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Sitting on your platform?

H

HugeBull

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
46
There seems to be a good number of us who are just not comfortable standing and leaning for long sits, and many of us have tried sitting in our saddle with varying degrees of success.

Has anyone tried sitting on your platform with your legs hanging off? It seems to me that the configuration of the post and button/etc. is certainly an issue, but could this be surmounted with a specially designed foam backrest? The depth of a particular platform could also be an issue, as padding the back/post would reduce sitting area. Personally, I have a single aider on my EDP, so my legs would not have to dangle if I adjusted the aider length, and this would probably assist with getting into and out of the sitting position. The knobbiness of your platform could also be hard on your backside, but this could also be covered with sit pad when used as such.

I have used this before I transitioned to the saddle and platform in an old climbing tree stand when I was climbing with a tether (before I discovered that there were others like me out there experimenting with lightening the load and saddle hunting). I have also used this on my LWHC before it broke.

I am curious if anyone else has tried this and what your experience has been. I found that sitting on my old stand worked fine if the base was not much longer than my femur length, and I had no problems gun hunting or shooting my bow at expected angles. I can see that sitting like this could make some shots very difficult, especially with a bow. In my LWHC, the bigger issue was instability of the "platform" when transitioning up/down, but I was not using any extra tether to hold the HC to the tree, just the tension band. I am guessing that a bit of Amsteel could fix that. If we can figure this out, it just seems like another way to increase versatility without spending another $500 on a hybrid stand.

Hugh
 
a 20 inch 1 stick works well for a sit platform with feet on lower steps. still facing tree, easy to shoot still
 
Sort of. I've done it while playing around. Not hunting. However I've been a situation that required it. Couple years ago I went in cold to a spot that I scouted the year before. I picked out a tree and climbed 14'. I probably should've been 6" lower but I was already pretty low so I went with it. 5 trails were within shooting distance to the tree. 4 of them I had decent shooting lanes. The 5th was iffy but doable at 15yds. Anything beyond that would've been difficult. There was one branch in the way. Anyway, A 140" 10 pt came in on that 5th trail! 25yds. Branch was totally in the way. He was standing in the ONE spot that I couldn't shoot to w/o some difficulty. It was now or never. I figured if I got really low that I might be able to clear that branch. I let my tether out and squatted like a catcher. A little uncomfortable but I thought I could do it since he was only 25yds. I shot and still deflected off off that branch! Now I think that if I had sat on the platform I probably would've made the shot. For 2 reasons, A I'm little lower B. probably more stable and comfortable. Squatting like a catcher is not something that I practice. I ate my tag that year. If that ever happens again, I think I'm gonna just sit down. It's a gamble cause once your down, your down. There no adjusting without spooking the deer. I definitely wouldn't hunt that way cause your limited to your strong side shot only.
 
Get a back band and give sitting with that a shot. I have sat down on my platform, seems like it would be difficult to stand back up etc, and with a back band and a comfortable saddle (cobra) I can sit/lean all day, alternating every hour or two
 
I’ve not tried it at height but if I decide to hunt from the ground I’ll use my platform as a seat at ground level
 
You could try on if these and just kid the end.
 

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My only concern is to monitor your tether angle and slack. If you slip be sure the rope isn't gonna break your neck. My one concern I have if I stand and spin in the tree. Should I fall, how will I, and where is the rope gonna dig in or pin part of me to the tree. Just something to think about. I don't know the answer. Could be A lot in play there. Tether height, angle, tree lean, and how you fall. All big IFs I get. But something to think about.
 
thedutchtouch said:
Get a back band and give sitting with that a shot. I have sat down on my platform, seems like it would be difficult to stand back up etc, and with a back band and a comfortable saddle (cobra) I can sit/lean all day, alternating every hour or two
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I've done it. No doubt it would be fairly comfy. However what do you do if he comes in on your weak side? They have a way of sneaking in from all directions.
 
1simplemann said:
I've done it. No doubt it would be fairly comfy. However what do you do if he comes in on your weak side? They have a way of sneaking in from all directions.
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You mean when using a back band? I typically keep my right hand on the slide buckle and will slowly ease it loose so it drops down to my saddle while I'm reaching for my bow with my left.

But to be honest, haven't been in this scenario yet other than imagining it/practicing moving slow
 
thedutchtouch said:
Get a back band and give sitting with that a shot. I have sat down on my platform, seems like it would be difficult to stand back up etc, and with a back band and a comfortable saddle (cobra) I can sit/lean all day, alternating every hour or two
Click to expand...

This x1000. Makes all the difference, in my opinion. Being in a Cobra with a back band is about like a lazy boy lol.

When I was trying out my Cobra, Jerry showed me a trick to add a little slack in the strap, and pull the back band down and around the bottom of your butt, and put it up under your knees. Tighten till it's comfortable. Takes some of the pressure off from the saddle, and helps when sitting knees against the tree.

BT
 
thedutchtouch said:
You mean when using a back band? I typically keep my right hand on the slide buckle and will slowly ease it loose so it drops down to my saddle while I'm reaching for my bow with my left.

But to be honest, haven't been in this scenario yet other than imagining it/practicing moving slow
Click to expand...
IMO I don't think it makes any difference with or without a back band that you can shoot to the weakside. If your sitting on the platform, your legs are straddling the tree. The Tree is literally in you face. I'm lefty so my strong side is to the right. I can shoot from 2 oclock to 5 oclock pretty easily and probably could make the 1oclock and 6 oclock shots sitting down. . If he shows up out to nowhere and is at my 9 -10 oclock. I'm screwed If I'm sitting in that situation. There's no way to pivot to make the shot assuming you could even get the bow to the other side of the tree without him or another deer busting you. Even moving slowing I doubt that most guys could pull that off. I doubt I could. You might not even have enough time. Sometimes that window of opportunity is very short.
 
1simplemann said:
IMO I don't think it makes any difference with or without a back band that you can shoot to the weakside. If your sitting on the platform, your legs are straddling the tree. The Tree is literally in you face. I'm lefty so my strong side is to the right. I can shoot from 2 oclock to 5 oclock pretty easily and probably could make the 1oclock and 6 oclock shots sitting down. . If he shows up out to nowhere and is at my 9 -10 oclock. I'm screwed If I'm sitting in that situation. There's no way to pivot to make the shot assuming you could even get the bow to the other side of the tree without him or another deer busting you. Even moving slowing I doubt that most guys could pull that off. I doubt I could. You might not even have enough time. Sometimes that window of opportunity is very short.
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Oh sorry I wasn't following you. I was never advocating sitting on the platform, I was saying to sit (in the saddle) with a back band, and that's comfortable enough to forget about the sitting on the platform idea
 
thedutchtouch said:
Oh sorry I wasn't following you. I was never advocating sitting on the platform, I was saying to sit (in the saddle) with a back band, and that's comfortable enough to forget about the sitting on the platform idea
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Have you tried the back band under the knees like I described above? Give it a shot. Pretty comfortable that way too.

BT
 
SNIPERBBB said:
Cant imagine sitting on the platform being comfortable at all.
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Actually it's not that bad especially w/ a back band. I was just goofing around in the yard and I tried it. If a guy had a foam pad, it would probably be half decent. However if your gonna go that far then you might as well just go all the way and get a Guido's web or a J3 and be done with it. Then you could pivot to the weak side.
 
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