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Saddle Tree Setup Discussion

boyne bowhunter

boyne bowhunter

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One of the things I feel that I see very little discussion about is physical saddle setups in trees for hunting situations. I find I look at trees and setups differently since I've been hunting out a saddle than I did when I was hunting from stands. With that in mind I thought I'd start a thread to discuss some of these differences as it may help with the learning curve for some of the newer saddle hunting adoptees. Also, I'm looking forward to hearing how some of you may approach things differently, not only in the given tree example but in a larger scale setup discussion as well.

To kick things off I'll take an example from a tree in my backyard and how I would have setup in it with a tree stand versus how I would likely setup in it with my saddle. In this example let's assume the picture was taken looking straight downwind and from the spot where I would expect the primary shot opportunity to be at. First off, I'll grant the tree is a bit small but for discussion's sake I think it will work. Honestly, if it was where I felt I needed to be I wouldn't hesitate to hunt out of it. I prefer multi-trunk trees when possible and this one does offer cover and is open enough to shoot out of.

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First, back in my tree stand days, I would have climbed up the main trunk (on the right side of the photo) and set my tree stand as high as I could in the open spot. I'd have kept my back to the tree and used the trunk and branches coming out as back cover. For instance something like this (please forgive the rough Powerpoint representation meant to be a hunter sitting in a tree stand :tearsofjoy: ). From there I'd have some cover and be able to primarily watch downwind. If something approached I'd likely slowly stand up and rotate for the shot keeping myself silhouetted against the tree trunk. Nothing wrong with this approach, I've killed many deer doing just this.
1713015611168.png

So how does this change when hunting from a saddle? For me it starts before I even get in the tree. With the saddle I'm not going to automatically climb the main trunk, I'm going to climb the secondary trunk to the left. In fact I'm probably not going to even climb the second largest trunk (the one behind) I'm going to pick the next largest one in front. The reason is that's the trunk I want to tie in to so that I'm hanging in front of the main trunk and can still use it as my background cover while providing the most open shot opportunities. From this tree, that location provides me with the most shot opportunities with the direct downwind shot being at my weakside 3:00 position, the least likely direction of deer approach. The point it that there is a different thought process that has to go on between effectively setting up a tree stand and a saddle set up.

1713016332061.png
 
MattMan81 said:
Also to note you can potentially lean back into that main trunk for a long sit to help move pressure around. Also if you were left handed, you may consider still climbing the main trunk to keep your strong side to your anticipated shooting side.
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Absolutely, If I was left handed I would most certainly be set up on the main trunk in mirror image to that shown.
 
I like it, funny I take that for granted now. I can think of 3 spots that are deadly for me now. That I would’ve likely been picked off in 7-8 years ago. Trunk for cover is so huge, even a too big around oak that’s a favorite now would be a corndog setup with a hang on but fairly stealthy in a saddle. That was my biggest draw to this style of hunting, comfort came later. I’ll add pics of 1 this weekend.
 
I always try to setup so that my most likely shot will be around 8 to 10 o'clock (I'm a rightie). I'm a leaner and I'll sometimes setup so that I'll spend time splitting the right corner of the platform or totally leaning off the right side. Then when a deer approaches, I'll move onto the platform more.

I think about how I'll stay the most concealed behind the tree while also having the easiest shot and I don't plan on moving unless moving a bit will allow me the most concealment and easiest shot.

You just have to "free your mind, dude" while actually doing it and reading here but thinking about it all the time while setting up and hunting.

Sometimes, I'll setup leaning on the right side of the platform if that allows one shot opportunity when there but then I can move onto the platform and shoot another areas. This is why I like longer platforms because you can lean off the side. Something like a Pursuit and you are stuck leaning at 6 oclock on the tree.
 
raisins said:
I always try to setup so that my most likely shot will be around 8 to 10 o'clock (I'm a rightie). I'm a leaner and I'll sometimes setup so that I'll spend time splitting the right corner of the platform or totally leaning off the right side. Then when a deer approaches, I'll move onto the platform more.
:tearsofjoy:
I think about how I'll stay the most concealed behind the tree while also having the easiest shot and I don't plan on moving unless moving a bit will allow me the most concealment and easiest shot.

You just have to "free your mind, dude" while actually doing it and reading here but thinking about it all the time while setting up and hunting.

Sometimes, I'll setup leaning on the right side of the platform if that allows one shot opportunity when there but then I can move onto the platform and shoot another areas. This is why I like longer platforms because you can lean off the side. Something like a Pursuit and you are stuck leaning at 6 oclock on the tree.
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I do the same thing, something I intended to address in a later post.

I'll typically set my platform up for a direct 9 o'clock shot with the wind blowing to between my 3 and 4 o'clock position. I'll then sit knees to the tree oriented to the right edge of my platform so that I'm facing almost directly into the wind. This gives me my best combination of sight and shooting directions from the tree. While sitting my backside is facing directly downwind and I can slowly move to my left to cover more shooting directions when necessary and I have all my platform available for a stable 3:00 shot which I have primarily set up for. I'll try to create some visual for this concept here in the future.
 
boyne bowhunter said:
I do the same thing, something I intended to address in a later post.

I'll typically set my platform up for a direct 9 o'clock shot with the wind blowing to between my 3 and 4 o'clock position. I'll then sit knees to the tree oriented to the right edge of my platform so that I'm facing almost directly into the wind. This gives me my best combination of sight and shooting directions from the tree. While sitting my backside is facing directly downwind and I can slowly move to my left to cover more shooting directions when necessary and I have all my platform available for a stable 3:00 shot which I have primarily set up for. I'll try to create some visual for this concept here in the future.
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Good call...there's also comfortable viewing angle to take into account.

I pinched a nerve in my neck (which thankfully healed up) one year in a hang on because I routinely setup so that my shot was to the left where I could shoot while seated. Well, that meant I would spend long, cold days with my neck craned to the left to watch that area. That isn't normal, especially for someone over 40. Sitting without moving with bad posture for long periods in the cold will eventually bite you in the butt unless you are just some super durable human.
 
A quick sketch to show what I do, and what I think @raisins is referring to. First sketch is the larger picture of how I try to position my platform on the tree with respect to my anticipated target. Again, I'm a right handed archer, things will work differently for left handers.

1713029231662.png

With that in mind I then typically orient myself something like the below sketch in the tree for my sit. By shifting myself, and my tether point, slightly to my right of the platform I can see virtually all of the area I'm hunting by just a swivel of my head back and forth. The stuff behind me is direct downwind so I'm not as worried about watching that. I'm typically knees to the tree so I'm as small a profile as I can manage, especially on single trunk trees. From this position I can shoot without needing to move from the 4 to 7 o'clock directions or I can rotate slowly left to get better footing and shoot more traditionally from the platform for the 6 to 11 o'clock positions. Putting the stick on the tree where I do allows me to make one step with my left foot to the stick for shots between 11 and 1 o'clock and by stepping both feet onto the stick I can now shoot from 1 back to 4 o'clock. This set up gives me full range of shooting and allows me to visually see anything approaching that isn't directly down wind without too much movement.


1713029973719.png
 
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boyne bowhunter said:
A quick sketch to show what I do, and what I think @raisins is referring to. First sketch is the larger picture of how I try to position my platform on the tree with respect to my anticipated target.

View attachment 101695

With that in mind I then typically orient myself something like the below sketch in the tree for my sit. By shifting myself, and my tether point, slightly to my right of the platform I can see virtually all of the area I'm hunting by just a swivel of my head back and forth. The stuff behind me is direct downwind so I'm not as worried about watching that. I'm typically knees to the tree so I'm as small a profile as I can manage, especially on single trunk trees. From this position I can shoot without needing to move from the 4 to 7 o'clock directions or I can rotate to get better footing and shoot more traditionally from the platform for the 6 to 11 o'clock positions. Putting the stick on the tree where I do allows me to make one step with my left foot to the stick for shots between 11 and 1 o'clock and by stepping both feet onto the stick I can now shoot from 1 back to 4 o'clock. This set up gives me full range of shooting and allows me to visually see anything approaching that isn't directly down wind without too much movement.


View attachment 101698
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nice art!


that's a good setup, but one disadvantage can be that you might need to draw when the deer's eyes are pointing towards you, but it is still a good one


one setup i also like is setup so that the deer's path is going from right to left perpendicular to a line from you to the tree


when you see the deer to the right, then you can drop to the around 7 o clock on the tree in a sit/crouch, putting the tree between you and the deer and then you can draw behind the tree at the right time and your shot is around 11 o clock as the deer pops up from behind the tree

the deer is still pointed towards you but hopefully their attention is off to the side given their path....i like being at least 10 yards back from the intended travel path

i usually lean while waiting, but my instinct (maybe a bad one to overcome) once i see a deer is to grab my bow and drop my knees to the tree to get as close to the tree as i can (when the deer is somewhere he won't see me)....i only have 5 saddle bow kills under my belt in the 4 years of saddle hunting....but in every case at least one knee was on the tree during the shot
 
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raisins said:
nice art!


that's a good setup, but one disadvantage can be that you might need to draw when the deer's eyes are pointing towards you, but it is still a good one


one setup i also like is setup so that the deer's path is going from right to left perpendicular to a line from you to the tree


when you see the deer to the right, then you can drop to the around 7 o clock on the tree in a sit/crouch, putting the tree between you and the deer and then you can draw behind the tree at the right time and your shot is around 11 o clock as the deer pops up from behind the tree

the deer is still pointed towards you but hopefully their attention is off to the side given their path....i like being at least 10 yards back from the intended travel path

i usually lean while waiting, but my instinct (maybe a bad one to overcome) once i see a deer is to grab my bow and drop my knees to the tree to get as close to the tree as i can (when the deer is somewhere he won't see me)....i only have 5 saddle bow kills under my belt in the 4 years of saddle hunting....but in every case at least one knee was on the tree during the shot
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Ideally for a deer moving on my left, given enough shooting openings, I can let them walk by and shoot them as they are quartering away. The only instance that doesn't work is if they are walking directly downwind and under me. In that instance at least my draw arm is hidden a bit behind the tree since I have to draw on their approach. The shot in that instance is not ideal anyway since they will be facing towards me.
 
boyne bowhunter said:
Ideally for a deer moving on my left, given enough shooting openings, I can let them walk by and shoot them as they are quartering away. The only instance that doesn't work is if they are walking directly downwind and under me. In that instance at least my draw arm is hidden a bit behind the tree since I have to draw on their approach. The shot in that instance is not ideal anyway since they will be facing towards me.
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agree...it's good to list a series of workable setups because when you are out there you can flip through and fit something to the scenario

one thing i do now more is if going to a new area, stand back and look for trees and how i might setup (i use my 6x rangefinder to do this sometimes since i don't carry binoculars usually)

that way i can plan my walk to the tree i've chose without putting ground scent everywhere, i used to just walk around randomly looking at trees!

also, if i'm not sure, i just try to be decisive and also go with my intuition, if my more logical brain is stuck....that way i'm not standing there with a silly look on my face for 15 minutes trying to figure it out
 
MattMan81 said:
@boyne bowhunter I had to make your diagram more real like a true saddle hunter. (I know. I'm bored. I'm sick sitting on the couch on this beautiful day).
View attachment 101718
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Hey, this is complete BS. . . . :rage:

Absolutely no fuzzy steps or Little Debbies (yeech), maybe Nutty Buddies? Also I don't put pouches on my saddle under any circumstances. I have a bad case of noasital disease combined with dunlop disease so I can't keep my saddle up without any additional weight on it as is.

OK, I do wear scentlok so you got me there. Wait, I do have a pair of size 14 camper crocs just so I can slide them on easily over 3 pairs of socks to walk back and forth between the truck and camper but those will never be seen outside of 5yds from the camper. Oh . . . and I am a self described old fat guy so the 88kN tether is probably a good call. I might also entertain 2TC but I'm not a weight weenie . . . did I mention I'm an old fat guy? :tearsofjoy:
 
If I were setting up like this, especially if I anticipate rotating around the tree to my right, I might put the tether on the other trunk, the one closer to me. Just personal preference.
 
elk yinzer said:
I'll skip ahead 995 words...

View attachment 101768
I do my best to put deer at 9 - 2, but sometimes it doesn't shake out that way. That's why I'm such a big hybrid fan. Imo it make adjusting on the fly way more comfortable and productive.
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You want deer at your 2 o clock as a rightie? For me, that's like worst case scenario. If so, please elaborate.

Or did you mean 9 o clock plus or minus 2 hours? Maybe I read you wrong as "from 9 to 2 oclock".
 
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