Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Eastern Woods - Who’s saddle hunting?

I started last season and am really enjoying the new challenge & benefits this season. I’m saddle hunting for Bow, Muzz & Rifle seasons.

Curious who else might be into this & what systems are working for them - what suppliers are you choosing etc.

Pints

Never used one but interested myself.

Cousins and brother use them and seem to like them.

Sorta slick how fast a guy can get up a tree & then use the tree as a blocker while swinging around for a shot. I’m digging it. The deer aren’t used to a fella hanging between the crotches of a big old tree. They don’t even see me. Pretty cool.

That's what they say. I need to give it a whirl one of these days. They sound pretty danged cool.

I’ve been wanting to get into it the last two years for archery hunting. I hunt a bunch of places with a bow and can’t or don’t want to hang stands.

What setup are you using? Climbing method? Cost?

Yeah, spill your guts POC!

Must not watch enough 'Outdoor TV".
Had to Google, only saw the diaper looking thing.
Don't have time to persue it now.

Looks uncomfortable, but better than the 2x10 with notched ends
I've seen guys use.

I know a handful of folks that use a saddle and love it.
The only time I'm suspended/dangling from a rope is because of a failure with my hang-on or ladder and my harness saved me - I won't hang on purpose.

I've been doing it a couple of years now. I like it. Still learning/trying new things and techniques with it. I started using it when I had a hip that was bone on bone and needed replacing. I couldn't climb with a climber...which I hated to carry anyway...and it was painful to sit in lockon stands (or stay in any position) for extended times. The saddle gave me the ability to change angles/stand and reduce some of the hip pain. After getting the hip fixed, I liked the saddle so much that I use it instead of a safety harness in every setup, including when I'm hunting out of a lockon.

I've only used a Hawk Saddle with a fixed bridge. Would like to give an adjustable bridge a try at some point. I ended up with the Hawk because it was on sale.

I've switched ropes for things and climbed in several ways. I've tried several options for climbing but I've only used the Lone Wolf seat as a platform because I already had it:

1. Carrying multiple climbing sticks and a platform was to much hassle/weight.

2. I used single stick (muddy) with an aider for a while and it's very easy to climb with. I've tried using a single stick as a platform and it works but ends up being uncomfortable if used very long. Using a Lone Wolf hand climber as a platform has been very comfortable but still means I would have to carry a stick and platform.

3. Have used a Lone Wolf seat with an aider attached to it, climbing the aider, standing on the seat, then moving the seat/aider up and repeating. Again, it's a comfortable platform but moving from the aider up onto the plaltform before going up the tree is kinda tough.

4. This year I've been attaching a rope/prussic to the aider and using it (with the saddle) to climb, hang, move the rope/aider up, then climb again. Once at height I pull my pack/platform up, hang the pack on the rope for the aider, then attach the Lone Wolf seat as the platform. I've only done this a few times this year but it's little gear to carry, easy to do, and very comfortable once up. I'll be doing this method a lot more this year to see how it turns out but I think it will be "the one" for me. Equipment ends up being saddle, 2 ropes (tether to saddle and tether to aider), aider, knee pads, platform, and a couple pieces of paracord to keep everything connected so I can't drop anything....of course a normal pullup rope as would be used for any tree stand.

The only aider I've used is the following and there are certainly smaller/lighter ones out there but this is the only one I've tried and I've been very happy with it because it stays open, is easy to attach, and is very strong. If using climbing sticks with attachment options to keep it open there are a lot more options:

https://www.rockandsnow.com/21330/Yates-6-Step-Big-Wall-Ladder/

I've not tried repelling to exit. Climbing down the aider is easy enough so I've not felt the need to try any other option.

Because I've got ~4 months of rifle season in 2 states I stopped bow hunting years ago so I only use it for rifle hunting. It took me a bit of practice to get used to shooting/setting up to shoot a rifle. After learning how to let gravity, tension, and the tree steady things I've been very impressed with the ease of shooting and how quickly/quietly I can get it position to shoot. No standing/turning like in a normal treestand....just slide/rotate around to get in position.

Might have tried it 30-40 years ago, but suspect now I might find my azz in a sling, so to speak. Another issue for me would be the weight of the sticks and platform. I’m constantly seeking to lighten the load I tote around these days, and also like to keep the bulk down to make it easier to move around through brush and high weeds. I do like the flexibility the saddles offer for those who can make use of it.

I do hunt near terrain saddles that deer like to use to keep their profiles low.

I guess the Anderson tree sling that I bought 35 years ago was just before it's time. It worked a lot better than climbing a tree using a set lineman spurs and sitting - standing on a limb. I got to old and soft for that shiet.

JMCubic covered the topic really well so I’ll add my methods to his.

I’m using a Latitude Outdoors Method 1 saddle - it’s a two piece so a person can create many configurations of seat shape - nice to shift positions occasionally for general comfort.

I’ve also got some climbing sticks - one setup are XOP minis with a 2 step aider on the first stick & 1 step aider on the other 3 sticks (an aider is like a rope or cable or Amsteel set of steps that can extend the height or spacing between climbing sticks) I can get real close to 30’ with this setup. I’ve also got a 20” step set from Eastern Woods Outdoors with the same Amsteel aider setup. They are way way lighter.

I strap the sticks to my Kifaru Tailgunner and like JMCubic mentioned - it can be sorta clunky unless they are secure.

The saddle has a couple bags that hang off sorta like a dump pouch would. I keep my lineman & tether rope along with a few removable Cranford steps in the bags. There are many options with ropes. I use the standard issue Latitude stuff - it’s light but at 10mm I can still grip it good with a bare hand if needed.

I prefer to use a ‘Ring of Steps’ but also have a couple different platforms. The ring of steps just wrap around the trunk of a tree a little higher than your top step of your sticks & allow 360 movement around the tree. Cranford also makes a ring of steps but they are heavy. I’m using squirrel steps from Eastern Woods Outdoors. Platforms are handy though - I use them occasionally with a few squirrel steps around the other side

All my tree attachments are made with Amsteel - it’s like an aramid or Kevlar rope that is wicked strong for its diameter & super quiet cuz no more metal buckles. I get this stuff from HangFree.co they don’t get cold like steel buckles either.

There are lots of gadgets that help maintain rope tension & general ease of rope organization - I use a thing called a Ropeman on my lineman’s rope & a Safeguard on my Tether.

Anyhow a guy can get suuuuper geeked on this stuff & spend a small fortune but it’s not necessary to get started.

To boil it down - this sounds complicated but creates a self contained load out that deploys in an efficient & very safe manner. There are zero moments form the time I leave the ground that I’m not attached to the tree in some way. Most trees that are free of limbs for trees first 25’ only take maybe 15-20 to be fully kitted & hunting.

Check out John Eberhards YouTube channel - he’s the dinosaur of this stuff and covers lots of info many are curious about.





Get into it guys! I’m 50 and really don’t find it difficult at all to get set up in a tree in the dark. A little early training goes a long way though so a guy sets up properly & safely. After that, any tree any place is your huckleberry.

I wanted to add that I’m not a fan of treestand hunting & had been searching for something that I could get into that would safely allow me cover new ground effectively & minimize boredom of sitting in a static position looking at the same terrain all day. Moving around the tree certainly helps that.

Haha. Done!

I have an H2 saddle and Hawk sticks and platform. I’ve played around with it some but to be honest I’m still iffy on the whole thing. I’m not a fan of heights to begin with so hanging away from a tree any more than about 8-10 ft off the ground gets me pretty goosey. Hopefully it just takes some more time to get comfortable.

I hunt off my mule sitting in a saddle, does that count?

I run a tree saddle for deep public sets. It’s the most packable way to stay mobile and still be able to hunt from a tree. Running an H2 saddle and just using 4 screw in steps for a platform(these have to be sharp or they are a pain in the ass so Cranfords or gorilla made a real sharp step comparable). I have an xop platform too but it’s weight penalty is too much although it is pretty nice for having a bit more foot room. Steps make it easier to walk around the tree though in my opinion. As for a climbing system I use Hunting Beast sticks and their longer original model. These sticks are nice and are worth the price over lone wolf or muddy brand climbing sticks and have tried all 3 brands. I stuff my saddle in an EXO K2 5500 pack and put the sticks on the outside of the pack. I run a ropeman on my mainline off the tree instead of a prusik knot. It makes for adjusting how far you are off the tree way easier. Linemen rope I’m still running a prusik knot though because the ropeman isn’t designed to take shock in case of a fall. The ropeman is designed to have steady weight on it.

All of this gadgetry is way better than when I first got into tree saddle hunting in an original trophyline. That thing was heavy as hell and it did not clip around your waist like these newer saddles. I remember being so frustrated by the time I got climbed up because the saddle felt like it was around your knees. They only had elastic shoulder straps to hold them up and there was a lot more fabric to them. The bridge on the trophyline was much wider too and didn’t slide through a carabiner like amsteel does to get yourself turned and positioned for a shot.

Tetherd offers whole systems and makes it convenient to get everything in one go. A person can save some money though by piecing it together and buying your rope from arborist or climbing websites and making up your own ropes with some knot tying help on YouTube or internet searches. Just a matter of how a person wants to approach it. But with the stuff that’s available these days I feel like tree saddle hunting is in its heyday.
To add to this I’m also 6’8 and around 330lbs so for you smaller guys it should be a breeze to get up a tree and hide.

Sure does! 👍🏼

Great comments!

Have you found any reputable rope suppliers by chance?

Quick search for 11mm static rope by the foot brought up a few options. It’s been a good while since I put my mainline together and the place I ordered it from ended up only being about an hour from me and is no longer in business sadly but it was sterling brand 11mm. I know some guys are running even smaller mainlines than that these days but I’m bit behind the times in that aspect. And me being bigger I don’t mind looking at that bigger rope. But as you stated a person can really geek out on this stuff and searching around on a good arborist site would probably come up with some smaller rope that’s just as strong or stronger with aramid fibers in it.

Ive been enjoying the saddle option for a few years now. I still have a few ladders and hang ons, but it is great to have the flexibility of the saddle.
I went with the Tethrd Phantom saddle + pouches, 8 or 9mm rope [ran 11mm for a year] and Ropeman 2 ascenders, a Predator platform and Helium short climbing sticks.

Lately I have just been carrying 1 or 2 sticks into the woods. I have a 2 step Amsteel aider on the bottom stick and usually that is enough for me to run 1 stick + platform.
The aider and moving to thinner ropes have been two of the best moves in saddle hunting for me.