set stands on private, but for anything on public I'm in the saddle with either sticks or using a modified DRT to climb up (with a pre-set paracord loop).

 

[Btaylor]

What's your plan?

I usually pre set climbing rings at my target height and place a loop of light cord running to ground. Pull my climbing line terminated in another ring up and through the set ring (rings butt each other). Then foot ascender to climb the rope.

It is actually very similar to what you are doing but a mobile version if you will. It is an adaptation of the latest iteration of the JRB Cinch climbing method. My rope is setup double ended with a climbing ring and a tethered carabiner at both ends. There are 4 JRB ascender hitches on the rope, 2 oriented to each end and a foot loop. With a hiking stick I can set the first hitch 11' or so. The ascender hitches are self tending so it is an easy climb. Climb to the first cinch and set the other end of the rope for the next cinch, transition to the other ascender hitches and keep climbing. It is relatively fast and an easy climb that never creates any slack in the system, limbs are not a problem either.

 

[WRM]

It is actually very similar to what you are doing but a mobile version if you will. It is an adaptation of the latest iteration of the JRB Cinch climbing method. My rope is setup double ended with a climbing ring and a tethered carabiner at both ends. There are 4 JRB ascender hitches on the rope, 2 oriented to each end and a foot loop. With a hiking stick I can set the first hitch 11' or so. The ascender hitches are self tending so it is an easy climb. Climb to the first cinch and set the other end of the rope for the next cinch, transition to the other ascender hitches and keep climbing. It is relatively fast and an easy climb that never creates any slack in the system, limbs are not a problem either.

PMd you.

 

[Mdanks]

I've heard conflicting reports about how comfortable and uncomfortable saddles truly are. If I used one it would be primarily archery hunting.
I generally pack very light. Bow, knife, grunt tube, binos and fanny pack with a water and snacks in it.
Most of my current sets are hang on with ladder sticks (about 20 total).. and a few ladderstands. We've been using bigger stands with more comfortable seats the last few years but these are impractical for some locations due to distance in.

Carrying a climber is noisy and I just didn't enjoy hunting with them. They always seemed noisy going up the tree.

Can a guy thats 6'2" 255 get comfortable in a saddle? I see quite a few for sale and makes me wonder if it's all its cracked up to be?

As long as you adjust your ropes correctly & tension the straps on the saddle seat you can sit all day with ease. They also make back aiders to support your back while in the seated position. Look into tethrd, best saddles IMO

 

[Macintosh]

I like being able to hunt new areas and react to season changes in real-time, and our archery season is far, far longer than anything else, so I appreciate the whole "mobile tree stand hunting" phenomenon. I do use some pre-set stands or pre-prepped trees in places I hunt frequently, but many times I need to hang a stand on-sight. it's not any more effective I don't think, but I like it better. After moving to a saddle for a year I also bought a really small hang-on stand because I think they both do different things better than the other. I also am no stranger to fiddly rope-stuff, I was a climbing guide for many years and worked for a climbing gear manufacturer, so the rope work and various climbing and tethering means I can do in my sleep, but I can see how that would be an extremely steep learning curve getting started. The saddle platforms are way less bulk than even a small stand, which is perhaps my favorite thing about them--nothing to catch on brush. I have creaky knees though, and I cant stay still in any position, so I sometimes gravitate to my smaller stand and will alternate between sitting and standing and using it as a big saddle platform--there is something to be said for the largest saddle platforms and the smallest tree-stands (LWCG 0.5 and similar) for this reason even it isnt the lightest option. I also found one-sticking and the rope-climbing techniques to be either louder and require more movement even after lots of practice, or to simply take longer to set up and get int he tree, and as a result in many cases I find using sticks a more desirable option for me when I am pretty certain I will wind up in a tree. DEFINITELY go with amsteel daisies if you want light sticks, you'll lose almost a pound per stick doing that. If I think i'll be hunting from the ground and there's a less than 50% chance I'll get in a tree I will bring the saddle and one-stick setup (8lb all-in). I bit the bullet and bought a pair of carbon sticks, which I love--they are short enough to not snag on brush the way my longer sticks do, and 3 sticks with an aider each is sub 4lb and gets me plenty high, so very manageable even for a very long day covering miles of ground (11lb all-in with the saddle platform). If I think there's a good chance I'll sit for a long time, or if I am not walking far or I might leave the stand up for another sit the next AM, then I bring my little novix stand as I find it more comfortable for long periods of time--in this case I actually use a rock climbing harness as I think it is better and safer for the combo of fall arrest harness in a stand and hanging saddle-style (it is NOT as comfortable to hang in as a saddle though) (13.5lb all-in). Ultimately I think a saddle is a good choice as a general-purpose mobile tree stand, but based on my own experience its not so definitive that the choice is crystal clear. You kind of have to try different stuff and figure out what you like best.

 

[sim22mie]

I like being able to hunt new areas and react to season changes in real-time, and our archery season is far, far longer than anything else, so I appreciate the whole "mobile tree stand hunting" phenomenon. I do use some pre-set stands or pre-prepped trees in places I hunt frequently, but many times I need to hang a stand on-sight. it's not any more effective I don't think, but I like it better. After moving to a saddle for a year I also bought a really small hang-on stand because I think they both do different things better than the other. I also am no stranger to fiddly rope-stuff, I was a climbing guide for many years and worked for a climbing gear manufacturer, so the rope work and various climbing and tethering means I can do in my sleep, but I can see how that would be an extremely steep learning curve getting started. The saddle platforms are way less bulk than even a small stand, which is perhaps my favorite thing about them--nothing to catch on brush. I have creaky knees though, and I cant stay still in any position, so I sometimes gravitate to my smaller stand and will alternate between sitting and standing and using it as a big saddle platform--there is something to be said for the largest saddle platforms and the smallest tree-stands (LWCG 0.5 and similar) for this reason even it isnt the lightest option. I also found one-sticking to be louder and require more movement even after lots of practice, and as a result in many cases I find using sticks a more desirable option for me when I am pretty certain I will wind up in a tree. If I think i'll be hunting from the ground and there's a less than 50% chance I'll get in a tree I will bring the saddle and one-stick setup. I bit the bullet and bought a pair of carbon sticks, which I love--they are short enough to not snag on brush the way my longer sticks do, and 3 sticks with an aider each is sub 4lb and gets me plenty high, so very manageable even for a very long day covering miles of ground. If I think there's a good chance I'll sit for a long time, or if I am not walking far or I might leave the stand up for another sit the next AM, then I bring my little stand as I find it more comfortable for long periods of time--in this case I actually use a rock climbing harness as I think it is better and safer for the combo of fall arrest harness in a stand and hanging saddle-style (it is NOT as comfortable to hang in as a saddle though). Ultimately I think a saddle is a good choice as a general-purpose mobile tree stand, but based on my own experience its not so definitive that the choice is crystal clear. You kind of have to try different stuff and figure out what you like best.

I really wanted to try the 0.5, but can’t bring myself to spend the $. I’ve been using the mission platform more and more and the predator less and less. I’m going to go back to a little more stand hunting this year rather than so much in the saddle. I just enjoy having my back to the tree and seeing everything in front of me I guess.

What rock climbing harness are you using?