Who here hunts whitetail fro ma saddle setup?

[LookinforDirt]

This year will be my third season hunting from a saddle. I don’t see myself hunting from a stand again. Once I figured out how to adjust my saddle to get comfortable, and I got a few sits under my belt to find my comfort zone with the entire setup (ropes, knots, sitting/standing positions, adjustments, sticks, platform, saddle, gear hanger, etc.), I knew a saddle was for me. My longest sit was 6 hours and comfort wasn’t an issue.

For me, there really are no cons to it compared to a stand. Only benefits. A saddle lets you use a variety of positions, sitting and standing, to help stay comfortable over a long sit. In the right tree, you get a 360 degree shot range. You are already standing for your shot. Your bow is more easily and discretely accessed. If the deer behave and come from the directions they are supposed to (and you positioned yourself in the tree for that), the tree trunk helps conceal you. And it is a very mobile setup (once you get the right gear and pack setup). One tip I’ll give that helped me reduce some bulk and weight. Knots require longer ropes which adds bulk and weight. Spliced or sewn eyes, ascenders, thinner diameter rope help there. I went with a RollnLock ascender because it works with rope down to 8mm diameter (vs the more popular Ropeman‘s 10mm minimum).

Saddle hunting is not magic. You will likely find yourself experimenting with gear to find the right setup. More so than a stand, the right setup for comfort and function can take some searching. It is still sitting in a tree for hours so comfort is relative. To get full 360 shooting you will need to practice how to get in some positions and shooting in those positions. Some can be awkward at first. You may find yourself moving in the tree more because you can (discipline thing). Ropes allow you to lean. Don’t lean off the tree to far silhouetting yourself.

For me, once I figured enough out, I don’t see myself turning back.

 

[Luked]

Great bunch of replys for sure.
I have a couple of questions for you experienced with them.

So right now I am still trying to research some of the gear.
I have thought about getting something like a Tethrd saddle and a Hawk platform. I can buy them fairly cheap on Guidefitter. I have a linemans belt that came with my HSS harness.
I also have a set of Hawk Helium sticks.
So the only other main piece of gear I would need would be the Tree Tether correct?
I see going through a company like Tethrd and buying everything seperate could get really expensive and not sure I want to dump that kind of money into something to "try"
figured buying the stuff I "Have" to have like the saddle, if i didnt like it i could at least get most of my money back out of it.

 

[Jackkegelmeyerjr]

Don't skimp on the connections; its not the fall that hurts, its the sudden stop. The kits aren't too bad from Tethrd; people spend much more on Gucci-camo jackets.

Auto closing carabiners are also a good upgrade IMO incase that hand slips.

 

[LookinforDirt]

For sure I would use anything I currently owned that I could to get started. I used the Hawk Heliums when I started. Absolutely nothing wrong with them. I did bend a foot peg but was climbing in a very unorthodox position. So my fault it bent. I upgraded to Tethrd Skeletors but not because of that.

I think must haves are:
Saddle
Platform
Sticks/climbing method
Linemans belt
Tree tether
Gear hanger
Bow hanger
Straps to connect sticks to belt while climbing
Hauling line (raise and lower gear)

Knee pads, for me, are required. If you sit in the saddle you will use your knees to brace yourself. You may find you like to sit. I also find I often stabilize myself with my knee in some shooting positions in some trees.

But yeah, if you already hunt with a mobile stand, then you have what you need besides the tether After the saddle and platform purchase. The tether is your one connection to the tree and your safety line. It is under load the entire time you are hunting. Get a quality rope and carabiners. The first time you are 20 feet up and lean out on it you will appreciate it. And do not skip tying in a stopper knot if you end up using a mechanical ascender.

 

[fwafwow]

I’m very new to saddles and so far I’ve only used mine (Dryad) from a tree stand.

I agree on going to saddlehunter.com and that the saddle for me is a much better safety option than a harness. I also learned that my safety wasn’t up to par (imho) when I was just climbing in and out of a tree stand, so I have applied some of the climbing safety measures for getting into and out of my tree stands.

I also went down the path of teaching myself the “JRB Climbing Method” (https://jrbtreeclimbing.com/). I went in deep enough to buy and geek out on all of the recommended equipment, to teach myself the knots - but I never got around to practicing it in the field. So a long winded paragraph that I’m thinking of either renewing my interest, or abandoning it due to the reality of my age and apathy. I do think it’s the safest way to climb into and out of a tree.

 

[jeffb321]

I hunt exclusive from a saddle. I really enjoy it, but it’s my first mobile setup I ever had so I don’t know any different. It works great for me walking into public with a compact setup on my back. I do enjoy the feeling of being tethered to a rope with no slack as opposed to sitting in a stand with a fall factor from the safety line in my old ladder stand setups. I also find it easy to maintain comfort with an added back band. I use a Tethrd phantom and novix mini sticks with an unhealthy desire to try other sticks thanks to the saddle hunter forum website.

 

[jeffb321]

You can't beat a saddle setup for public land. Walk in, find sign, set up. I use three sticks and a tetherd platform. Some use four, some use aiders. I try to keep mine simple. Also, I like using boots with rigid soles, not rubbers as the platform will dig into the bottom of your feet. I use my crispis currently.

I agree and for me simplicity has been key. I find sticks really easy and simple to use. I’ve had success 12-15 feet up the tree as well.

 

[jwilkstn]

Have a week long public land hunt here where I live i am working on gearing up for. I have a pretty good public land setup with a nice stand and also climbing sticks since public you can not use scre in steps.
With that said the saddle hunting thing is really interesting to me. It seems very mobile. I just really dont know a ton about it all.
Was looking to see if some of you all have any experience with it much.

I didn't take the time to read the other replies, so forgive me if my comments are unhelpful.

I have hunted exclusively from saddles since 2015 I think it was, starting with a modified Sit-Drag with a rock climbing harness, followed by the original Tethrd Mantis, and more recently the Tethrd Phantom. I still own other stands, but honestly I need to put them up for sale this summer and clean out the garage. For the hardcore public land hunter in most of the country, a saddle is far superior to any stand on the market, BUT every individual scenario is different and it's unrealistic to think that any saddle setup or stand setup is always going to be the perfect setup for that tree.

If you only plan on hunting for a week, and you already own a stand, then it's a large investment to get a saddle setup and also a time investment to learn to use it and be comfortable, especially since you likely can't upgrade the areas you find are lacking during a one-week hunt. If you planned to use it all season, then I would definitely recommend a saddle, but just being honest, if I take myself back to being a saddle newbie then my advice is to either get proficient with your setup well in advance, or stick with what you are used to.

 

[jwilkstn]

I didn't take the time to read the other replies, so forgive me if my comments are unhelpful.

I have hunted exclusively from saddles since 2015 I think it was, starting with a modified Sit-Drag with a rock climbing harness, followed by the original Tethrd Mantis, and more recently the Tethrd Phantom. I still own other stands, but honestly I need to put them up for sale this summer and clean out the garage. For the hardcore public land hunter in most of the country, a saddle is far superior to any stand on the market, BUT every individual scenario is different and it's unrealistic to think that any saddle setup or stand setup is always going to be the perfect setup for that tree.

If you only plan on hunting for a week, and you already own a stand, then it's a large investment to get a saddle setup and also a time investment to learn to use it and be comfortable, especially since you likely can't upgrade the areas you find are lacking during a one-week hunt. If you planned to use it all season, then I would definitely recommend a saddle, but just being honest, if I take myself back to being a saddle newbie then my advice is to either get proficient with your setup well in advance, or stick with what you are used to.

I meant to also mention that this should depend on where you are planning to hunt. The southeast, for instance, offers less advantages for a saddle vs a quality climber. I live in TN and hunted with a climber for years with good success, and to be fair, I still find a nice climber more comfortable once settled in at height. But, hunting edges, clearcuts with a couple of scraggly trees available, or in the Midwest, I absolutely won't go back to a climber vs a saddle.

 

[Luked]

Thanks for all the replys helps a lot.
One of the big reasons that I have been looking into the saddle is with this coming season I will mostly be hunting public ground pretty much all through season. We have a lot of public around home that is much closer to my house than the private I have access to.
The week long hunt will be a compleatly different area that I havent been to in years and is about a 4 hour drive for me. Will be just a week long vacation for me really. But I do like the idea of the saddle setup just hate the cost of it, but with having quite a bit of the gear already such as sticks etc that makes it much easier.
Still trying to get a few things figured out to give it a try this year.

 

[aclawrence]

I started with an old API Grandslam. It’s super heavy and comfortable. It’s really too big for me to carry through the woods because I’m a small guy. I had an old sand cast lone wolf I used with full length Hawk Heliums. The sticks are bulky and heavy. I bought an Aerohunter flex saddle and used with the hawk helium’s and then with climbing spurs. I turned my old lone wolf into a Klemz platform. I actually enjoyed sitting in the saddle but found all the ropes and gadgets juts too much. I also repelled down which was fun but then your carrying an extra 40’ rope. Last year I reassembled my old lone wolf stand and cut my hawk helium’s down to a shorter length. The stand is just not comfortable enough for long sits. I was able to get it in a small pine tree in a thick hillside and kill a buck though. It was the perfect option for that. Then for my birthday I got a XOP climber which packs down to a narrow profile. I also replaced the seat on it with a mesh seat. It’s not the lightest but it’s not too bad. I always got frustrated with the climbing aspect of saddle and lock ons. Carrying the sticks sucks and I’m not good at carrying them all up the tree in one trip so I’m going up and down multiple trips. I carry all my stuff in a Kifaru Stryker xl which carry’s it all fine but then you’ve got a big pack in the tree. Hunting in Alabama I was always surrounded with nice straight trees. I thought if I had a climber I could connect to the tree, climb up, sit down and hunt. It’s faster, comfortable, and requires minimum gadgets. For this year I’m going to focus on getting a waist belt and straps on the climber and trying to go light and simple. I’d like to have another saddle set up. If I got one I’d get one I can wear into the woods and get three lightweight steps that are easy to carry. In general I’ve got to learn to carry less stuff. I did find the saddle pretty comfortable and always felt really safe while tethered to the tree.


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[Yoder]

I think the only bonus to a saddle is a small weight reduction and it's a little more compact to carry. When you look at the entire setup, how much weight are you actually saving? If you don't 1 stick, you need everything you need for a lock on stand. The only weight reduction is the difference between the weight of your stand and the weight of your saddle platform. My Lone Wolf only weighs 11lbs. A Tethrd predator platform weighs 3-4lbs depending on which one you buy. 8 or 9lbs of weight savings is not enough difference for me to buy a $400 saddle setup. I hunt only public land and I rarely sit in the same tree twice. I never feel limited by my stands. I either use a LW sit and climb or my LW Assault with 4 or 5 Hawk helium climbing sticks. Use what you got, you'll kill deer.

 

[SloppyJ]

If I hunted public then I MIGHT consider it but it just doesn't seem as comfortable to me. I'll keep my summit climber and relax.

 

[CREillY]

I think the only bonus to a saddle is a small weight reduction and it's a little more compact to carry. When you look at the entire setup, how much weight are you actually saving? If you don't 1 stick, you need everything you need for a lock on stand. The only weight reduction is the difference between the weight of your stand and the weight of your saddle platform. My Lone Wolf only weighs 11lbs. A Tethrd predator platform weighs 3-4lbs depending on which one you buy. 8 or 9lbs of weight savings is not enough difference for me to buy a $400 saddle setup. I hunt only public land and I rarely sit in the same tree twice. I never feel limited by my stands. I either use a LW sit and climb or my LW Assault with 4 or 5 Hawk helium climbing sticks. Use what you got, you'll kill deer.

Picture of my setup from last season, this came in at 13.4lbs (I've changes a few things, and sometimes carry another stick). My back gets sore in tree stands, and this setup has made a world of difference. I don't have to swing up an 11lb stand, and only have to climb the tree once.

 

[CREillY]

Your best bet is to find someone with one and try it to see if it's for you. Tethrd used to have demo sessions, not sure if they have any planned.

 

[Yoder]

Picture of my setup from last season, this came in at 13.4lbs (I've changes a few things, and sometimes carry another stick). My back gets sore in tree stands, and this setup has made a world of difference. I don't have to swing up an 11lb stand, and only have to climb the tree once.

That is pretty sweet. Just my sticks almost weigh more than that. I only climb the tree once. I put the stand on my back while I'm setting up the sticks.

 

[deertrout]

This will be year 4 for me. I think a saddle is the way to go, but ironically, since I switched to a saddle I've shot 9 deer. Of those, 8 were taken from the ground.

I think that's what I like about it so much, with a one stick setup you can't get any more mobile and if the spot is best to hunt off the ground, you're not as committed to just find the best tree for the job cause you carried all that stuff in.

Being somewhat of a weight weenie, I'm at just under 8lbs, all in- platform, one stick and ropes. No treestand-climbing stick combo can come close to that, and I'm way more comfortable than if I was in one of those micro treestands.

 

[Luked]

Well I jumped in the deep end.
Bought a used Tethrd Phantom setup over on the AT that had everything and then bought a Predator XL platform and a pack of Versa Straps also.
Will have to do some shooting from it in the back yard to get it figured out.
Pretty stoked to get it all and get it set up.

 

[NCtrapper]

Last Year was my first full year hunting from a saddle. I tried a buddy of mines in the summer before just shooting and to be honest I didnt like it. I eventually started to like it, and now I dont know if I would ever go back. The biggest advantage to make the switch for me was the packability. Hiking in miles on big tracts of public with a climber sucks. Other things I realized I love about saddle hunting now is the option to climb (almost) any tree you want. Huge in diameter or sapling size they all work and I have done both. Also the fact that there are truly no dead spots you cant shoot. at first I would say I was confident shooting 340 degrees around the tree. now once you get use to it and learn your maneuvers; one should be easily capable of shooting 360 degrees. I load everything up in my MR Metcalf and it works great for me.

Weight savings are small but it wasnt the weight that made me switch in the first place. The packability and comfort hiking in is what sold me.

 

[nosajnh]

Well I jumped in the deep end.
Bought a used Tethrd Phantom setup over on the AT that had everything and then bought a Predator XL platform and a pack of Versa Straps also.
Will have to do some shooting from it in the back yard to get it figured out.
Pretty stoked to get it all and get it set up.

Congrats, this will be my 4th season hunting from a saddle. I have not touched my climber since since I got the saddle. Practice from the back yard as much as you can. You can shoot almost 360 deg. around the tree however some directions are much, much easier than others so practice goes a long way. You also do not have to practice 20' up in the tree, you can learn a lot from shooting a few feet off the ground if time is an issue.

Enjoy