Why hasn't saddlehunting become more mainstream?

[swampsnyper]

We make trips out of state from time to time. They got their trucks loaded with sticks and stands filling the whole bed. My hunting system can fit behind my seat. I said y’all don’t see a problem here? And they ain’t scared. Some of the sets Ive seen them get in will make you shake your head. So it’s not fear with them. They just don’t think it can be comfortable I guess. I give up.

 

[bigjoe]

I did not practice with the saddle this weekend but I did practice tying the wild Edge steps. I helped split a few cords of wood yesterday. So good and sore today. A good sore

 

[Vorsteg]

I rather like that saddle hunting has not hit the mainstream. I like going into the empty woods. If everyone finds out the truth, the woods just might get a little more crowded.

 

[ADP2413]

I rather like that saddle hunting has not hit the mainstream. I like going into the empty woods. If everyone finds out the truth, the woods just might get a little more crowded.

I agree , it gives us an edge on far state land spots. I decided to after 20 years to hunt a far 2 mile state land spot with another bowhunter last fall and he was struggling and out of breath carrying a huge climber stand. I had my kestrel and light backpack and hunted with ease. Afterwards he wanted to know how to get into saddle hunting lol Im not sure if he is going to but I pointed him in the right direction , new tribe and saddlehunter !


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[flinginairos]

I rather like that saddle hunting has not hit the mainstream. I like going into the empty woods. If everyone finds out the truth, the woods just might get a little more crowded.

I agree. Maybe it’s selfish of me, but I really don’t want it to be a mainstream way of hunting. Saddle hunting takes more research/practice/dedication than a regular stand and with that work comes a ton of advantages and one of those is hunting spots most other guys won’t mess with.


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[bigjoe]

I believe it will become more popular. I agree though it is nice knowing we have an edge. The mainstream hunters are going to always gravitate towards what is easier and less expensive.

A kestrel and steps are roughly $600 to start. You throw in some ScentLok that is another $200-$400 minimum. So you are talking roughly $1000.00 give or take. (Unless you are g2 ). My daughter hunts and I have talked with her about this system. So this year I am talking another grand on top of this.

Where a guy can buy a Lone wolf or Summit climber for under $400.00.

You definetly have to practice with this system. The other systems are easier and not as intimidating.

 

[bongo]

I’m with Vorsteg and flinginairos I hunt by myself 98% of the time am not there for the campfire or to hang out at camp. I’m there to hunt the most mature bucks I can find. I only bow hunt and like being alone. I hunt 99% public land and steer clear of really good places because usually they are high traffic and I feel I have less of a chance of seeing good bucks. Have hunted on dog clubs as Bigjoe talks about and when the hounds start barking the big bucks vaporize. If I know there’s a big buck somewhere and someone is set up between me and him I walk around or don’t go. I am not mainstream but have learned so much from SH the Beast and other forums that it would selfish to not share. But people aren’t stupid and they will learn and you will be heading to your favorite area and won’t be able to get there. Just look at this website in the last year. Where I grew up was the best kept secret in S Florida fishing till the internet came along but there’s not a spot in the bay that doesn’t get hit 4 or 5 times a day. I am not complaining just pointing out fact. So my friends careful what you wish for.


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[mudminnow]

I know I’m a newbie here, but anything to get more people in the woods and hunting can only be seen as a positive. Bad press from hunting accidents and other users of public lands only make our numbers smaller. I plan on detailing my first year of saddle hunting and seeing if any media sources want to pick it up.

While I am drawn to the fact that not many people do it, I think the net positive of getting people in the woods safely with minimal impact is worth trying to spread the word

 

[elk yinzer]

More expensive. Takes some adjustment/practice. Takes work and trial and error to build a good system. Lack of good platform options commercially right now. Overkill for most guys that just want to go hunt and not piddle around with gear.

Hunting from a saddle is sort of a niche thing and there's nothing wrong with that. It will probably never go fully mainstream.

I still use my mobile hang on with sticks and my climber too. They really aren't that awful, I just spend a lot of time and money refining my gear and decided a saddle was worth a shot. More of an incremental improvement than a paradigm shift. The saddle is just another tool in my arsenal.

 

[Boudreaux]

There are a lot of reasons that saddle hunting isn’t “mainstream”, many of the are listed below. I don’t see saddle hunting becoming mainstream, sure saddle hunting is smaller than it could be and there are things that could be done to grow the small industry. Going full main stream is just something that I don’t ever see happening to saddle hunting. Like many have mentioned it is a niche market, it takes a certain type of person to be interested in it, spend the money on it and then go thru the learning curve to understand it and the benefits.
Talking to people and seeing people at shows tells a lot about saddle hunting, most people have no idea what it is and don’t care, some have herd of it or something similar and still don’t care, others have herd of it and show slight interest, then there are those that know of if and understand it.
Marketing could be better, but look at Aero, with almost no marketing they had a hard time keeping up. Now that the first year is past, it would be better to start marketing more and more. So the questions is how and who? Do you sponsor someone who has never used the product before and knows nothing about it? Do you sponsor one of these instagoogletweetface people who will try and shove it down your throat like the do mt ops? I don’t know, @Pats1512 you might as you were in the marketing side of the industry for a while.

Thanks,
Boswell

1st it would have to be easily available and cheap to purchase to get more to try for it to grow in popularity.

I think most guys don’t put a lot of thought in how they get in a tree.

There is a definite learning curve to saddle hunting.

Along with that a lack of a good commercially produced platform.

Saddle hunting takes more research/practice/dedication than a regular stand

You definetly have to practice with this system. The other systems are easier and not as intimidating.

More expensive. Takes some adjustment/practice. Takes work and trial and error to build a good system. Lack of good platform options commercially right now. Overkill for most guys that just want to go hunt and not piddle around with gear.

It will probably never go fully mainstream.

 

[ImThere]

There are a lot of reasons that saddle hunting isn’t “mainstream”, many of the are listed below. I don’t see saddle hunting becoming mainstream, sure saddle hunting is smaller than it could be and there are things that could be done to grow the small industry. Going full main stream is just something that I don’t ever see happening to saddle hunting. Like many have mentioned it is a niche market, it takes a certain type of person to be interested in it, spend the money on it and then go thru the learning curve to understand it and the benefits.
Talking to people and seeing people at shows tells a lot about saddle hunting, most people have no idea what it is and don’t care, some have herd of it or something similar and still don’t care, others have herd of it and show slight interest, then there are those that know of if and understand it.
Marketing could be better, but look at Aero, with almost no marketing they had a hard time keeping up. Now that the first year is past, it would be better to start marketing more and more. So the questions is how and who? Do you sponsor someone who has never used the product before and knows nothing about it? Do you sponsor one of these instagoogletweetface people who will try and shove it down your throat like the do mt ops? I don’t know, @Pats1512 you might as you were in the marketing side of the industry for a while.

Thanks,
Boswell

Reading all the quotes you added reminded me of the transformer that had the messed up voice box! Lol had a whole conversation with the quotes!


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[bigjoe]

I talked to a neighbor about it this morning. Told him I got it and why. He was there after I fell.

I told him Lou, my brother had looked at the system and endorsed it for safety.

My neighbor knows what I went through with the fall, as he was the one who plied me with the bourbon afterwards. He too is scared of heights.

So I think he may be an eventual convert as well. Told him to come over to my yard and check it out later this week.

To me it is all about safety.

 

[flinginairos]

There are a lot of reasons that saddle hunting isn’t “mainstream”, many of the are listed below. I don’t see saddle hunting becoming mainstream, sure saddle hunting is smaller than it could be and there are things that could be done to grow the small industry. Going full main stream is just something that I don’t ever see happening to saddle hunting. Like many have mentioned it is a niche market, it takes a certain type of person to be interested in it, spend the money on it and then go thru the learning curve to understand it and the benefits.
Talking to people and seeing people at shows tells a lot about saddle hunting, most people have no idea what it is and don’t care, some have herd of it or something similar and still don’t care, others have herd of it and show slight interest, then there are those that know of if and understand it.
Marketing could be better, but look at Aero, with almost no marketing they had a hard time keeping up. Now that the first year is past, it would be better to start marketing more and more. So the questions is how and who? Do you sponsor someone who has never used the product before and knows nothing about it? Do you sponsor one of these instagoogletweetface people who will try and shove it down your throat like the do mt ops? I don’t know, @Pats1512 you might as you were in the marketing side of the industry for a while.

Thanks,
Boswell

Just make sure the instagoogletweetface is a hot chick and you'll sell a ton of them!!

 

[pilgrimhunter]

More expensive. Takes some adjustment/practice. Takes work and trial and error to build a good system. Lack of good platform options commercially right now. Overkill for most guys that just want to go hunt and not piddle around with gear..

You make a good point about it just taking too much work. Saddle hunting is geared towards guys that pull their stand every hunt. Most hunters want to have all the work done and just go hunt the same stand again and again. If you take out all the prehung stand guys the market just shrank tremendously.

New tribes approach in this case is probably the better one....


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[bigjoe]

My brothers and I were probably the exception growing up where and how we hunted. We were mobile back in the 80’s.

Too me you want to surprise the deer. Deer not knowing where you are and not patterning you in the same area or tree day after day, or week after week.

 

[Boudreaux]

Reading all the quotes you added reminded me of the transformer that had the messed up voice box! Lol had a whole conversation with the quotes!

Don’t make me come confiscate that fancy kestrel you won! The bribe money you gave me, might not be enough after that comment!

Just make sure the instagoogletweetface is a hot chick and you'll sell a ton of them!!

The hot one are labeled as instagoogletweetsnapfaces, they are all about the Snapchat filter....... no snap no hot ones.......

Thanks,
Boswell

 

[ImThere]

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[Pats1512]

There are a lot of reasons that saddle hunting isn’t “mainstream”, many of the are listed below. I don’t see saddle hunting becoming mainstream, sure saddle hunting is smaller than it could be and there are things that could be done to grow the small industry. Going full main stream is just something that I don’t ever see happening to saddle hunting. Like many have mentioned it is a niche market, it takes a certain type of person to be interested in it, spend the money on it and then go thru the learning curve to understand it and the benefits.
Talking to people and seeing people at shows tells a lot about saddle hunting, most people have no idea what it is and don’t care, some have herd of it or something similar and still don’t care, others have herd of it and show slight interest, then there are those that know of if and understand it.
Marketing could be better, but look at Aero, with almost no marketing they had a hard time keeping up. Now that the first year is past, it would be better to start marketing more and more. So the questions is how and who? Do you sponsor someone who has never used the product before and knows nothing about it? Do you sponsor one of these instagoogletweetface people who will try and shove it down your throat like the do mt ops? I don’t know, @Pats1512 you might as you were in the marketing side of the industry for a while.

Thanks,
Boswell

So when I was at TC it was very similar in the muzzleloader world. You would show people how it worked and how to clean it and they couldn't run away quick enough. A few early added seasons later and some celebrity backing and we were neck deep in making enough. Now that said that isn't going to apply to saddle hunting on the season opportunity side and it won't work to throw Michael Waddell in a saddle in my opinion. But as I mentioned earlier I think the growing popularity of companies like Sitka and guys spending thousands on bows yearly I don't think cost is the factor for a lot as much as function.
When I say mainstream I would say Hoyt, mathews, Sitka are all main stream companies and they don't sell at Wal Mart, but they do appeal to customers because of technology. That is where I think saddle hunting could go, figure out how to grab that lone wolf and summit customer who have the income and spend the time buying better lighter gear. If you think about it people spend hundreds more to buy lighter weight guns, air weight performance clothing and carbon fiber bows. Then they use ten differnent scent proof methods and get in camo and after all that they carry a metal trash can that weighs 20lbs on their back through the woods. So to answer your question Boudreaux, if I was marketing a saddle it would be to me telling people a few things:
-Increasing your shootable range
-Packing in light and quiet with no disturbance to you area
-Having mobility to move where you want to hunt at will
- Hunting the tree you want to hunt and not the one you have to so your stand fits nicely.

I think the saddle answers a lot of questions bow hunters have and would make the extra effort worth it to them, it's more just education as to why. Grass roots marketing formed companies like vortex and Sitka relatively quick and no reason this type of marketing wouldn't work for aero hunter, and with how awesome the kestrel is now would be the time they could do it. I look at this selfishly not wanting to see aero hunter go the way of trophy line and be talking about where you can still find a harness in 5 years. I don't want everyone doing it but it wouldn't hurt my feelings to see the industry have some growth.

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[MJH]

I rather like that saddle hunting has not hit the mainstream. I like going into the empty woods. If everyone finds out the truth, the woods just might get a little more crowded.

Ya I am with V.
I am more than happy to know where everyone else hunts, and not one of them know where I am going to be (I am mostly a public land hunter). Let them keep buying those ladder stands...

 

[VA saddlehunter]

Ya I am with V.
I am more than happy to know where everyone else hunts, and not one of them know where I am going to be (I am mostly a public land hunter). Let them keep buying those ladder stands...

Im' with ya brother, I like it just the way it is! I enjoy being part of the "Saddle mafia "