New from NY

[sampotter]

Hello all- I'm in my 9th season of exclusively hunting from a saddle (I call it sling-style). As most of you have probably found; there is no safer, more versatile, or more mobile way to hunt from a tree! I love it and feel extremely uncomfortable in a treestand at this point. I used the Treesaddle for 6 seasons before switching to the Guido's Web for comfort reasons.

I grew up on a dairy farm in Connecticut, but now live in the Finger Lakes Region of New York where I have continued in dairy farming. I am extremely passionate about deer and everything deer related: hunting deer, eating venison, property management, watching deer, shed hunting (I have 2 Labs trained to find sheds as well), etc. My wife to be hails from the epicenter of the big buck promised land of Iowa (I have not yet drawn my tag).

Here's a nice buck I let walk the other day....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7vlhas ... e=youtu.be

 

[drew13]

Welcome, Sam.

I know what you mean about not feeling safe in a regular treestand anymore! Everytime I sit in one I am convinced I am going to step off the edge...

 

[redsquirrel]

Welcome to the site Sam!

I'm in NJ so if you don't want to shoot that deer, I'm free to come up and take care of him for you

On a side note, I grew up with my dad using an anderson tree sling so I always called it sling hunting too. I think as the designs advanced they morphed into "saddles".

 

[g2outdoors]

Welcome to the site from Fort Drum - right around the corner! Any tips on training my lab to hunt for sheds?

 

[Bigburner]

Welcome!

 

[sampotter]

Welcome to the site from Fort Drum - right around the corner! Any tips on training my lab to hunt for sheds?

g2outdoors- I'm assuming you're in the 10th? My granddad and great uncle were in the 10th when it was based at Camp Hale and both saw action in the what they always referred to as "The War".

As far as training labs on sheds- the training isn't much different than training a dog to find any other specific object. Start small and keep sessions short and fun. I don't let them see antlers unless it is "time" either. I don't want them to get bored with them.

 

[g2outdoors]

When you're training them to find antlers you don't use antlers in the training?

 

[sampotter]

Sorry, what I meant was they only get to see antlers in training and actual shed hunting, but never as chew toys.

 

[g2outdoors]

Ok, that makes more sense! Sorry, I'm just a dumb soldier and you really have to spell it out for me sometimes

I'm going to start training my yellow lab to find sheds for me. I can't wait!