-
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
Kind Of A Lopsided Comparison "Saddle vs Stand a real world mobile comparison"
- Thread starter ricky racer
- Start date
- Status
This was painful to watch and I went back to a hang on stand in 2020.
Funny thing is the THP crew has been having zero problems killing huge bucks on public land out of saddles for nearly two seasons now. Weird
Funny thing is the THP crew has been having zero problems killing huge bucks on public land out of saddles for nearly two seasons now. Weird
Use whatever makes you feel better, but this is just another typical midwest/archery biased video, much like most threads on this site. For those of us in the south that spend much more time in trees with guns than bows and there is almost always a telephone tree available to climb in a good spot, the difference is negligible. I quit choosing and used an X-stand climber with my saddle and got to have my cake and eat it too most of last fall. I ended up hunting more in the ground than a tree anyway, so neither was the best answer for me (see @Nutterbuster Waldrup pack seat video).
I killed deer from the ground this year. I never feel like I’m at a disadvantage when I do. I also liked deer from a tree. It is certainly what works for you. Having the distance advantage using a rifle removes much of the concern you would have with being spotted in a tree or having to draw a bow. So your bias is as such.
I do plan on having a pac seat this coming season though. My knees hate me when I’m hunting on the ground without a seat, kneeling for hours.
I went back to a hang on and RCH last year due to an injury to my Achilles....It had zero impact on my hunting other than a slightly larger footprint on my back when carrying it. This is the same way I hunted for many years prior to learning about "Saddles", and I use the RCH to lean, whenever needed just like a saddle. I'm with @Bwhana use whatever works for you and makes you happy....
That is a What Not to Do video, saddle or stand. They should have stayed on the ground or at home even better. One more thing a $650 stand is not going to help this set up.
11 to 1 o clock is tough in a stand, like 1 to 3 pm is tough in a saddle. Set up accordingly.
I'm lovin' it.
With all the hype on stands and saddles and hunting from the ground and hunting public, prices of box blinds will surely plummet and I'll be able to get a few hunting properties cheap due to lack of interest and put em all over like the guys who used to be cool.
If I can only find that M.A.D. call.
Thanks influencers, for making my dream season possible.
With all the hype on stands and saddles and hunting from the ground and hunting public, prices of box blinds will surely plummet and I'll be able to get a few hunting properties cheap due to lack of interest and put em all over like the guys who used to be cool.
If I can only find that M.A.D. call.
Thanks influencers, for making my dream season possible.
I thought the saddle execution was very poor in the video. I thought the presentation was a little biased toward stand hunting. An experienced saddle hunter would have leveled the playing field in that particular test...... I could have shot 360 out of their test tree very easily. In the guys defense though...... he admitted he wasn’t the best person to represent the saddle (he was not very nimble in the saddle and claimed to not like heights). So at least he was up front.
I get Dan’s point and he was walking around picking out some nasty trees. Maybe a hang on would be the better option in the scenarios he was pointing out. Any of those trees would be tough with either option. But..... you can make a bad leaner work with a larger platform(using it like a stand) and a saddle. A ring of steps may not be kind to you on a severe leaner.
There is no doubt a saddle requires more movement than a traditional tree stand sometimes, especially weak side shots. Strong side shots require less movement in a saddle than a traditional stand sometimes as well. Tradeoffs..............
I get Dan’s point and he was walking around picking out some nasty trees. Maybe a hang on would be the better option in the scenarios he was pointing out. Any of those trees would be tough with either option. But..... you can make a bad leaner work with a larger platform(using it like a stand) and a saddle. A ring of steps may not be kind to you on a severe leaner.
There is no doubt a saddle requires more movement than a traditional tree stand sometimes, especially weak side shots. Strong side shots require less movement in a saddle than a traditional stand sometimes as well. Tradeoffs..............
Last edited:
Dan is the man, if he could have stood like that the whole evening he hunted there. Metal top hang on stand? My rear hurts just thinking about it. Standing there the whole time with nothing to take the pressure off my feet? Pass. Some times when I was hunting I wished I was back in a comfy hang on.
I was not impressed with the use the of saddle here. Looking at that tree, I feel like I could have climbed it easily, and setup for those shots without any problems. There are all kinds of issues in this.
Dan is a serious hunter - there is no argument, but he's got to put competent people in his videos if he wants to influence my opinions.
Dan is a serious hunter - there is no argument, but he's got to put competent people in his videos if he wants to influence my opinions.
I think having a bad area not blocked by the tree and what is an ok area out of a stand messes with people’s minds
they can’t wrap their head around that being able to shoot around the tree easier offsets this
I probably move more in a saddle because I change positions for comfort
also there is an urge to swing a little like a kid on a tire swing so I have to watch that
they can’t wrap their head around that being able to shoot around the tree easier offsets this
I probably move more in a saddle because I change positions for comfort
also there is an urge to swing a little like a kid on a tire swing so I have to watch that
I appreciate the fact that the guy admitted he is no very comfortable at heights and not an experienced saddle hunter. Dan Infalt is a killing machine in his own right. The fact is that with experience and practice most hunters could get that shot off out of a saddle. Most of us would probably straddle that tree facing where the deer was expected from which in theory would make our profile even smaller possibly. Some of Dan’s points are good. How about a stand that is as small as the new platforms with a small fold down seat??? I’m sure guys could figure methods to use and would give ya the option to do either? Use your Tether as your safety line and have a lightweight safety harness to use!! Or better yet and add on to your saddle if you needed???? Damn I need to market that!! Lol
I think that video was dumb. It also just reinforced my thoughts that Dan really missed by not having 6 leveling slots on his stand. I would have set up differently in that tree for a few reasons but I probably would have stood the entire time. I like Dan and have benefitted greatly from his DVDs, but without that extra leveling, it's a 625 dollar alpha. I hunt from a stand and prefer it. I have some weird feet issues, I move a lot and can't be comfortable for long on a platform when I'm in a saddle. I have a few, they just haven't seen use in quite some time.
I am watching the video now. Agree 100 percent with his statement that the hype is silly and the advantages are often overstated. But I also can't help but chuckle at his first tree that's "leaning the wrong way" that would be leaning the right way in a saddle. Curious to see how this unfolds.
Y'all better not post spoilers!
Y'all better not post spoilers!
So what do saddle hunter claim that is overstated. I've only got one season under my belt so I'm still trying to learn.
i filled 2 tags out of trees i just decided to climb while hunting on a quick decition.1 while elk hunting .i where my saddle the whole season.decide to rest in a tree and harvested a bear.no climbing gear.i was late getting to some tall timber i wanted to spot and stalk.i climbed some short timber over a medow closer to me truck.and harvested a blacktail.im not saying saddles are so much better but i would not have had those opertunities any other way.its just another tool of the trade and when deploide in the right situation can turn an audible into a touchdown.cant carry a stand around for 13 hours in elk country.or just make quick desitions to climb when your goal was to cover ground.and neather of those trees could be shot 360 .both only had 1 opening
Last edited:
- Status