Saddle Hunting - Tried this yesterday and it worked great...

[wildernessmaster]

Probably some of you have done this or tried this. Did a quick search and didn't see any commentary on it... So I thought I would throw it out there.

Yesterday about half way through my saddle-sit, I decided to try something. As a background I have the Tethrd Matis saddle, and as I have commented on in previous posts from a covering my butt perspective its barely adequate. I get a lot of back and half butt ride in my saddle.

I have determined this is largely due to two factors... One, my hunting pants are "slick" and the saddle does not grip well to them so it rides around my butt and back quicker than probably normal. Two, I have a "big butt" (and I can not lie...) and it just doesn't get all the way around it.

After sitting several times and rather frequently having to pull the saddle back around I decided to try something yesterday. I took my linemans belt and hooked it to both leg straps and then looped it up like my bridge into my tether. Wow it was nice! throughout the day I could tighten it up and ride saddle low or loosen it up and ride saddle high...

While not a perfect solutions, it increased my comfort. I think it Tethrd (or someone) would put 2 attachments where the leg straps attach so that I could hook the biners there, it would be even better.

 

[Brendan]

There is some discussion on this here, but then again, this isn't a saddle hunting forum: it's a western and backcountry hunting forum

The mantis has two sets of hooks for the leg straps that you can try for better fit, or you could hook carabiners or hooks there, but make sure it wouldn't be bad if you fell - could have unintended consequences. Bridge angle / tether height also plays a role in slipping / comfort, as does having a good platform. Back rest helps for all day comfort.

 

[5MilesBack]

Every time I see or hear the words "saddle" and "hunting" together, all I can picture is a packstring of horses.

 

[Artanis95]

Every time I see or hear the words "saddle" and "hunting" together, all I can picture is a packstring of horses.

That's how I got here to.

 

[N2TRKYS]

It wouldn’t work for me and my hunting style. Unfortunately, nobody seems to wear a safety when hunting out of a saddle.

 

[Brendan]

Every time I see or hear the words "saddle" and "hunting" together, all I can picture is a packstring of horses.

Lineman's / Tree Climbing Harness is all it is. Just more minimalist and quieter for hunters.

They're a good tool to have for someone who does a lot of tree stand / mobile type hunting, but they're a tool like anything else. I swear some people act like if you hunt from a saddle big bucks are magically going to come out and kill themselves in front of you. Lots of fanboys, but they do have a place. Arguably the most "flexible" treestand / elevated hunting option.

 

[wildernessmaster]

There is some discussion on this here, but then again, this isn't a saddle hunting forum: it's a western and backcountry hunting forum

The mantis has two sets of hooks for the leg straps that you can try for better fit, or you could hook carabiners or hooks there, but make sure it wouldn't be bad if you fell - could have unintended consequences. Bridge angle / tether height also plays a role in slipping / comfort, as does having a good platform. Back rest helps for all day comfort.

Didn't mean to violate any rules... I know this isn't a SH forum, but have seen and had a lot of SH discussion on here. Do I need to take this off to SaddleHunter.com?

 

[bobinmi]

It wouldn’t work for me and my hunting style. Unfortunately, nobody seems to wear a safety when hunting out of a saddle.

what do you mean? the saddle is the safety. Hard to fall out of a harness that you are wearing. Between that and wearing the linemen belt while making my ascent I'd say that I'm probably safer than when I climb into a big ladder stand before buckling in.

 

[N2TRKYS]

what do you mean? the saddle is the safety. Hard to fall out of a harness that you are wearing. Between that and wearing the linemen belt while making my ascent I'd say that I'm probably safer than when I climb into a big ladder stand before buckling in.

The saddle is your stand, not your safety. It’s a single point of attachment.

 

[wind gypsy]

I guess nobody wears safety when climbing rocks, trees, or doing lineman work either. Dare devils!

In regards to the original post, i ordered a cruzr saddle this weekend after my ass and hips got numb from hip pinch in my tethrd saddle. Can't seem to adjust it out.

 

[jspradley]

Welcome to the cult, glad you've joined us lol

 

[Brendan]

Didn't mean to violate any rules... I know this isn't a SH forum, but have seen and had a lot of SH discussion on here. Do I need to take this off to SaddleHunter.com?

If you really want saddle hunting feedback, yes that's a lot better place for it because that's why that forum exists. Not violating any rules, but you don't see more discussion of it here because this is a western and backcountry hunting forum and 99% or more of the people here aren't saddle hunters.

With that said, there are some of us here who do saddle hunt too.

 

[Brendan]

The saddle is your stand, not your safety. It’s a single point of attachment.

Not necessarily. Bridge attachment, and lineman belt attachment. Yes, they all attach back to the same root belt, but multiple points of failure would be required if you're doing it right. In a lot of ways it's safer than how most people tree stand hunt.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Not necessarily. Bridge attachment, and lineman belt attachment. Yes, they all attach back to the same root belt, but multiple points of failure would be required if you're doing it right. In a lot of ways it's safer than how most people tree stand hunt.

My point is the stand/saddle has a single attachment to the tree. That’s not a safety. If other folks aren’t safely hunting out of treestands, like you say, this can be a safety reminder for them as well.

Always a good idea to use a safety. Your family members may be glad you did one day.

 

[Brendan]

My point is the stand/saddle has a single attachment to the tree. That’s not a safety. If other folks aren’t safely hunting out of treestands, like you say, this can be a safety reminder for them as well.

Always a good idea to use a safety. Your family members may be glad you did one day.

No, the saddle has two separate attachments to the tree if you decide to use them (And yes, many don't). Linesman belt loops and tether / bridge are separate attachment points, at least on mine. You would need a failure of the underlying saddle itself - probably both belt and leg straps. Personally, my tether gets attached to the bridge, and also at least one linesman loop or I'll leave the second linesman's belt loosely connected as a backup.

 

[wildernessmaster]

No, the saddle has two separate attachments to the tree if you decide to use them (And yes, many don't). Linesman belt loops and tether / bridge are separate attachment points, at least on mine. You would need a failure of the underlying saddle itself - probably both belt and leg straps. Personally, my tether gets attached to the bridge, and also at least one linesman loop or I'll leave the second linesman's belt loosely connected as a backup.

My point is the stand/saddle has a single attachment to the tree. That’s not a safety. If other folks aren’t safely hunting out of treestands, like you say, this can be a safety reminder for them as well.

Always a good idea to use a safety. Your family members may be glad you did one day.

N2TRKYS... This was my first concern I had with Saddle hunting. Until I did it a few times, I had your same concerns... Here is where my mind went after doing it:
1. On traditional tree stands, having used climbers to hang-ons, I would bet MOST hunters don't hang or climb with their associated safety lines right (you are supposed to run both the lineman's belt and tether the whole time you are climbing if you read hunter safety standards).
2. If you actually do (1) to safety standards, it is MORE hazardous to a hunter's safety because you have too many things going on (often in the dark) that you can screw up. In fact, I have screwed it up and got my tether pulling me one way and my belt the other.
3. In the end your "safety" is the tether, which by the way is "back hung"... Given I have had more than a dozen tree landings parachuting and ended up in some of those back hung to a tree - its the worst and often nearly impossible case to resolve - especially if you have an injury at the same time. If you fall hung to a tree you want to be facing the tree so you can start working the problem.
4. If you need to use your safety on a traditional stand it is under the most severe loaded case. In other words, a tree stand hunter leaves slack in his tether and falls then the max force is going to be loaded into the system. If there are any defects in the system these have a higher probability of failing - and once again you have a single point of failure no different than what you are saying with saddle hunting.
5. Most traditional trees stand falls are "tip overs" or "step offs" both of which leave the body in an undetermined fall position - which by far is the cause of damage. Most humans can survive a 20' fall with little to no injury if they fall correctly.

With a saddle system:
1. I am constantly connected to a tree by a reasonable number or systems. Climbing up, I have a linemans belt and my steps. On the tree I have my tether (and if I want can leave my linemans belt) and platform.
2. The system stays under load so falls don't load max they load basically a little over where they are loaded.
3. You are tree facing at all times and can work the problem should you have a safety incident.
4. There is a reasonable number of things I am working with that don't often cause me to have one going one way and another going a different way.
5. Safety incidents in saddles: 1) you are facing the tree so You can immediately bear hug it 2) you are in a proper fall position. Trust me the first time up in a saddle I pulled the wrong thing and free lined my tether. Guess what? I really didn't even panic because I immediately realized I am going to fall right (like a parachute landing) and I can grab the tree.


There are probably more thoughts I can add here, but suffice it to say I am a bit of a redundant safety nut most of the time. Having done about every high speed, low drag thing out there (sky dived, scuba, climbed, fast roped, ...) I make calculated risks in everything I do. On the surface, before I started saddle hunting I would have agreed with you totally. After doing it now, and learning it, I have to disagree. I believe it is probably a safer system overall.

Luke