Who here hunts whitetail fro ma saddle setup?

[Luked]

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.

 

[AttackMode]

I have gone exclusively to a saddle setup for the past 3 years. What info are you looking g for? I would also recommend checking out Saddlehunter.com, there is a ton of info and a great group of guys to help you out.

 

[WoodBow]

It works and it is probably the most compact way to do it. But it is not perfect. I drank the koolaid and went 100% saddle for a couple of years. I shot 4 deer out of it the first year. Eventually i allowed my self to come to the conclusion that there are some down sides to it. Ultimately i went to a millenium m7 microlite treestand and I wear my saddle as my harness. Best of both worlds.

 

[madgrad02]

I would second lurking on Saddlehunter.com... I have switched over to a saddle setup almost exclusively the last 5 or so seasons (minus a ground hunt here or there). I don't think you can beat the compactness of a saddle setup (even more so if you get into some of the SRT/DRT, 1-sticking or 2TC methods - can find that info over on saddlehunter). I am quite comfy sitting most of the day in my Cruzr XC or Overwatch Transformer, and if I think I will be in the tree all day long, I bust out the JX3. I still just roll with climbing sticks as that is what I am most comfortable with and tend to always fall back on.

 

[Luked]

I have watched a few vids of it here and there but never have really committed to it at all just because of know how.
This year most of my hunting at home is probably going to be public land as there is quite a bit of family drama during hunting season I am trying to stay away from.
The ease of mobility from the saddle setup really seems slick but I am just wondering how much better it is mobility wise than a simple lightweight tree stand and climbing sticks setup?
I can set my stand and sticks up pretty quickly, but was jsut wondering what your alls thoughts were on that part of it.
I get its just another tool type thing and seems pretty lightweight but I always pack my stand and sticks on the same pack I use out west so its really like there isnt much weight there that I notice.

 

[fulldraw1972]

It works and it is probably the most compact way to do it. But it is not perfect. I drank the koolaid and went 100% saddle for a couple of years. I shot 4 deer out of it the first year. Eventually i allowed my self to come to the conclusion that there are some down sides to it. Ultimately i went to a millenium m7 microlite treestand and I wear my saddle as my harness. Best of both worlds.

I did the same thing you mentioned.
My stand I use are the original lone wolf alpha and the Novix helo.
The saddle works great for fall protection.

I can get more comfortable in a stand then a saddle.

 

[CREillY]

I've been using it for a few years, I love how light and fast I can set it up. There are some downfalls, "Saddle Shape" Is a real thing depending on the platform you use. I use ladder stands and bounce around with the saddle.

 

[Luked]

For a beginner type setup I can get a pretty good deal on a Hawk brand setup for about $250 that comes with the full saddle setup with all ropes and the platform also.
Also saw that XOP has a setup on Amazon for $200.
Have any of you all used something like this to start out with.

 

[AttackMode]

Those two companies have setups that are affordable and will get your foot in the door. However, they are not going to be the cream of the crop. If you like it you'll almost definitely be upgrading your equipment, or on the other hand, if it's not for you it's not a huge chunk of change that you'll be regretting you've spent.
As for mobility I personally prefer to "1 stick" with my platform. There are a plethora of options available and you should be able to find a good system that fits your needs and style of hunting.

 

[cjdewese]

Those two companies have setups that are affordable and will get your foot in the door. However, they are not going to be the cream of the crop. If you like it you'll almost definitely be upgrading your equipment, or on the other hand, if it's not for you it's not a huge chunk of change that you'll be regretting you've spent.
As for mobility I personally prefer to "1 stick" with my platform. There are a plethora of options available and you should be able to find a good system that fits your needs and style of hunting.

This, I would say that if you aren't going to do it much and will mix in other types of hunting then either would probably be OK. I have the XOP, I wanted to try saddle hunting out last season as cheap as I could and this did it for me. Longest sit I had in it was about 6 hours and by the end if it I wasn't very comfortable at all but overall it worked out for me.

I do enjoy the system overall, had some really cool experiences with deer that I most likely wouldn't have had if I was on the ground and will probably use the XOP for a while until I upgrade at some point.

 

[Luked]

@cjdewese So you didnt have any huge complaints construction or safety wise with the XOP kit? It seems like a pretty nice entry level kit to start out with

 

[Jackkegelmeyerjr]

I think one of the best things to do with regards to a saddle set up is to practice how exactly you are going to carry your sticks (or climbing other method), and if you so choose a platform.

I have some XOPs because they were on amazon and easy to get; but if the money was no option, some of those fancy carbon sticks look pretty cool and light weight.

 

[Binz17]

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.

 

[cjdewese]

@cjdewese So you didnt have any huge complaints construction or safety wise with the XOP kit? It seems like a pretty nice entry level kit to start out with

Not really, overall I felt safe and got to a place I was fairly comfortable for at least the 1st few hours of the sit.

The straps it comes with are extremely long and bulky, I did cut them down to a more manageable length once I got set up and left some room for adjustability.

I did find the Prusik knots that it comes with to be cumbersome for the lineman's belt. Upgrading that to a ropeman 1 was 100% worth the cost of that and you will use that for any other setup you have in the future unless whatever you buy already has one as part of the kit.

 

[Jackkegelmeyerjr]

Saddlehunter is such a good resource for this too; I bought a Kestrel on there, and its great.

Improve the main buckle; I would say some type of Cobra buckle.

 

[Cedarsavage]

For a beginner type setup I can get a pretty good deal on a Hawk brand setup for about $250 that comes with the full saddle setup with all ropes and the platform also.
Also saw that XOP has a setup on Amazon for $200.
Have any of you all used something like this to start out with.

I have an xop. Haven’t hunted from it yet but I’ve spent time in it practicing. Big advantage I see; you keep the tree in front as cover. It does take some getting used to which is why I been practicing with it

 

[ncstewart]

I’m gonna go against the grain here I guess. I hate them personally. Just my opinion so calm down cause I know everyone loves those things these days. I have tried them and wanted it to work out but I couldn’t sit more than 2 hours and no way was I able to be still. I hate the shooting from them also. I would either buy one cheap or borrow one and play with it some shooting. If you can make it work then go for it but I wouldn’t test it out on a hunt.


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[Netherman]

For me it's a time and a place thing. I've got a dryad mini hybrid (basically a rock climbing harness with sling) and bring either a predator platform or lwcg .75 (new this year). If it's a place i've pre-scouted I make a note whether a stand or saddle would be best and bring in items accordingly. In new locations I'll bring both and setup whichever way gives me the most benefit (cover, shot direction, ect).

As a side note I've been digging the latitude outdoors saddles. Metal free is the way to be. Just not sure it'd be as good in treestand mode. Or how many chairs would get flipped at home if I spent another $300 after $600 on a treestand.

 

[hunterdanman]

I have watched a few vids of it here and there but never have really committed to it at all just because of know how.
This year most of my hunting at home is probably going to be public land as there is quite a bit of family drama during hunting season I am trying to stay away from.
The ease of mobility from the saddle setup really seems slick but I am just wondering how much better it is mobility wise than a simple lightweight tree stand and climbing sticks setup?
I can set my stand and sticks up pretty quickly, but was jsut wondering what your alls thoughts were on that part of it.
I get its just another tool type thing and seems pretty lightweight but I always pack my stand and sticks on the same pack I use out west so its really like there isnt much weight there that I notice.

Assuming you have walked through the woods with your treestand and sticks strapped to your back, now you can take the treestand off and drop a 5 lb weight inside your backpack to simulate a platform and saddle weight and profile. No more catching your stand on branches or bumping it against trees and making noise.
Once you are in the tree it's easier and more comfortable to maneuver for shots, especially anything behind you as you are strapped to the tree and can just pivot instead of having to shuffle your feet around.
I have a few spots on private where I'll have preset treestand but if it's a new place public or private the saddle is coming with.

 

[young7.3]

I do and its changed the way i hunt. I can get into 99% of the trees and change spots much faster.

If you are just lookong for a cheap setup to try it out with i have a modded sit drag id sell. Pm me.


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