• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Why do you saddle hunt?

rr79

Active Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2014
Messages
190
Location
south jersey
Its nice seeing there are plenty others like myself that enjoy hanging from trees. I know why i use a saddle. Its on the run ambush type hunting, not haveing to have a set up, not haveing to find straight tree's, and freedom. As i look through threads and read how guys get up the tree ect. I wonder what is the reason you guys like the saddle so much? If i had to have preset tree's, carry climbing sticks, bags of screw ins and lags i dont think i would still use one. I would figure might as well use a lock on stand if had to do all that. Just curiuose and i hope my typed words arnt being taken the wrong way. Not downing any method or thinking mine is better.Just wanna know what keeps you guys in the saddle even though ya's go through all the work it takes to set a lock on stand up?
 
After using some heavy climbers and some really uncomfortable hang ons, and having hang on stands and sticks stolen from both private and state land, I have no issues hauling climbing sticks out to hunt. My only regret is getting my saddle the week before bow season started, as I didn't really have time to prep any trees.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I like them because I am afraid of heights. I like the feeling of being "tethered" 100% of the time - no ifs, buts, maybes... attached and safe :mrgreen:

Everything else is gravy.
 
Ditto to alukban


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I started with a really heavy climber. It wasn't uncomfortable and only cost me $50, but it was a ton of work to haul in and set up quietly. I hated searching for a straight tree in just the right spot. So, flexibility with comfort roughly equivalent to a cheap climber at approximately 10x the price when you add it all up... Worth it to me!
 
1. Flexibility: I can hunt any tree I want.
2. Mobility in the tree: I can easily shoot in any direction and I can move around quietly to spot deer from any direction before they spot me.
3. Comfort: I find hunting in a saddle to be 1000x more comfortable than any tree stand.
4. My saddle is my tree stand: I have over 40 trees pre-set in the woods and can hunt them by just wearing my saddle in. This means I can limit the amount of times I hunt the same spot over and over.
5. My pre-set trees are very hard to see: The chances of any of my spots being tampered with or stolen are very small.
6. The saddle is way lighter than a tree stand and adding a set of climbing sticks is still lighter and I can mobile hunt any tree, unlike a climber.
7. Overall the benefits of a saddle far out weight any other type of stand.

I'll add more reasons to this list as they come to me.
 
Good reasons so far. I have been loving it for the past 10yrs and taken some good deer since then. I beleive its due to the stealth of saddle hunting. I was just thinking would i still do it if i had to climb differently. Good responses.
 
Originally I picked up a trophy line saddle just because it was hunting outside the box so to speak. I like to try new things till I find something that suits me. I hunt a lot of public land and most of it is always spur of the moment, run and gun as I find different areas. Not having to drag a climber though the woods was the best thing I have heard since I started hunting. Then last year, I had a climber give way at 30' off the ground. Luckily I was hooked into a lifeline, but that pretty much converted me to a saddle hunter full time. For me, the only down side to saddle hunting is not being able to get as high as I like to hunt. Most of our woods are southern pine, where the first branch is usually 30-40' up, so once I figure out how to get up that height, I will be golden. Screw ins are not allowed on public land, so right now its 4 lonewolf sticks and its not heigh enough. Probably going to add a couple more sticks to the pack.
 
Right with ya. I feel if i am not at leasy 30ft i might as well sit on the ground. Thats just me. I dont like worrying about wind direction. Downside is hard shot angles. Lots of one lungers.
 
RR79

I haven't hunted out of one yet but there are a ton of advantages that I can see first and foremost for me is being able to get into almost any tree because hunting in the pines you can almost never find a good tree in the location that you need it to be. Another advantage is that the saddle allows you to shoot from almost any angle and while doing it having 3 points of contact, for me that equates to better and more stable stance, and allows me to concentrate on the shot not staying in the stand. Also like the idea of being able to walk in and out with the stand around your waist and with the drill and peg system having multiple setups and just having the bolts and platform with you. I also like the fact you can tweak it the way you want so it fits your hunting style.

Roger
 
Its more comfortable and I sit still compared to a traditional stand. I also get more range of shooting and I can hunt smaller trees.

Thanks,
Boswell
 
Comfort, safety and I believe you get more choices in tree selection.
 
I hunt with a saddle because I hunt public land here in MN. We are not allowed to build permanent stands or leave any manufactured stand overnight. I got real tired of carrying in my stand and sticks, putting it up, hunting and taking it down in the dark. With the saddle I can wear my stand in, and preparing a tree is nothing more than hanging some paracord over a branch in a tree that I want to hunt. If someone steals my cord, I'll be frustrated but not out much in $.
 
Versatility is biggest reason for me. I like being able toset up several trees an not need to own 10 hangon stands. Just the price of one lone wolf can buy me alot of cranfords.
 
IHI6FAN said:
Versatility is biggest reason for me. I like being able toset up several trees an not need to own 10 hangon stands. Just the price of one lone wolf can buy me alot of cranfords.

Welcome to the site!
 
I was hunting out of my leather saddle this past Saturday morning and I was thinking about my lone wolf hand climber that's hanging in my shed. I really don't think I could return to using it. I was resting my eyes and I remembered how I use to be scared to fall asleep because I thought I'd lean over and fall. I'm not sure how I did it but I use to put on my climbing sticks with no linesman belt and attached myself to the tree once I got on to my hang on.
I love the saddle and I makes me sad the Trophyline is out of business.
It was 29° Saturday morning and the wind chill was a lot colder. I just moved around the tree to get out of it. That's definitely kept me in the stand longer. I'd like to start a new hash tag #saddleaddiction because I'm addicted.
I had two hunters walk directly under me and had no clue I was there . I was only 15 feet high and was wearing a blaze orange cap. I came down the tree to talk to them for a little while. The look the gave me was hilarious. I guess the never seen a grown man where a "diaper" with suspenders .
 
I am in agreement with many of the points here - but for me to have the ability to prep all the trees I want, and just walk in with my sticks, climb and hunt, is awesome. I share private ground with a group of guys, so not leaving any trace of my honey holes is a big deal to me.
 
Does anyone know why it took 30+years for the saddle to become "popular"? I vaguely remember seeing a Trophyline in Bass Pro a few years back, but I've never heard about a saddle /tree sling until last year. I'm a hunting fanatic, and I've never read about it in any online articles or magazines. I know a lot of people,several veteran hunters at that, and they have never heard about it.
 
In my opinion i think it is because it is an unconventional way of hunting in a tree. Being that i just purchased on i have been talking alot about it to my friends and family and they all give me the look of pure confusion and just laugh it off like its a foolish idea. Grant it i have been known to do some crazy things when it comes to hunting but they USUALLY work out in my favor :lol:

But i feel that its because from most individuals perspective it is unorthodox to tie yourself to a tree with a rope and some cloth and hang there on the side of a tree like a spider monkey waiting for a deer. I have had many people ask if my life insurance is up to date! But i am fine with all of the doubt from everyone because it will give me the upper hand!
 
Back
Top