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longbowwoman said:
Hi. I’m so glad I’m not the only woman here. Lol. It takes a while to play with the saddle and make adjustments in the bridge and tether UNTILL you get comfortable. A fact is us women have wider hips and hip pinch is common, for me anyways. I have owned a Mantis, Kite, Kestrel, JX3, Guidos Web and now I am using the aero hunter Evolution. I chose this one because there is a belt to it that actually cinches at your waist. The saddle part is generous and doesn’t “ride” up like the others. Also it has padded Legs straps that are also attached To the saddle. There are way less pressure points this way and I can hunt all day without squirming, cursing and adjusting. Lol. Comfort is different for women. Also you will have to see what is best for you as far as how you pack in to hunt. You know, backpack, no backpack, pouches on the saddle, climbing stick method and carry. All that. Any questions feel free to ask. I hope I can be of help to you. Thank you and welcome!
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Im glad im not the only women saddle hunter too. Back to your saddle option did you try the areo hunter kestrel flex. Im not sure which one is the newest the flex or the evolution. It does look comfortable compared to the mathis. Thanks for your help
 
Marfis39 said:
Im glad im not the only women saddle hunter too. Back to your saddle option did you try the areo hunter kestrel flex. Im not sure which one is the newest the flex or the evolution. It does look comfortable compared to the mathis. Thanks for your help
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The evolution is one of the earlier models. Bobby Boswell does a nice instructional on YouTube for this one. The Flex is the newest saddle and looks like it may come further down past your butt to offer more points of contact. Personally, I did not like the mantis. I tried a size 1 and size 2. Just too uncomfortable no matter what I did with the bridge. The Kestrel is better as far as comfort. The Kestrel can come with an adjustable bridge. Try different saddles if you can. I am constantly selling stuff here till I find what works for me. If you can try the Kestrel or better, the Flex. Get an adjustable bridge with it. You can then dial in the length of the bridge. The longer the bridge the less hip pinch. The longer the tether, the more you can maneuver around the tree. I feel safer in a saddle than any other hunting system. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
 
GCTerpfan said:
First, Welcome!

If you are already experiencing hip pinch, shortening the ridge will most likely make that worse. It takes a little bit to get into "saddle shape" as some call it. The first sit or two of the year I will feel a little discomfort on my hips but, it quickly goes away. You probably wont like to hear this but, different saddles fit different people. Some people were never able to get comfortable in a Mantis, some loved it right away. I would keep adjusting your tether height and the position of the saddle on your body to see if you can find something that works for you. I would also try a longer bridge before a shorter one. Little adjustments make a big difference.

@longbowwoman, I'm glad to see the Evo is working for you.
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It may be an older model but so far it is the most comfortable saddle yet for me. I love the waist belt. I can add gear to it without my saddle falling down to my ankles. Lol. Thank you.
 
longbowwoman said:
It may be an older model but so far it is the most comfortable saddle yet for me. I love the waist belt. I can add gear to it without my saddle falling down to my ankles. Lol. Thank you.
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I will be on the look out for a used one. Im not sure if I'll send my mathis in just yet. I'll probably just sell it after hunting season. Thanks for your help
 
Welcome from Arkansas. I hope you stick with it. Saddles are so personalized due to the fact they fit each and everyone of us different. Adjustments and testing until your in your sweet spot, then you’ll never go back to your ladder. Good to have you in the community
 
Welcome to the site. I can’t believe there are 5 female hunters on the site now.

I wear a size 10 pants and I’m in a medium Mantis. It doesn’t give me hip pinch but does ride up. I walk in with the leg loops hooked up to the waist, then I switch to the lower hook up to sit. Once I tighten down, it stays in place. I’ve wondered if the flex would be better for a woman. If you try it post your thoughts. I have and Evo and it gave me horrible hip pinch until I swapped where the leg padding attached. Like everyone said already, everyone is different so hang in there and experiment with it. You’ll figure it out.


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fbwguy said:
Welcome from Arkansas. I hope you stick with it. Saddles are so personalized due to the fact they fit each and everyone of us different. Adjustments and testing until your in your sweet spot, then you’ll never go back to your ladder. Good to have you in the community
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I've only hunted twice with it. After 3 hours I'm pretty done with the hunt. I know it will get better with practice. Thanks
 
fbwguy said:
Welcome from Arkansas. I hope you stick with it. Saddles are so personalized due to the fact they fit each and everyone of us different. Adjustments and testing until your in your sweet spot, then you’ll never go back to your ladder. Good to have you in the community
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I've only hunted twice with it. After 3 hours I'm pretty done with the hunt. I know it will get better with practice. Thanks
Jcar said:
Welcome to the site. I can’t believe there are 5 female hunters on the site now.

I wear a size 10 pants and I’m in a medium Mantis. It doesn’t give me hip pinch but does ride up. I walk in with the leg loops hooked up to the waist, then I switch to the lower hook up to sit. Once I tighten down, it stays in place. I’ve wondered if the flex would be better for a woman. If you try it post your thoughts. I have and Evo and it gave me horrible hip pinch until I swapped where the leg padding attached. Like everyone said already, everyone is different so hang in there and experiment with it. You’ll figure it out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Wow 5 women saddle hunters tjats awsome. I wear a 12-14 and ordered a lg. I wear it like you do and it still rides up. It will probably be next year before i order the flex as it sounds promising. I'll keep up with the review
 
If you have the microfit adjusters, tighten them all the way down. That may help with the saddle riding up too.


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Welcome from SC! Hope youre able to find the sweet spot with your saddle. Glad to see female hunters enjoying the sport!
 
Welcome from Iowa! I am using the same setup as well, hawk heliums/mantis with podium platform as well. (Ordered a predator about a month ago). Glad there are some ladies joining the saddle hunting club.
 
Sziggy2.0 said:
Welcome from Iowa! I am using the same setup as well, hawk heliums/mantis with podium platform as well. (Ordered a predator about a month ago). Glad there are some ladies joining the saddle hunting club.
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Awsome I'm glad I'm not alone on this venture. So how high do you set up in tree? I just feel like I'm not setting up high enough.
 
About 12-14 ft to the platform. Sometimes that won't be high enough, but I think most times that will be just fine. I have found that even at that height the deer dont seem to see you as a human. The way we lean out like a large branch and how we can keep movement to a minimum I have had several deer less than ten yds with no problem, even when they were coming down from up hill (closer to the same level as me)
 
Sziggy2.0 said:
About 12-14 ft to the platform. Sometimes that won't be high enough, but I think most times that will be just fine. I have found that even at that height the deer dont seem to see you as a human. The way we lean out like a large branch and how we can keep movement to a minimum I have had several deer less than ten yds with no problem, even when they were coming down from up hill (closer to the same level as me)
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Thats good to know. I haven't seen any deer yet hunting from my saddle i just figured i was fidgeting to much. Lol
 
I have found that height is crucial if the tree you are hunting is bare, but if you can set up in a fork or crotch of a tree it gives you a little more concealment and opportunity to move without being busted
 
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