Saddle hunting??? Talk me into it.

[bigbuck247]

I have a complete set up (minus sticks) for $280

I have a list for the links to where I bought it all, if anyone is interested

Yeah I'd love to see what setup you are running to give me an idea. Not really wanting to drop 500+ on a setup right now due to I got into western hunting this year so that budget and gear list has been a rabbit hole that never ends lol

 

[Mallardsx2]

Using a saddle while trying to position with a bow is a disaster. Too much going on right on the business end of everything. I tried one and it is NOT for me. If I need to hunt an area that doesn't have straight trees, I use my LW Assault lock on with sticks.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

I can't talk you into it, but I can talk you out of it I personally prefer to hunt the ground, so much more exciting and less stuff to carry around.

 

[WestKyHunt]

I've seen several using the Hunters Safety System rope style tree strap for the tether and also as a lineman's belt with adding an extra carabiner.

I use the HSS as a tether but cannot reccomend it as a line man's belt. The material catches bark and frays easily since it does not have a protective sheath.

 

[WestKyHunt]

Yeah I'd love to see what setup you are running to give me an idea. Not really wanting to drop 500+ on a setup right now due to I got into western hunting this year so that budget and gear list has been a rabbit hole that never ends lol

I use a rock climbing harness with a sit drag over top.
XOP platform and cheap Rivers Edge sticks. It isn't the lightest or most comfortable set up I'm sure, but it's relatively inexpensive and comfortable enough to hunt 4-5 hours out of.

If you still want a list of links, let me know and I'll shoot you a PM

 

[drexal]

I have a complete set up (minus sticks) for $280

I have a list for the links to where I bought it all, if anyone is interested

The thing is... I can hunt every spot I wish to hunt with my current setup. I could easily spend $280 but I'm kinda stingy with my money. Honestly, the only place I've hunted that made me wish I had a saddle is the swamp. A September trek in the South Georgia heat through mud and thickets with a bow and hang-on makes me question how much I really want to get away from the crowd. But you can bet I'm going to do it. Maybe one day I'll test drive a saddle setup and decide I have to have it... then I'll probably be kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

 

[WestKyHunt]

The thing is... I can hunt every spot I wish to hunt with my current setup. I could easily spend $280 but I'm kinda stingy with my money. Honestly, the only place I've hunted that made me wish I had a saddle is the swamp. A September trek in the South Georgia heat through mud and thickets with a bow and hang-on makes me question how much I really want to get away from the crowd. But you can bet I'm going to do it. Maybe one day I'll test drive a saddle setup and decide I have to have it... then I'll probably be kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

I can relate. It took me 3 years of piecing together parts to get my setup because I didn't want to spend the $280 all at once

 

[WestKyHunt]

A plus of buying name brand is the resale value is close to purchase price. Plenty of online groups to sell in as well

 

[woods89]

I've used a New Tribe Aero Hunter for 7 or 8 years now. I personally really like saddle hunting. I got in before it was popular and it's been interesting to see how fashionable it has become.

I find it easier to shoot a bow accurately out of one, and easier to get into shooting positions as well. There certainly is a learning curve to it, though.

 

[bigbuck247]

Any of yall gun hunt out of one too? Never heard of anyone gun hunting in one but not sure why you couldn't?

 

[woods89]

Any of yall gun hunt out of one too? Never heard of anyone gun hunting in one but not sure why you couldn't?

I shot my biggest whitetail with a rifle put of one. Works great.

 

[Andrewlonghi]

Any of yall gun hunt out of one too? Never heard of anyone gun hunting in one but not sure why you couldn't?

I do all the time

 

[Scott85]

Any of yall gun hunt out of one too? Never heard of anyone gun hunting in one but not sure why you couldn't?

Yup, I only killed 3 deer out of mine. 2 does with a bow and an 8 pointer with a muzzleloader.

 

[JDH]

I would just hang some ladder stands if that is what you're used to. They're not that difficult to put up and move, they're far more comfortable, and it sounds like you've already got some. Get out there and cut some shooting lanes and access trails to the stands are you're good.
Saddle hunting is an unnecessary reinvention of the wheel, if you ask me.

I don't necessarily think it's reinventing the wheel but it's more like an mud tire compared to a street tire.

 

[JDH]

What is the most comfortable saddle out there? I've tried two and haven't been impressed enough to buy one yet.

I have the Aerohunter Flex and have done multiple all day sits in it with no issue.

 

[JDH]

Recently got a new piece of land to whitetail hunt next to our normal hunting area. 80 acres that are fairly wooded with some good travel corridors running through it. Normally we use ladder stands but I dont want to hang a bunch of ladder stands atleast until we find out where and how they are moving this year on that property. Not a huge fan of hang on stands so I thought possibly about a saddle setup to add to the mix. Also any recommendations on specifics are greatly appreciated. Looking at the hawk helium sticks for sure and possibly their saddle just to start a little cheaper to see if I like it before dropping tetherd kind of money.

Three things got me into saddle hunting.
1 - I wanted to hunt one spot that in order to access I either needed to bust through a bedding area or go through a thick area of small maples and make a ton of noise with my climber. So I wanted to be able to slip in quieter.
2 - I was hunting a field edge and knew I needed to be within 40 yards of a certain spot. There was a little bend in the field and also a little dip and the corn was shorter there. There were no trees that I could get my climber in and no shot from the ground. I needed access to better trees.
3 - It was gaining popularity. I mention this because I did not know it existed before a few years ago.

In your case it would be a hard sell unless you won't have access to area ahead of time to scout and set up the ladder stands in good spots or it's really brushy in there without many trees for a ladder stand.

 

[Shangobango]

After buying a saddle and all the associated gear last year and using it exclusively besides box stands on the lease during last season, I can honestly say that I will probably never go back to a climber or loc-on except for very specific situations. For the way I hunt, the pros of the of the saddle outweigh any of the cons.

The biggest advantage for me is the mobility. Using my Metcalf, I can haul everything I need in for an all day sit and then haul everything back out including a deer or hog, in one trip if I need to. With a climber that just is not possible where I hunt. It is to some extent with a lightweight loc-on but the difference in bulk mbetween a loc on and a saddle is astronomical and there is a good weight savings as well.

As far as comfort, for me it is not as comfortable as any of my climbers but is just as comfortable as any of my loc-ons. I made quite a few all day sits in the saddle with no issues, once my body had time to adjust to the different muscles and pressure points required.

 

[Mainer207]

I’m trying one this year. Thethrd phantom with the XL platform. A lot of my hunts are 2-4 miles from the truck, so carrying even my lightest millennium hang-on can be a pain. I think if you can get in a tree with some limbs to lean on occasionally it will be very comfortable.

I mostly stand even during all day hunts, so I think it’ll work well for me. If you’re used to sitting in a ladder stand it may be a bit harder to get used to.

As for the gun hunting, I’m looking forward to using it during my two week rifle hunt in Maine.

 

[bigbuck247]

Tried one last night (hawk helium) and liked it but ended up ordering a trophyline covert this morning and running hawk helium mini/20” sticks and a hawk apex platform. Eventually will upgrade platforms probably. I have an apex packed I used yesterday but I have a pop up 38 that if I was hunting public I would use for being able to pack out meat if I needed to.

 

[Shangobango]

Tried one last night (hawk helium) and liked it but ended up ordering a trophyline covert this morning and running hawk helium mini/20” sticks and a hawk apex platform. Eventually will upgrade platforms probably. I have an apex packed I used yesterday but I have a pop up 38 that if I was hunting public I would use for being able to pack out meat if I needed to.

Probably a good decision on the Trophline over the Hawk. I bought a Hawk saddle and platform and never hunted out of it. The tether and lineman’s rope were not good. The ascender that came with it was not good. Now way I was trusting my life to it. I sold the saddle and platform because I felt like an adjustable bridge was the right move for me. Went with Tethrd and love it but I haven’t heard anything bad about Trophyline. I refused to sell the Hawke tether, linemans, and ascender to anyone. Couldn’t do it with a clear conscious.

I use the Hawk sticks. I like them a lot.