I'm going to bring up again, that I think we have to distinguish saddle hunting from some of the different climbing methods that have become associated with saddle hunting. Read some of my thoughts on my personal choice for using wild edge stepps as my climbing system in my stepps love thread I just created.
My father is 70. He saddle hunts. He climbs a tree using screw in steps like he has for probably 60 years. Ok 50. They used to use giant nails before screw in steps, or nail on boards to climb. If he was hunting in a treestand he would be climbing the exact same way. There is nothing inherently more dangerous about saddle hunting than tree stand hunting other than the climbing methods some people have chosen to use with whatever training they do or don't have on it.
I agree. However, the saddle enables methods that are not possible with a tree stand harness. All methods that rely on rope hanging (SRT, JRB, one stick, 2TC) should not be assumed as safer just because you’re always attached to a tree. biggest learnings here for me, and I’m still relatively new to bowhunting and saddlehunting:
1. CLimbing alone is inherently high risk, particularly if you have not mastered self-rescue techniques, or are in not great shape. My personal prereq is 5 pull-ups. If i can’t do those, I’ll start blind hunting, or set up ladder stands. . I don’t agree with WHEN you get injured, i feel climbing injuries can be prevented, and i feel advanced techniques are the key. (Why arborists yielding chainsaws all day use ropes).
2. All techniques relying on ropes should be considered advanced. This community should create a free YouTube video course to reinforce a bunch of basic carabiner/rope/self rescue techniques, how to tie a Munter/Prussic, alpine butterfly, etc. as a prerequisite to advanced techniques, to be practiced at ground level. Or better yet, an in person course that we have the vendors provide at local meets where they can also sell their products, Tethrd included. We should split the platform/climbing techniques forum into 3 forums: platforms/ROS, climbing sticks and standard climbing techniques (sticks and bolts, maybe allow 1 cable aider), advanced techniques (1 stick, JRB, SRT, DRT, all rope techniques, 2TC, aider assisted). Just because an accomplished lanky climber can teach a 13 year old to 1 stick on YouTube, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to learn a lot of basics about knots, hitches, self rescue, static falls, etc, etc as a prerequisite for it to be considered safe.
This all said, i truly believe the advanced techniques can be safer and more efficient than sticks, but only aFTER we master some basic skills, with reliable, simple equipment.
3. I know about suspension trauma from hunter safety course, but I’ve not really heard it mentioned here. some great info on tether slack that has probably saved a few people here, but not much else. If there’s threads on saddles best suited for support of advanced climbing techniques/suspension trauma prevention, I’ve not seen them.
4. I think some of the criticism from the pros on here, while warranted, might go a bit too far. This is a saddlehunting forum, it’s a risky activity to begin with. I personally don’t believe the victim of this accident would wish us to stop innovating new techniques as a result of this. I very much appreciate John RB, and others on here that share their techniques, even ones that are slightly riskier. We just need to carefully couch them as advanced, and make sure people go through some basics first.
While we don’t know exactly what Happened, these are themes. I think that with lots of seasons opening this saturday, it’s good to allow this thread to persist a few more days, maybe we save someone from doing their first rappel attempt after their opening day evening sit. But after that, i think we should move on for sake of the family, IMO.