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My question is how good should your physcal shape should be using a tree saddle

You must be living proof that it is possible to fall out of a saddle ‘cause you done fell and bumped your head
 
My bet would be he is referencing an arborist saddle. It is a totally different game swinging and hanging from branches all day versus leaning into a hunting saddle. Lots of out of shape guys have been saddle hunting many years.
I was 5’7” and 187lbs when I first started saddle hunting. That being said, losing 37lbs didn’t hurt the cause.


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I’m 64 and have used a saddle almost exclusively for 35 years. Comfort has never been an issue. The worst day I had this year was in a hang on stand. Kills my back. I do think a man should be able to do at least a couple of pull ups when hunting any type of stand. With that said things do change as you get older with both strength and balance. I no longer use my teeth to bite my tether as I hook up for a days sit.



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TreeMonkey_1 said:
@kidneystones_3000 I'm new here too brother I have been in the tree care industry for just over ten years. This comes down to are you willing to try this saddle thing. Yup it's going to take some getting use to! You might be able to do it and you might not. The better shape your in no doubt helps in my humble opinion. I have had work saddles that were terrible and had some that I really liked. Then I found the one I have now and love it, took me a few years to find it. Not saying your old, but are you willing to try and make a change at this point in the game is a personal decision. Seems to be guys on here a bit older and younger that have made a smooth transition and are loving the change!!! My father is just over 50 in fantastic shape if I gave him a saddle he wouldn't use he is set in his ways!! He is killing big mature southwest Virginia mountain buck in his climbing tree stand..... Who knows you may have someone from the site close to you, who has a saddle and will come let you try one out!!! Good luck man stay safe out there in whatever you choose!
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Thanks for your advise i am going to make the switch some this year i plan on practiceing this spring i will be useing the one stick climbing method and the wild edge steps. i hunt all public land and sometimes i have walk 2 miles to get to my stand (my climbing tree stand with seat weighs 20lbs) i am just tired of the carring the weight.
 
Im 47 , this was my first year in the saddle. now I don't know about you guys but Ive hiked with a climber on my back. Pretty far into the woods. Its tiring! you have the climber 16 to 20 pounds plus your pack which could weigh up to ten pounds depending on what you like to take with you. I used sticks this year because that is what I had. The physical part of attaching and climbing sticks is really no worse ( and could be easier then using a climber. I guess you can make it as physical as you want , but to climb up sticks isn't bad. Hell if your not wanting to attach and climbe just find trees and use a climbing ladder stick. once it is there that's a piece of cake.
Either way the saddle is another thing , and the platform or steps you use dictate comfort in the long run. Every guy on here has a way he prefers and it takes a bit of time to figure out. You want a saddle that fits you. Man did I pay for discomfort at first , but that's ok. I had to live and learn. the learning curve is finding where you like to attach your tether ,being able to have the right bridge length , the length of your prusik and change how your leaning, or sitting. There is an adjustment period at first. I like a back band as well it makes the saddle way more comfortable! Ive found being able to move my feet to the side of the tree after awhile relieves discomfort and having side adjusters helps as well. Other guys don't like that , I know when I was younger I would have fought the discomfort , but now I like being comfortable while I sit. I had to learn to adjust my tether up or down on the tree. That's how I found the best spot for comfort also being able to adjust your bridge helps. It takes a bit Of time to get use to but trust me I will never use my climber again!
 
I'm 54, some climbers and specifically a millennium loc on are more comfortable but I no longer want to shoot a bow while wondering about my feet slipping off a piece of expanded metal. Don't want to be concerned about balance. Like Dalton said above, its more mentally comfortable.
It will take some reasonable level of physical fitness to attach and climb. Practice this at home until it becomes routine.
 
I'm 48 and just made the switch to saddle. IMO, If your healthy enough to lug a 20lb climber 2 miles each way then you are most definately healthy enough to saddle hunt.

For comfort, switching from climber to hang-on was painful. I couldn't find one as comfortable as the seat with back support as on my climber. My lower back was taking a beating but I continued to use hang-on for years because it was a little easier to haul. Last year I bought a millennium (M100u?) that is by far the most comfortable set I have ever used but now, including climbing sticks, I was back to climbing stand weight....

In comes the saddle. I bought the Kestrel with backband beginning of this year. I've been practicing with it and playing with the saddle adjustments, tether height, bridge length, and footrest options (top of stick vs platform). The more I fiddle with it's becoming noticeably more comfortable. Actually even more than the m100 in some cases. Maybe a little hard to explain but I don't have to sit crooked if setup in an awkwardly shaped tree.

The most challenging thing for me right now is deciding climbing method. As of now my only option is climbing sticks. For me, the more minamalist I try to be the more difficult. I.E. trying to save weight by reducing number of climbing sticks and offset with aiders. I tried 2ft stick with a 2 step aider (1.5 ft spacing) and wasn't comfortable with the amount of dexterity I needed to use balancing both feet just on the aiders with only one hand on the stick and the other tending the lineman rope. I tried my 2ft stick with a single step aider (2ft spacing) and was way to cumbersome for me to step up to my bottom step. No problem stepping up from bottom step to top step though. What I'm trying to get at is above 2 options were so tedious for me that I was sweating within no time, and this is in 20deg temp!!! I think my best bet is 4 2ft sticks with 1.5ft aiders.

Wow, sorry for the long winded novel but hope this helps.

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I'm 56 and had 40 plus pack in saddle hunts this last year. I have saddle hunted on and off 20 plus years. But I couldn't walk away from my lone wolf sit climb with a hazmore seat. But this last year I strictly saddle hunted and am hooked. My preferred climbing method is a lone wolf climber hand climber seat as a platform. I inch worm my way up the tree using my saddle and climber seat. I was in pretty good shape at the start of the season and still lost 12lbs during bow season. It isn't perfect I had a shooter buck come through and could not get a shot off do to my set up. If I had been in a climber or hang on he would have had an arrow in him. Next year I will still be hunting out of my saddle. I simply feel safer and more comfortable.
 
rutjr said:
Curious, why couldn't you get a shot in your saddle?
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Doctor wouldn’t come to the woods! Bwahahahaha

Probably his set up, he couldn’t get in to position before the deer got at a bad angle. And he watched it walk away.


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ImThere said:
Doctor wouldn’t come to the woods! Bwahahahaha

Probably his set up, he couldn’t get in to position before the deer got at a bad angle. And he watched it walk away.


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You are correct...
 
Like many of the other posts - I don't want to pack all that weight in and out. Using sticks require much less effort than using a saddle and climber top.
 
This was a great post to read. I’m 46 now but was a tree trimmer back in the 90’s for about 5 years. My first thought on hunting from a saddle was no way. I couldn’t get comfy when doing it for a living and I was able to move freely all day as soon as I felt any discomfort. Fast forward 20 years and I’m now a lineman for the power company and in was less physical shape as I was when climbing trees. After reading these posts, I ordered the Mantis. I’m hoping your all right about these saddles being more comfy.
 
KennyG said:
This was a great post to read. I’m 46 now but was a tree trimmer back in the 90’s for about 5 years. My first thought on hunting from a saddle was no way. I couldn’t get comfy when doing it for a living and I was able to move freely all day as soon as I felt any discomfort. Fast forward 20 years and I’m now a lineman for the power company and in was less physical shape as I was when climbing trees. After reading these posts, I ordered the Mantis. I’m hoping your all right about these saddles being more comfy.
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They are comfy enough for me to pull all day, 11 hour hunts (on a Predator platform). I will admit that I do start to feel the saddle a bit after about 8 hours, but 8 hours in a hang on stand ain't no picnic, either. 8 hours in ANY stand or chair gets a little long.

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I am 67, have my saddle on order, Silent Approach steps and ring stand. This will be my first year saddle hunting, and looking forward to it. Not letting last falls back surgery that me out of the game.
 
Like some others, I found fitness came into play during the climb. I'm using WE Stepps with an aider and knaider to get to 20+ feet. No platform. Every climb had me sweating until the temps dropped, but even then I regretted my poor dietary choices the day before! :)
 
I will be 62 the 29th of this month. I had my hipp and both knees replaced due to a climbing tree stand accident back in 09. this was my 2nd year hunting out of a saddle. When i started i bought the kestrel complete kit. the only thing i have changed i changed was a ropeman assender on tether and linesman belt. To me useing the saddle was easy. I never had to adjust anything. my biggest problem was getting up the tree. i bought lone wolf, xop and muddy sticks. The steps are just a little to far apart for the bend in my knees. i came across wildedge stepps on you tube. I ordered a 12 pack. I couldnt get high enough with them. i got a 16 pack now. I can place the stepps according to the bend in my knees. The stepps and kestrel fits great in my tenzing 4000 backpack. i have plenty of room for winter clothes.
 
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