• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Saddle vs a lite hang on

R

Robbo

Active Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Messages
144
I use both but prefer the hang on, but have way more comfort in saddle. Seems like I find tree like a telephone pole for saddle and when using stand i tuck in thick stuff. Why do you all prefer saddle over stand besides weight?
 
For whatever reason I’m comfortable climbing and hanging in a saddle but deathly afraid of heights in a hang on. I literally can’t make myself go from the ladder or sticks to a hang on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
With the new stands not a lot of weight difference. For me it depends on the tree. I do not like a stand on a tree smaller then my body width. If it's raining I like a stand, back to the tree and a tree umbrella. So it just depends. All tools in the box.
 
Personally weight is the least important factor to me. First, I am more comfortable in a saddle than I am in a traditional stand. Leaning forward is easier on my back than the slouch I usually end up in sitting in a hang on. I slouch because I am also uncomfortable in hang ons with respect to the feeling that I'm going to pitch out face first if I start to nod off.

Ultimately though the biggest reason I prefer my saddle is that it is a more compact (not necessarily lighter, but compact) hunting system that has all of the metal parts enclosed in my pack. This allows me to slip through tight brushy areas easier and more silently than I could with a stand. There's no exposed metal to bang on twigs or branches and I can slide between trees easier. The stealth factor was originally my primary reason for exploring saddles and still is the biggest reason I prefer them today.
 
I’m actually going back to a small stand almost exclusively, mainly because of the versatility of trees I can sit and comfortably shoot in. The perfect phone pole trees are almost never good places to sit for deer movement in my areas. For some reason I feel a lot more comfortable shooting out of a stand, maybe because I haven’t practiced enough in the saddle. I do think I’ll do some flavor of hybrid using a saddle or “waist harness” in the stand though. I found that to be most comfortable/best for me. Also not a fan of heights so being tethered in with tension gives me a ton more confidence.
 
katiesmom said:
Geez and here I thought I was the only one with that issue.
Click to expand...

Nope, you’re in good company! All my hunting friends think I’m a complete spaz because I refuse to set foot on a hang on. I’ve gone so far as to put my platform above a ladder stand and use that instead.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I'm 100 percent saddle with a gun but currently mostly bow hunt out of a hang on. I love having the bridge and tether as a rifle rest.
 
I use both almost exclusively. Unless I'm going over a mile in. Especially blind. I never know how long the walk will take and I'm not really sure if I'll wind up moving a couple times. So I usually just use the platform and saddle if I'm going deep.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top