Saddle Hunting ???'s

Triple C

Well-Known Member
Looking for feedback from any of you guys that have adapted to saddle hunting vs. hang-on's. I recall weekender posting pics and comments about his use of the Mantis saddle and micro platform from Tethered Nation. Would love to hear from any others that use this style of hunting.

I'm personally sticking with ladder stands but seems the saddle hunting would be ideal for my boys and grandson. Rather than having to buy multiple hang on sets, just pick up a few stick ladders and seems you would be good to go. How comfortable are they to hunt from? I'm thinking about getting them one for birthday gifts this year.
 
Have you consider the millennium tree stands? I got tired of having a too many stands and a garage full of ladder stands. With the M100 model you can buy a couple of the brackets and hang them, leaving you multiple sets with only one stand. Plus the seat is the best I’ve ever had for long sits and all day vigils. The stand is light weight easy to carry and quick to set up in the pre-hung bracket. Check them out and read some of the reviews, you won’t be disappointed.

Sampson


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Have you consider the millennium tree stands? I got tired of having a too many stands and a garage full of ladder stands. With the M100 model you can buy a couple of the brackets and hang them, leaving you multiple sets with only one stand. Plus the seat is the best I’ve ever had for long sits and all day vigils. The stand is light weight easy to carry and quick to set up in the pre-hung bracket. Check them out and read some of the reviews, you won’t be disappointed.

Sampson


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Sampson - Got quite a few Millennium stands, both hang on and ladder stands. I occasionally hunt out of the hang ons but mostly out of the ladder stands. Seems I add a couple of stands every year to the property. Just trying to get some feedback to see if the saddle type hunting is something that the boys and grandson would enjoy and over time, be more economical than continuing to add additional hang-ons.
 
I've used them for several years. They have their place. I use them to try new spots or areas that I might not hunt but once or twice a year. I started with one of the older TreeSaddle models that are no longer made and now use a modified Sitdrag. I like the minimalist Sitdrag much better. If you have the room for a lot of stand locations, they are the ticket. For a small property, with a handful of locations, I'd stick with ladders or blinds.
 
I love saddle hunting. I got it because I had lots of stand sites and didn’t want to invest in a bunch of lock on’s or ladder stands.

I have the TreeSaddle and a set of 4 lone wolf sticks. I also use a lone wolf assassin platform. I tried several platforms and this worked out the best for me. I haven’t looked at the newest options though.

I did start buying the 20’ stick sets to leave on trees when they went on sale after season. I was getting them for $39. With that setup I could quickly climb up, put the platform on the tree, tie in and be ready to hunt.

I would much rather be in a saddle for bow hunting. They are very quiet to move around in and you can keep the tree between you and the deer. I also feel like I’m able to move/stretch my legs more with less overall movement.
 
I would much rather be in a saddle for bow hunting. They are very quiet to move around in and you can keep the tree between you and the deer. I also feel like I’m able to move/stretch my legs more with less overall movement.

HB...With the exception of hunting our largest food plots, bow hunting is about all we do on the farm. Back in the mid 70s when climbing stands first cam on the scene, you could climb 10 ft and not be detected by a deer. Today, it seems the critters walk around the woods looking up. Watching the you tube videos on saddle hunting, it seems concealment is one of the biggest advantages and being able to comfortably shoot anywhere around the tree another.

Is leg fatigue or back strain an issue on sits of over 2 hours?
 
It won’t take long to find what adjustments work and don’t. Mine arrived in the mail one night before my November hunt in NC. I messed around 5’ off the ground in the yard then hunted with it all week. Never all day but a few 7 hour sits.

Sticks are the next thing I’m going to get rid of. Four lone wolfs sticks are 10 pounds. SRT has been working well with Pre sets and I recently purchased a hand drill and bolts. Both significantly lighter than sticks.

I like your idea of pre set ladders, especially if you have a few specific trees you might hunt 2-3 times or more.


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HB...With the exception of hunting our largest food plots, bow hunting is about all we do on the farm. Back in the mid 70s when climbing stands first cam on the scene, you could climb 10 ft and not be detected by a deer. Today, it seems the critters walk around the woods looking up. Watching the you tube videos on saddle hunting, it seems concealment is one of the biggest advantages and being able to comfortably shoot anywhere around the tree another.

Is leg fatigue or back strain an issue on sits of over 2 hours?

Honestly, I am more comfortable in it than I am in a ladder stand or lock on. I have logged several all day sits in it during early November and didn’t have any issues. Also, I usually sit for a minimum of three hours if I’m not hunting all day.

The one issue I have with mine is sweating during early season hunts. If I got another one, I would look for one that breathed well and didn’t insulate. Mine is made of a neoprene type material and it doesn’t breath at all.

One tip is to tie the tether line as high as possible. The steeper angle gives you lots of adjustability and an infinite number of sitting/standing positions.
 
Sticks are the next thing I’m going to get rid of. Four lone wolfs sticks are 10 pounds. SRT has been working well with Pre sets and I recently purchased a hand drill and bolts. Both significantly lighter than sticks.

I like your idea of pre set ladders, especially if you have a few specific trees you might hunt 2-3 times or more.

It is quite the load with the four sticks. I’ve learned how the deer use the farm now and almost exclusively hunt in trees that have sticks already setup. It’s tough to get everything on the pack when I carry camera gear in too.
 
One tip is to tie the tether line as high as possible. The steeper angle gives you lots of adjustability and an infinite number of sitting/standing positions.

This is where personal preference makes a big difference in saddle hunting and you have to practice in your yard before going hunting. I prefer a low tether and I lean in my saddle instead of sit.

I also like bolts for preset locations. You can drill trees and use the same set of bolts for each.
 
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I'll confess I had to look up to see what a tree saddle is. Kudos to all of you that can hang on a tree hunting in one of those contraptions! I gave up climbers a couple decades ago and am so happy I didn't kill myself during the years of hunting from them...they hadn't invented safety harnesses in those days. Looks like a great option for the young turks. I'm more for comfort these days.

I want a pic of you hanging from one of those Triple C if ever you give it a try.
 
I'll confess I had to look up to see what a tree saddle is. Kudos to all of you that can hang on a tree hunting in one of those contraptions! I gave up climbers a couple decades ago and am so happy I didn't kill myself during the years of hunting from them...they hadn't invented safety harnesses in those days. Looks like a great option for the young turks. I'm more for comfort these days.

I want a pic of you hanging from one of those Triple C if ever you give it a try.
I'm with you on the "so happy I didn't kill myself during the years of hunting from them" and "I'm more for comfort these days"
 
For me, saddles are a replacement for hang on stands and climbers. I would much rather hunt from a saddle than one of those. Saddles are easier to pack in and out and easier to setup. But, I prefer blinds or ladder stands over the saddle if given the choice.
 
I’ve hunted a lot of ways including sitting on tree limbs but dang those things look to crunch the boys if you know what I mean for an old guy in boxers.
What does look good is to run a zip line to diff parts of your property then when wind shifts jst zip to another tree while swinging in that thing.
BTW back in the dark ages when I hunted public land wilderness area mountain tops I had a Loggy Bayou stand no longer made and strap on ladder steps no longer made that weighed out at 9# total. Could be sitting in a tree hunting in 10 min max. Still have the stand . The steps were designed and made by a dentist out of FL. Sorry for the old man stories.
And Triple, I’m w Baker I want a pic of your swinging life style if you get one!


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I hunt out of a Kestrel saddle and really like it, no complaints at all. I use climbing sticks and the saddle for mobility but Weekender has me thinking about ditching the sticks for SRT. I imagine the boys would appreciate that as a gift, I find myself using mine more and more now.
 
I'll confess I had to look up to see what a tree saddle is. Kudos to all of you that can hang on a tree hunting in one of those contraptions! I gave up climbers a couple decades ago and am so happy I didn't kill myself during the years of hunting from them...they hadn't invented safety harnesses in those days. Looks like a great option for the young turks. I'm more for comfort these days.

I want a pic of you hanging from one of those Triple C if ever you give it a try.
I'm with you on the "so happy I didn't kill myself during the years of hunting from them" and "I'm more for comfort these days"

Amen, brothers ! You couldn't sop up the grease with a roll of Bounty if I fell out of a tree !
 
Thx for the comments guys! Pretty sure Triple C ain’t gonna be hanging from a rope in a tree any time soon. But the younger crowd that hangs with me gonna have one of these in their future.
 
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