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My Cardinal Rule for Saddle Hunting

redsquirrel

redsquirrel

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I have mentioned this before but I want to point it out for new users. My cardinal rule for saddle hunting is to spot the deer before they have the chance to spot me. This goes counter to what everyone has been trained their entire lives, but I am constantly in motion. "Head on a swivel". In addition to my head on a swivel, I may slowly sway side to side if I need to in order to view 360 degrees around me. By doing this I am able to get hidden by the tree or in position to get a shot before the deer gets a chance to spot me. This is a huge advantage of the saddle!!

Last night I got beat. The ground was holding moisture and it was very quiet. I was in a new spot where it was very thick and the deer could appear from anywhere at any time. At 6:30 I had a doe with a fawn come from my right and cross through some thick stuff in front of me without a shot opportunity. I started paying extra attention to that direction and then at 7:00 I hear a twig break behind me to my left. I turn my head to the left and there is a doe 15 yards away. Here I am on the exposed side of the tree and she is too close for me to move. BUSTED. She bounced off and rubbed it in by woofing at me.

For the most part situations like this where the ground is so quiet are the only times I get busted. The only way I can prevent this is to be vigilante and keep looking in all directions constantly.
 
I fidget a lot whether in a saddle or in a hang-on. Saddle definitely gives me a better opportunity to see deer coming from a blind spot even at the expense of slightly more movement. I have only been busted once in the saddle and that was my first season using it and in a bad setup (low on the tree, very little back ground cover).
 
Thunder81 said:
Yep, same for me. Red, how high in the tree do you usually hunt?
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A minimum of 20 feet, but I prefer at least 25. It all depends on the cover available in the tree, the height of the canopy, the time of season and where the best shot opportunities will present themselves.
 
redsquirrel said:
I have mentioned this before but I want to point it out for new users. My cardinal rule for saddle hunting is to spot the deer before they have the chance to spot me. This goes counter to what everyone has been trained their entire lives, but I am constantly in motion. "Head on a swivel". In addition to my head on a swivel, I may slowly sway side to side if I need to in order to view 360 degrees around me. By doing this I am able to get hidden by the tree or in position to get a shot before the deer gets a chance to spot me. This is a huge advantage of the saddle!!

Last night I got beat. The ground was holding moisture and it was very quiet. I was in a new spot where it was very thick and the deer could appear from anywhere at any time. At 6:30 I had a doe with a fawn come from my right and cross through some thick stuff in front of me without a shot opportunity. I started paying extra attention to that direction and then at 7:00 I hear a twig break behind me to my left. I turn my head to the left and there is a doe 15 yards away. Here I am on the exposed side of the tree and she is too close for me to move. BUSTED. She bounced off and rubbed it in by woofing at me.

For the most part situations like this where the ground is so quiet are the only times I get busted. The only way I can prevent this is to be vigilante and keep looking in all directions constantly.
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Red I couldn't agree more!! Spotting the deer before they see you is the method I use. There have been cases where it was too late or I missed them but seeing them allows you to get in that position that is best for you to make that opportunity happen. Great advice!! Plus we have the edge with mobility might as well use it, if not basically you might as well just sit stationary in a treestand!!
 
This is a great thread, after my first few sits I've been wondering this because I feel like I move a lot.

Red do you glass the area around you or just eyeballs? How high do you need to be to not get busted?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
donnieballgame said:
This is a great thread, after my first few sits I've been wondering this because I feel like I move a lot.

Red do you glass the area around you or just eyeballs? How high do you need to be to not get busted?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
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I don't glass. I stopped carrying binoculars because it was just more crap to carry. Most places I hunt are so thick that I can either see the deer or I can't, so I don't need glass to help me see them.

I don't think there is a height where you "need to be to not get busted". If you are making excessive movement when the deer is around you they will eventually spot you. That is kinda my point. I move when the deer are not around so that I can spot them first and hide behind the tree or get into position when they are close. I will move around the tree and swing in to position when they are close to get the shot, but I am doing that when I have eyes on them and I know where they are looking, ie not at me!
 
Red, you have the same kind of deer I have around me. It don't matter how high you get, the deer look in the trees. If you are not behind something, they will find you. I want some of those deer that you see on the hunting videos. They can make all the noise the want and they can move all they want without getting spotted! That never happens in Tennessee.
 
Great post, Red.

I find that this is one of the most important things to do when saddle hunting to keep success rates high. Keep your eyes open and head on a swivel. Far too often I am stuck with my head in my phone reading a book, and I look up to see deer already in too close. Phone down, eyes up!!
 
redsquirrel said:
I don't glass. I stopped carrying binoculars because it was just more crap to carry. Most places I hunt are so thick that I can either see the deer or I can't, so I don't need glass to help me see them.

I don't think there is a height where you "need to be to not get busted". If you are making excessive movement when the deer is around you they will eventually spot you. That is kinda my point. I move when the deer are not around so that I can spot them first and hide behind the tree or get into position when they are close. I will move around the tree and swing in to position when they are close to get the shot, but I am doing that when I have eyes on them and I know where they are looking, ie not at me!
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Copy ditch the binoculars! I've been around 25 feet, and had 9 run right past me on Saturday, and I didn't hide behind the tree, it's good to know I wasn't too far off lol

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
Don't be too hard on yourself. Deer move quietly even when the ground is dry. Their attentiveness to their surroundings is probably unmatched in the animal world. They almost always look like they could use a little xanax for anxiety. Hard to win every battle. Just saddle up and go get even!!!!
 
huck72412 said:
Don't be too hard on yourself. Deer move quietly even when the ground is dry. Their attentiveness to their surroundings is probably unmatched in the animal world. They almost always look like they could use a little xanax for anxiety. Hard to win every battle. Just saddle up and go get even!!!!
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You're absolutely right. Although I fell like a fool the rest of the evening (and a little bit still), I did immediately chalk it up to that smart old doe and I gave her credit. That is what makes hunting fun. She knows I was in that tree though so I can guarantee next time I'm after her I'll be in a different tree.
 
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