• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Hunting w/ a saddle but no platform

TheYote

TheYote

Active Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2018
Messages
137
I fear my platform won't arrive in time before the season here in TN ends. It's my fault for waiting so late to order. Has anyone ever hunted out of a saddle with no platform. I'll be using a rifle (no need to stand up), knee pads and climbing spurs. I thought that between the pads and spurs I could manage. Any thoughts?
 
You could always make a temporary one out of a ratchet strap + 2x4 with two cuts in it that you feed the strap through. I did this while waiting on my ROS to come in.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
A few folks around here speak of hunting out a Guidos Web with only spurs as their “ platform “. Doable because you are always in a comfortable sitting position. Not sure how that would work with any other saddle.
 
If you can use them where you hunt, get some screw in steps for now...you'll want them to help position your self if you need a shot. Pretty restrictive to not have a solid surface to push off of and move yourself around...
 
Seems like it would be pretty uncomfortable after a while. While I don't think spurs hurt a tree, it seems like you could do a good bit of damage constantly moving on them. Add the additional risk of sticking a spur in you ankle trying to position yourself for a shot, I think I would get a drill and bolts till the platform comes in(if it's in the budget).

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
You need some sort of positioning aid. Whether steps, branches, platform, etc. you need *something.*. I don't know that the Spurs are that.
 
I hunted last Saturday for a couple hours hanging on the backside of a tree where my daughter was hunting in a lock-on. I leaned most of the time with one foot on a ratchet buckle and the other on the end of a footpeg of the climbing sticks (some old interlocking sticks that go from ground to the stand). I have to admit, it wasn't that bad. I couldn't bow hunt like that, but if I needed to take a shot with the muzzleloader I could have.
 
I would get something up on the tree. I may be wrong but I don’t think you will get much use out of your knee pads while using just spurs. You could get away with just a couple steps but even with a rifle it’s nice to be able to reposition yourself. I walked 180 degrees around the tree last weekend to shoot a pig in the ear using the tree as a brace. He was only 70 yards but if shooting off hand I likely would have sent one into the heart/lungs and had to search for it in the rain.
 
I recall someone on here a couple of years ago that said he only uses his Spurs with no platform. He would try to have at least one branch to stand on for relief. So it can be done.

As someone else on this thread said, if you’re hunting from Spurs you will be leaning most of the time to keep the spur in the tree so knee pads won’t help as much as with a platform.
 
2 screw in steps - couple of bucks - pretty much all i use when using spurs. use top of climbing sticks and 2 screw ins when using sticks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top