Saddle vs Tree Stand for Stationary Hunting

[Squirrels]

So how are y’all getting up the tree? Climbing sticks ?

A single climbing stick. I can climb as high as I want.

 

[Elkhntr08]

Don’t see how that can be quicker or quieter than my LW climber.

 

[Squirrels]

Don’t see how that can be quicker or quieter than my LW climber.

That's sort of like a kid living at home with his parents saying to an adult man with a family that paying taxes can't be to bad. He may still have that same opinion once he reaches that stage of his life but without having done it first....
I'm just busting chops...don't take it offensively. There are pros and cons to saddles. With a saddle climbing trees with limbs is much easier than a climber, the saddle wins in compactness in terms of hiking in. As far as weight, that could go either way depending on the climbing method used. I make less noise with saddle gear going up than I ever did with a climber. Saddles are not the be all end all but they have their place. I do 95% of my whitetail hunting from a saddle the last couple years.

 

[jspradley]

So how are y’all getting up the tree? Climbing sticks ?

I use hawk helium sticks, just picked up a set of wild edge stepps too so I can get up a little higher.

 

[Elkhntr08]

That's sort of like a kid living at home with his parents saying to an adult man with a family that paying taxes can't be to bad. He may still have that same opinion once he reaches that stage of his life but without having done it first....
I'm just busting chops...don't take it offensively. There are pros and cons to saddles. With a saddle climbing trees with limbs is much easier than a climber, the saddle wins in compactness in terms of hiking in. As far as weight, that could go either way depending on the climbing method used. I make less noise with saddle gear going up than I ever did with a climber. Saddles are not the be all end all but they have their place. I do 95% of my whitetail hunting from a saddle the last couple years.

Not the same thing. I remember when they first hit the market 30 years ago. We sold several. Most guys were trying to use tree gaffs to climb. The TS craz died in a few years. Wasn’t as quiet or quick as a climber.
Climbers have improved as well as climbing sticks/steps. If you’re lugging around 12 WE steps and a platform, your not as light as my LW. If you’re using a single climbing stick, you can’t be as quick and I doubt if you’re as quiet.
I’m sure a TS has its place. I don’t climb trees with limbs and if that’s the tree I want to hunt, I’ll bring out the LW hang on and hunt that tree.
I guess the biggest difference for me is, I don’t hunt WT deer on public. It’s all private. I can hang stands now and know they’ll be there October 1.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’d much rather hunt out of a lock on.

 

[wind gypsy]

I pulled the trigger on a full Tethrd setup today for MN public land. Really hope i like it because the damn package costs about as much as 3 lone wolf hang ons.

 

[WannabeHunter]

I pulled the trigger on a full Tethrd setup today for MN public land. Really hope i like it because the damn package costs about as much as 3 lone wolf hang ons.

If you don't like it, you could probably sell the whole setup on this forum or the saddle hunting forum for little to no money lost.

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

Not the same thing. I remember when they first hit the market 30 years ago. We sold several. Most guys were trying to use tree gaffs to climb. The TS craz died in a few years. Wasn’t as quiet or quick as a climber.
Climbers have improved as well as climbing sticks/steps. If you’re lugging around 12 WE steps and a platform, your not as light as my LW. If you’re using a single climbing stick, you can’t be as quick and I doubt if you’re as quiet.
I’m sure a TS has its place. I don’t climb trees with limbs and if that’s the tree I want to hunt, I’ll bring out the LW hang on and hunt that tree.
I guess the biggest difference for me is, I don’t hunt WT deer on public. It’s all private. I can hang stands now and know they’ll be there October 1.

I have a roughly 10 pound set up. We have pre-hung stands all over my family’s large property in the Bama Black Belt. Hunted only out of my saddle to get to tight areas and untouched spots. Saw some bruisers and killed a big, funky 5 pt. The versatility allowed me to do that.

I hunt public exclusively in SC, and can only say the same thing. It’s whatever floats your boat for sure. But after hunting the Farm and Public out of a climber, the saddle is by far and away what works best for me. 4 new Hawk Helium Minis will be even mo’ betta for streamlined approach.

Don’t knock it till you try it. I ain’t gay.... I tried it once and didn’t like it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ethan-333]

Saddle is comfortable once you get used to it. I’m using a tethrd mantis, ridge runner platform, and three hawk helium sticks with 2 step aider on the first stick. And single moveable aider for the other 2 sticks. Can get about 20-22 feet. Definitely want to practice with it a few times before you take it out if you decide to go that route. I can hunt a lot more trees with my saddle than I could with my lone wolf or my climber. The initial investment however is not cheap by any means but it’s a very versatile tool to be able to have

 

[Milhouse58421]

I think the point of the saddle is to be able to run and gun, so to speak.... I don't see the point of pre setting platforms, to me it defeats the purpose. I have played around with tree saddles, a few years back, definitely a learning curve to using them. In the right situations they would work great. I found myself moving too much.....swinging around the tree, because I could. I think I'd be able to sit still now, 10 years later. Anyway, good luck, hope it works out for you.

 

[tracker12]

Few sticks and Lone Wolf hang on work for me

 

[jspradley]

If you don't like it, you could probably sell the whole setup on this forum or the saddle hunting forum for little to no money lost.

Truth. Saddle catch and release is almost like Kifaru gear!

You should join the saddlehunter forum anyway, it's *almost* as good as Rokslide

 

[wind gypsy]

Truth. Saddle catch and release is almost like Kifaru gear!

You should join the saddlehunter forum anyway, it's *almost* as good as Rokslide

I've been reading some threads over there. I should have left well enough alone and stuck to the same old private land set and forget stands.. It's a time suck getting up to speed with everything!

 

[jspradley]

I've been reading some threads over there. I should have left well enough alone and stuck to the same old private land set and forget stands.. It's a time suck getting up to speed with everything!

lol! the saddle hunting weight weenies make the back country crowd look like nothing!!!

"Hey guys I've figured out how to get 67 feet up in a tree with just a roll of dental floss and 12" square of nylon!"

"You know if you take the floss out of the box you save .5 oz"


I will say it's probably the friendliest forum I've ever been on. Rokslide is a close second but its hard to boot the idjits as easily with as many people are on here.

 

[Wlog]

That is my question. If I am already planning on hunting a stationary approach does a saddle make sense?

It’s nice for mobile in and out, different tree every day. But for preset full size lock on stands the advantage is minimal IMO. It can definitely be more comfortable but not until you use it enough to get comfortable with your tether height, bridge length and so on. Everybody’s body is shaped different. A saddle that’s as comfortable as a lazy boy chair for your buddy could be unbearable to sit still in for you.

In my experience most guys who’ve been saddle hunting for a while, myself included have gone through at least two different saddle purchases to find a good fit.

 

[WannabeHunter]

Just finished painting my diy platform and hawk heliums. Platform post was bright aluminum so that was a must the heliums were just for fun with my kids.

 

[Brendan]

Don’t see how that can be quicker or quieter than my LW climber.

Climbing the tree is exactly the same as using a hang on. A saddle is about how you sit once you're up there, and you can carry a LOT less gear with you to get up a tree.

I think people turn all the acronyms and how they climb the damn tree into a hobby of it's own. I'm pretty sure I know people who spend an inordinate amount of time discussing the intracies of climbing methods and knaiders, swaiders, SRT, DRT, single stick, cut down stick, blah, blah, blah - and I don't ever see them actually hunt or kill anything.

Don't get me wrong, I like saddles. I've hunted exclusively out of one for whitetail for the last two seasons save a couple sits. If I could only pick one way to hunt elevated, this would be it. But there are clear times when a hang on, ladder, or even climber are better, which is why I've kept my Lone Wolf Alpha Hang On, and Alpha Hand Climber.

With that said, I still wear my saddle as my harness when I'm in my hang on or climber.

 

[TheKid]

Thanks for the replies and info everyone. I ordered a full tethrd phantom setup and a predator platform about a week and a half ago. It just arrived today and I can’t wait to put it to the test this season.

Thanks,
Milan

 

[jspradley]

Thanks for the replies and info everyone. I ordered a full tethrd phantom setup and a predator platform about a week and a half ago. It just arrived today and I can’t wait to put it to the test this season.

Thanks,
Milan

Welcome to the cult! lol