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Saddle Hunting Promotion

bigjoe

bigjoe

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2015
Messages
2,618
Location
VA
Looking at all the excitement here on this forum for the new products that are about to be launched is very exciting. We have had our controversy now let’s do our part.

I believe if everyone on SH gets just 1 person on here to convert to saddle hunting before the coming season all the saddle companies will be busier than they can believe. Now this is really not out our job to do this, however, the companies that are involved in making saddles are small and need our support. Face it, how many saddle companies have come and gone.

Some of the guys are worried about there honey holes. I would tell you, fear not, most hunters will not venture all that far into the woods nor commit to scouting year Round.
I am not a paid member by any company. This forum is a great resource and thus is just an idea I have of giving back to this forum and the companies that are here supporting us.
I have personally switched 3 hunters including my twin brother to saddle hunting this year.
I talk to my friends that are hunters out of respect for their safety. I let them know 1 in 3 hunters will eventually fall. That is a real statistic. @Ontariofarmer and I have both openly talked about it. Why would you want your family member, friend or fellow hunter to take a chance that every time you get in your stand you could be a statistic.

If you can walk and climb a ladder you can saddle hunt.
 
Great post @bigjoe! I do think it's important to support these small guys that make the awesome gear we use to hunt this way. I've converted quite a few people to saddle hunting and can honestly say it has been a blast helping all of them get setup and showing them how to use the gear. I have found that once guys actually try it and see how safe and light it is they don't go back to a tree stand. The added benefit of safety is huge and a good reason to try and get friends and family into this way of hunting.
 
The safety of it is the first thing the buddy I converted to a saddle said. Then he went on about how comfortable he felt swinging from the ropes and also how COOL it is to be able to work around the tree like we can. I owe my own conversion to this site and Bobby. I called him and had a long conversation about saddles before I committed to buying my first one. I’m in the process of trying to convert several members of my family to this awesome adventure.

I do think saddle hunting as a whole will grow once the word gets out. The energy that @g2outdoors conveys in his videos is very infectious and all around great promotion for the sport.

Once we all get on the same page and work together everything will get back on track.
 
bigjoe said:
Looking at all the excitement here on this forum for the new products that are about to be launched is very exciting. We have had our controversy now let’s do our part.

I believe if everyone on SH gets just 1 person on here to convert to saddle hunting before the coming season all the saddle companies will be busier than they can believe. Now this is really not out our job to do this, however, the companies that are involved in making saddles are small and need our support. Face it, how many saddle companies have come and gone.

Some of the guys are worried about there honey holes. I would tell you, fear not, most hunters will not venture all that far into the woods nor commit to scouting year Round.
I am not a paid member by any company. This forum is a great resource and thus is just an idea I have of giving back to this forum and the companies that are here supporting us.
I have personally switched 3 hunters including my twin brother to saddle hunting this year.
I talk to my friends that are hunters out of respect for their safety. I let them know 1 in 3 hunters will eventually fall. That is a real statistic. @Ontariofarmer and I have both openly talked about it. Why would you want your family member, friend or fellow hunter to take a chance that every time you get in your stand you could be a statistic.

If you can walk and climb a ladder you can saddle hunt.
Click to expand...

I’ve been working in a group of guys by me. It’s a slow conversion. Just last year they finally upgraded to lone wolf hang and hunts... I told them about the mantis coming in at 15 oz. and that got their ears perked up.


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I fully support the saddle companies and have been on a tireless campaign to convert people in my state at least. Damn northerners and their monster stands just so dang resistant to change. Lol i keep plugging away. For the few I have gotten I find great joy in educating and teaching. I love watching someone get their feet wet and then figuring new stuff out on there own watching their confidence build.
 
MCDM said:
I fully support the saddle companies and have been on a tireless campaign to convert people in my state at least. Damn northerners and their monster stands just so dang resistant to change. Lol i keep plugging away. For the few I have gotten I find great joy in educating and teaching. I love watching someone get their feet wet and then figuring new stuff out on there own watching their confidence build.
Click to expand...

Midwesterners are slow too, but I think with @skell and I in the area we might be able to start something. Once I get some experience in my saddle I’m going to be doing a lot of promotion of saddle hunting on my pages and hopefully a popular friend’s with about 80k followers. Maybe that’ll bump up Saddle Hunter popularity, interest, and demand too.
Just got my two college roommates here in Iowa into archery. It’s only a matter of time before they’re arrowing deer and hanging in a saddle too!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I believe @g2outdoors and @Erniepower kinda of hit the nail on the head in the downsouth hunting podcast. We are a niche group and that it requires a little bit of a break in period that comes with saddle hunting. I think that deters the most guys and gals but as it was said you have to see the benefits of saddle hunting vs conventional. One thing I think helps is by displaying one’s setup it gives people a little clearer picture of what we do vs spoken words.

The other thing i have been noticing is that with new and more members is the way in which we do things. Everyone has suggestions on how to do this and do that. There are alot of general standards that we all employ but because saddle hunting is so individualistic it opens the door for completely different approaches and setups. I think new guys can get lost here because they try one or two things and they don’t work so they abandon it all together. We should encourage them to keep playing with it as they will all find little tweeks to success.
 
MCDM said:
I believe @g2outdoors and @Erniepower kinda of hit the nail on the head in the downsouth hunting podcast. We are a niche group and that it requires a little bit of a break in period that comes with saddle hunting. I think that deters the most guys and gals but as it was said you have to see the benefits of saddle hunting vs conventional. One thing I think helps is by displaying one’s setup it gives people a little clearer picture of what we do vs spoken words.

The other thing i have been noticing is that with new and more members is the way in which we do things. Everyone has suggestions on how to do this and do that. There are alot of general standards that we all employ but because saddle hunting is so individualistic it opens the door for completely different approaches and setups. I think new guys can get lost here because they try one or two things and they don’t work so they abandon it all together. We should encourage them to keep playing with it as they will all find little tweeks to success.
Click to expand...
I would agree on different set ups. The beauty of the Saddle is You can use any method you would usually use to climb or any stand you already have.
 
I think word of mouth is great for these groups (Tethrd and New Tribe) but to really grow and sustain two businesses at least, i think media outlets and exposure and are going to be a must. There are writing and media groups across the country who have conferences where there is at least one day to try out new products. (I am a member of SEOPA https://www.seopa.org) I think these companies should look into pursuing these groups for exposure. Especially because they have a lot of videographers that would be stupid not to use a saddle in my opinion. Pursuing this through social media might increase the market share, but does little to increase the size of the market. Getting outdoor media communicators (who are probably better communicators and have a larger audience) to lay hands on the products and try them out is a great avenue.
 
This allows a hunter to ease into saddle hunting from a cost and comfort level. What’s worst thing that happens. A guy slips off his lock on and lock on and cannot get himself back on his platform and has to wait there sitting until his buddy finds him. Or he has a regular fall harness on and he gets suspension trauma. I guess what I am saying is saddle hunting can and should be promoted more from a safety aspect. Let guys know there regular stands can be used.
 
bigjoe said:
Looking at all the excitement here on this forum for the new products that are about to be launched is very exciting. We have had our controversy now let’s do our part.

I believe if everyone on SH gets just 1 person on here to convert to saddle hunting before the coming season all the saddle companies will be busier than they can believe. Now this is really not out our job to do this, however, the companies that are involved in making saddles are small and need our support. Face it, how many saddle companies have come and gone.

Some of the guys are worried about there honey holes. I would tell you, fear not, most hunters will not venture all that far into the woods nor commit to scouting year Round.
I am not a paid member by any company. This forum is a great resource and thus is just an idea I have of giving back to this forum and the companies that are here supporting us.
I have personally switched 3 hunters including my twin brother to saddle hunting this year.
I talk to my friends that are hunters out of respect for their safety. I let them know 1 in 3 hunters will eventually fall. That is a real statistic. @Ontariofarmer and I have both openly talked about it. Why would you want your family member, friend or fellow hunter to take a chance that every time you get in your stand you could be a statistic.

If you can walk and climb a ladder you can saddle hunt.
Click to expand...


I have brought in a few into the fold already and I don't even own a harness. lol
 
Its hard getting these Texas boys converted...
If it’s not an elevated box blind big enough for a card game, they don’t want much to do with it.

I’m pretty sure I got a couple random hunters interested just from our run-ins last season.

I realized that if I was honest about the sign and deer I had seen, and helped them out on pieces I may not have decided to come back to, they took the other stuff I said more seriously.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Introduce One... the power of multiplication. I like it!

Just about an hour ago, my best hunting buddy stopped by and I showed him what I was up to. While waiting on my Mantis, I have aquired an old aborists saddle and have been practicing with it and bolts in my back yard. I showed him and was up the bolts and relaxing back in just a minute or so. Then I told him the saddle I had coming was on 15 ounces.... his eyes about popped out of his head.

He had a few questions that were easily answered he then said, "I can't believe you are going to sell all your stands." "But that looks pretty awesome!"
 
Plinker22 said:
Introduce One... the power of multiplication. I like it!

Just about an hour ago, my best hunting buddy stopped by and I showed him what I was up to. While waiting on my Mantis, I have aquired an old aborists saddle and have been practicing with it and bolts in my back yard. I showed him and was up the bolts and relaxing back in just a minute or so. Then I told him the saddle I had coming was on 15 ounces.... his eyes about popped out of his head.

He had a few questions that were easily answered he then said, "I can't believe you are going to sell all your stands." "But that looks pretty awesome!"
Click to expand...

THIS!!!!
This is what it’s all about. It is the main reason I want both a mesh Kestrel and a mantis, as well as the predator platform. I want to be able to show new guys two OFF THE SHELF saddle options ready for them to jump into. I think it will be much easier to convert guys if they don’t have to worry about learning how to sew, or what diy projects to do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I was a Trophyline dealer from 2005 'til it's end. What a tough road to get folks into saddle hunting. I had a demo setup in the showroom & I always sold out of saddles, but something was missing. I love it! Could never get used to a regular stand. Even my 8lb. LW Assault. I'm not much of an internet guy, but I really enjoy this forum & it's content.
 
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