1st rut with saddle

[tider]

I carried my saddle to Ks this year and was able to really be mobile when I wasn’t seeing the action that I was wanting to see . I was going to the deer instead of waiting on them to come to me.

While my other companions were mainly hunting the same stands , due to not wanting to tear down their locon and reset to a new location. One guy tried to hunt from the ground , but was being spotted or the deer were winding him.

I hiked in a mile or more several evenings and set up on great looking new areas. I was able to climb a couple trees I’m not sure I could’ve hung my locon on. I loved being able to scout new areas and pop up when a I saw good sign.

Although I didn’t kill my buck from my saddle this year, I was in the mix with a lot of action from being able to be mobile. This will definitely pay off in the future with giving me the ability to cover more area.

I wound up killing a nice 8 pt. out of a cedar thicket where I had to use a locon. One of the few places that a saddle is not ideal.

I’m converted and couldn’t imagine not having the saddle in my arsenal from here out.


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[g2outdoors]

success story if I've ever heard one. Congrats and thanks for sharing.

 

[sojourner]

...I was able to climb a couple trees I’m not sure I could’ve hung my locon on. I loved being able to scout new areas and pop up when a I saw good sign.

...

I wound up killing a nice 8 pt. out of a cedar thicket where I had to use a locon. One of the few places that a saddle is not ideal.

...

Not trying to be a Saddle Hunter Debbie Downer, but your kill this year was only realized by a locon that you had to use, and where saddle is not ideal.

Can you share what the circumstances of what caused you having to use a locon at the exclusion of a saddle?

Also, in the interest of fairness, can you share the trees you saddle hunted out of that you could not hang your locon on?

I use saddles (sit drag and Guidos Web), but am not married to them and do not use them exclusively. My goal is to kill deer. Everything else is secondary to that.

IMO, Saddles are definitely important, but not to the exclusion of other methods of killin deer elevated in a tree.

Thanks, in advance, for your response.

 

[tider]

I’m not a saddle purist.... I still have locons and climbers. I like the mobility of the saddle though. Yes, you can be mobile with locons as well, but carrying very minimum weight to scout new areas and the ability to pop up and hunt is something I’m enjoying.

I will still use locons and climbers where it makes sense, but will be hunting a lot from the saddle.

The cedars where I killed my buck is a line of cedars that stretches for a little over 400 yards long. These are mature cedars that are 30-45 feet tall that has limbs all the way up. You would have to trim a lot of limbs to be able to hunt from the saddle. With the locon, you trim the fewest amount that you can to remain hidden and I shoot while sitting down. I Would have to trim a lot more to be able to stand and shoot.


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[tider]

I hunted from some very small diameter trees and by being on the back side of them, it broke up my outline from any approaching deer.

I also hunted from some trees that had a backwards lean that I don’t think would have worked well with a locon.