I’ve just completed my seventh season of whitetail hunting exclusively from a saddle. While sitting in the tree this last month I started reflecting on my saddle hunting journey and how much this site and its members have meant to me over that time. While considering this it occurred to me that Saddlehunter.com will be 10 years old in Feb. of 2024. That’s right, our own @redsquirrel kicked off this forum in Feb. of 2014. I doubt when he started he could have foreseen the magnitude of the impact his hobby site would have on saddle hunting.
Scott himself describes his vision when starting this site as just trying to create a venue where he and others who shared his love of hunting from tree saddles could get together and discuss equipment, methods, DIY ideas and general safety. In that goal he has definitely succeeded.
To put this in perspective, you have to remember that in Feb. 2014 there were no commercial saddle manufacturers in business. The original Trophyline had closed their doors and if you wanted to hunt from a saddle your options were pretty slim. You could try to buy a used Trophyline on line for an exorbitant amount of money (trust me I lost a lot of bids on Ebay in those days
), you could combine a Sit Drag (ground use only) with a rock climbing harness or you could DIY something like a preacher’s seat. There just weren’t many safe options available although Aerohunter did enter the market with their EVO offering sometime that year. As far as platforms go there were even fewer options. Ring of steps using Ameristeps were the most common choice but again, that manufacturer was defunct and the steps were getting top dollar individually and you need 4 or 5 to make a reasonable ring. The alternative was to DIY or repurpose something you already owned. The small community Scott created was/is the perfect place to ask questions, share ideas and vet out unsafe practices that should be avoided.
From a personal standpoint I discovered this group in teh summer of 2014 after buying an EVO and finding a card referencing online resources in its packaging. I lurked here for a couple of years absorbing information and trying ideas until I finally joined in 2016. I have to say I struggled mightily in my early days of trying to become a saddle hunter. Without the help and guidance provided by the friendly and helpful members of this site I have no doubt I would have thrown in the towel and gone back to my Summits. I wish I had room here to offer credit to the individuals who’s particular innovation/advice I feel have helped me the most but the post is already too long.
One of the things I’ve always felt was special about this site is that generally the discussions among members is more similar to those you would have in a face to face conversation and not those typically seen by a lot of keyboard warriors often found on internet forums. I think a lot of that has to do with the culture fostered by Scott on this site from day one to avoid controversial topics not related to saddle hunting and to treat each other with respect, even if our opinions differ.
Also for me, way more than the information/ideas that have helped me continue and grow as a saddle hunter, is the acquaintances/friends I have found here. I find it amazing everyday that there are folks I have never met (and some I have) personally but that I consider friends. Without this forum I would likely have never come to know any of you. Again, I have to give a hearty Thanks to Scott for creating a place where a common Joe can meet and develop relationships with a wide demographic of people from around all corners of the country/North America. Personally I feel truly blessed by the relationships I’ve found here.
This brings me to my final thoughts on the impact that I feel that is a direct result of this forum’s existence. I don’t think many would argue that the recent prolific growth of saddle hunting has been at least in part due to a single company’s marketing efforts promoting saddle hunting tactics and equipment through the promotion by online hunting media “influencers”. This promotion among the influencers has changed the perception of saddle hunting from some “crazy guys hanging uncomfortably from trees in ropes and diapers” to being a largely accepted way to hunt among the mainstream hunting public. I’ve seen that perception change even among my lifelong friends who used to scoff at my uncomfortable diaper to now even considering getting a saddle themselves because their favorite online hunters are using one now. However I digress, my point isn’t intended to be about any single company specifically, its more about the potential power of the connections provided here. What are the odds of a guy from South Carolina getting together with a guy from Minnesota and then enlisting the help of a couple of guys from West Virgina and Missouri to create a saddle company without the relationships built in this forum. In my opinion those odds are pretty slim. Add to that any number of other small, organic saddle companies/suppliers who got their inspiration and/or confidence to forge out on the path of becoming a saddle hunting supplier through the interactions and relationships built here. I offer a heartfelt “great job” and wishes for continued success to all of you here who may think you fall into that category.
For us mere product users the benefit of this profound growth of saddle hunting is that we as saddle hunters now have a steadily increasing number of options for saddles, platforms and associated accessories. The increased awareness and acceptance has also created an uptick in demand for saddle hunting products that have made it financially viable for new companies to enter the market and succeed/excel. This viability has, and will continue to, drive ongoing innovation and new ideas that can/will surely enhance our personal hunting experiences as we move forward.
It is my feeling that these opportunities would not exist, at least not this quickly (and time is of the essence when you’re an old guy like me), without the seeds generated by Scott’s "hobby site". For that I have to give a sincere Thank You to Scott and offer a Happy 10th Anniversary to Saddlehunter.com and all its members. My best wishes for all of you and I’m looking forward to continued collaboration with all of you going forward!
Congratulations on a great 10 years Scott!
Scott himself describes his vision when starting this site as just trying to create a venue where he and others who shared his love of hunting from tree saddles could get together and discuss equipment, methods, DIY ideas and general safety. In that goal he has definitely succeeded.
To put this in perspective, you have to remember that in Feb. 2014 there were no commercial saddle manufacturers in business. The original Trophyline had closed their doors and if you wanted to hunt from a saddle your options were pretty slim. You could try to buy a used Trophyline on line for an exorbitant amount of money (trust me I lost a lot of bids on Ebay in those days
), you could combine a Sit Drag (ground use only) with a rock climbing harness or you could DIY something like a preacher’s seat. There just weren’t many safe options available although Aerohunter did enter the market with their EVO offering sometime that year. As far as platforms go there were even fewer options. Ring of steps using Ameristeps were the most common choice but again, that manufacturer was defunct and the steps were getting top dollar individually and you need 4 or 5 to make a reasonable ring. The alternative was to DIY or repurpose something you already owned. The small community Scott created was/is the perfect place to ask questions, share ideas and vet out unsafe practices that should be avoided.From a personal standpoint I discovered this group in teh summer of 2014 after buying an EVO and finding a card referencing online resources in its packaging. I lurked here for a couple of years absorbing information and trying ideas until I finally joined in 2016. I have to say I struggled mightily in my early days of trying to become a saddle hunter. Without the help and guidance provided by the friendly and helpful members of this site I have no doubt I would have thrown in the towel and gone back to my Summits. I wish I had room here to offer credit to the individuals who’s particular innovation/advice I feel have helped me the most but the post is already too long.
One of the things I’ve always felt was special about this site is that generally the discussions among members is more similar to those you would have in a face to face conversation and not those typically seen by a lot of keyboard warriors often found on internet forums. I think a lot of that has to do with the culture fostered by Scott on this site from day one to avoid controversial topics not related to saddle hunting and to treat each other with respect, even if our opinions differ.
Also for me, way more than the information/ideas that have helped me continue and grow as a saddle hunter, is the acquaintances/friends I have found here. I find it amazing everyday that there are folks I have never met (and some I have) personally but that I consider friends. Without this forum I would likely have never come to know any of you. Again, I have to give a hearty Thanks to Scott for creating a place where a common Joe can meet and develop relationships with a wide demographic of people from around all corners of the country/North America. Personally I feel truly blessed by the relationships I’ve found here.
This brings me to my final thoughts on the impact that I feel that is a direct result of this forum’s existence. I don’t think many would argue that the recent prolific growth of saddle hunting has been at least in part due to a single company’s marketing efforts promoting saddle hunting tactics and equipment through the promotion by online hunting media “influencers”. This promotion among the influencers has changed the perception of saddle hunting from some “crazy guys hanging uncomfortably from trees in ropes and diapers” to being a largely accepted way to hunt among the mainstream hunting public. I’ve seen that perception change even among my lifelong friends who used to scoff at my uncomfortable diaper to now even considering getting a saddle themselves because their favorite online hunters are using one now. However I digress, my point isn’t intended to be about any single company specifically, its more about the potential power of the connections provided here. What are the odds of a guy from South Carolina getting together with a guy from Minnesota and then enlisting the help of a couple of guys from West Virgina and Missouri to create a saddle company without the relationships built in this forum. In my opinion those odds are pretty slim. Add to that any number of other small, organic saddle companies/suppliers who got their inspiration and/or confidence to forge out on the path of becoming a saddle hunting supplier through the interactions and relationships built here. I offer a heartfelt “great job” and wishes for continued success to all of you here who may think you fall into that category.
For us mere product users the benefit of this profound growth of saddle hunting is that we as saddle hunters now have a steadily increasing number of options for saddles, platforms and associated accessories. The increased awareness and acceptance has also created an uptick in demand for saddle hunting products that have made it financially viable for new companies to enter the market and succeed/excel. This viability has, and will continue to, drive ongoing innovation and new ideas that can/will surely enhance our personal hunting experiences as we move forward.
It is my feeling that these opportunities would not exist, at least not this quickly (and time is of the essence when you’re an old guy like me
), without the seeds generated by Scott’s "hobby site". For that I have to give a sincere Thank You to Scott and offer a Happy 10th Anniversary to Saddlehunter.com and all its members. My best wishes for all of you and I’m looking forward to continued collaboration with all of you going forward!Congratulations on a great 10 years Scott!
