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How steep is the learning curve?

H

HardBall

Active Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2017
Messages
132
Thanks to you guys I have about $800 into this saddle hunting thing but I have never even seen a saddle lol...waiting for mine to arrive. I've been going over it in my mind 100 times and think I kind of know what to expect. But my question is after setting up in my yard a couple of times, will I be able to hunt out of this thing or will it take weeks of practice? I'm getting antsy...the woods are calling me and I've got to get out there, saddle or no saddle!

Also, another nagging question I have...Can you pee out of these things?
 
Lol. Awesome post.

You will be good to go after setting up a few times. Doesn't take weeks to get proficient enough to kill. However, it will take awhile to feel totally at home. I would say a full season or two. I killed a great 8 point my second or third sit and I didn't practice much ahead of time.

What is your climbing method?

could definitely pee out of mine. Would look interesting from the ground, but I could pull it off.

Sent from my Galaxy S8.
 
I'm planning on sticks primarily but I also want to try out DDRT...I'm a nimble little guy. I figure my first few hunts I will make use of some of the 40 some-odd stands we already have set up on our place as "presets"
 
Just get comfortable with the saddle and practice stepping around the tree with your bow at full draw. Practice hunting scenarios get used to the climbing belt the tether and the length of your Bridge and set up one or two steps and practice a little bit off the ground so you feel like you're up in the tree it doesn't take that long to get used to it and have fun.
 
One of my mistakes years ago in my Trophyline i was at the end of a morning hunt so I decided to draw and swing around a bit. Everything was good till I tried to let my bow down. I hit my trigger on my bridge or tether and my arrow disappeared into the field. Watch your release trigger when you let down!

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Easiest way to feel safe is to setup a couple feet up and try to fall out of it. Once you realize that if you fall off the steps or platform you aren't going to hit the ground it's a confidence boost. Practice shooting and climbing. The climbing system takes as much to get used to as anything so set them up and take them down every time you practice. Then when you do start hunting I like to pick places around me and see what it will take to get in position. Then try it without looking at your feet. I do this before climbing down from a morning hunt. I will also often draw and make sure nothing is in the way. That way you will be improving with every sit.
 
I would imagine that the saddle systems really pay divid ends when hunting bucks in the thick stuff if that’s your thing. I personally am still trying to get really good at finding deer. Then I’ll progress. I do like how you can swing all the way around the tree
 
I have only hunted out of it once, but really enjoyed my sit. The advantage of being able to shoot almost 360 degrees is worth it in itself. I use hawk helium sticks, for practice I have been only going two sticks high. I set up my platform and pull up my bow. I have two targets set up on at 20 yards to my left and the other at 30 yards on the oppo side of the tree. I shoot two arrows at each and climb down pull my arrows and move targets to different positions, climb back up and shoot 4 more times. I feel once my climbing method is perfected it will change my game. I time myself going up and breaking my setup down. With 4 sticks and my platform it takes me 15-20 minutes to get completely setup and about that to break down. The saddle itself is so comfortable and I feel completely safe the entire time. I wish I would have made the change years earlier. On my first hunt I was able to push in very close to a buck bed I had scouted preseason. My summit I was hanging 60 yards away from where I needed to be. Hunting out of the Kestrel, I was able to get into the exact tree I needed to be in, a split trunk sweet gum with a lean to it. My climber would have been ineffective. I saw two small bucks not my target buck, but they never knew I was there and I slipped out clean. The saddle will change your hunting approach, at least it has changed mine and allows me to be aggressive.
 
Patrick Frizelle said:
I have only hunted out of it once, but really enjoyed my sit. The advantage of being able to shoot almost 360 degrees is worth it in itself. I use hawk helium sticks, for practice I have been only going two sticks high. I set up my platform and pull up my bow. I have two targets set up on at 20 yards to my left and the other at 30 yards on the oppo side of the tree. I shoot two arrows at each and climb down pull my arrows and move targets to different positions, climb back up and shoot 4 more times. I feel once my climbing method is perfected it will change my game. I time myself going up and breaking my setup down. With 4 sticks and my platform it takes me 15-20 minutes to get completely setup and about that to break down. The saddle itself is so comfortable and I feel completely safe the entire time. I wish I would have made the change years earlier. On my first hunt I was able to push in very close to a buck bed I had scouted preseason. My summit I was hanging 60 yards away from where I needed to be. Hunting out of the Kestrel, I was able to get into the exact tree I needed to be in, a split trunk sweet gum with a lean to it. My climber would have been ineffective. I saw two small bucks not my target buck, but they never knew I was there and I slipped out clean. The saddle will change your hunting approach, at least it has changed mine and allows me to be aggressive.
Click to expand...

Excellent!!!
 
I never found shooting out of the saddle hard at all. The one thing that will take time is the organization part and where you are putting/storing things. You need to have a very specific setup/tear down routine to make yourself efficient as possible. That takes a little time and I still find myself tweaking little things and I'm on my fourth year


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flinginairos said:
I never found shooting out of the saddle hard at all. The one thing that will take time is the organization part and where you are putting/storing things. You need to have a very specific setup/tear down routine to make yourself efficient as possible. That takes a little time and I still find myself tweaking little things and I'm on my fourth year


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I'm still always changing things. Just because something is good, it doesn't mean it can't be better!
 
It seems very easy if you were a run and gunner before. Only difference is not hanging a stand, instead just a platform.

ive seen a few post in other threads but where do you most guys hang their bow and pack. how high or low?
 
I hang my bow high enough that if I'm shooting on that side of the tree the bow hanger can't hit my top limb. I've done that before and it cost me a deer. I hang my backpack low enough I can lean that way and look into the top of it. Usually just above knee height. I've found that's what works best for me. Everyone here does everything a little different. I'm still new to this and I change things a good bit every hunt.
 
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