Anyone gun hunt out of there saddle?

[swampdonkey]

I agree with almost all of what you said, but noticed you are in Wisconsin (have hunted there too), and your observation about bow vs gun success is definitely a regional thing. Our gun and muzzleloader seasons are as long or longer than bow and we do not have an orange army that only invades the woods for just a week, like up there. Ours is more of a steady flow of orange and the deer adjust enough that it doesn't ruin the entire rest of the season. That is what @dalton916 is getting at.

At the end of the day, more new hunters should stay and learn at ground level anyway. Stands and saddles are not necessities, just additional tools.

Oh dont get me wrong i agree most new hunters would be best served hunting from the ground, thats how i started gun hunting 3 decades ago.

Then one year decided to nail a pallet into a tree and my elevated hunting began. That led to 35 pound steel stands being hauled many many many miles when i was in my teens and early 20s all over public land, then came my first truly mobile treestand the LW Assault, next a LW hand climber, fast forward and im now onto these saddles and such. That is my evolution of the use of the additional tools ive used to get the job done. The young guys starting out now have a plethora of MUCH lighter options for mobile hunting than what we had back then. My point I guess is the weapon of choice is really irrelevant for the most part with regards to which tool you want to use be it saddle, treestand, climber, ground blind, bucket to sit on, etc.

Ill admit my observation of gun vs bow success is definitely based in my experience hunting both gun and bow seasons in WI where the massive influx of orange clad hunters completely alters the way the deer move and act for the rest of the season for the most part. After opening weekend of gun season youll have a tough time finding a mature buck moving naturally and during daylight within 2 miles of the parking on most public lands.

Im always dumbfounded by the states that have extremely long rifle seasons being from WI. In the last 20 years Gun Hunters in WI have killed anywhere from 222,000 deer to as high as 528,000 deer in that short 9 day season. Its estimated there are around 1.4 million deer in WI so I cant imagine how there would be any left, on public land at least, if the gun deer season were 4 months long like archery is. Those state must either have a TON of deer or much lower hunter numbers than states like WI.

 

[DB4x4]

Im always dumbfounded by the states that have extremely long rifle seasons being from WI.
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Those state must either have a TON of deer or much lower hunter numbers than states like WI.

I am in a similar state/situation. The more I read on here, the more I think I have to try an out of state hunt to one of these other places that apparently have deer tripping over one another and falling out of trees...

 

[mattsteg]

Those state must either have a TON of deer or much lower hunter numbers than states like WI

I think part of that is with a longer season few people hunt it nearly as hard and harvest as aggressively as a MN/WI/MI/etc. 9-16 day season. I'm guessing the bump in pressure is less than we'd think, and maybe more animals get passed.

 

[swampdonkey]

I think part of that is with a longer season few people hunt it nearly as hard and harvest as aggressively as a MN/WI/MI/etc. 9-16 day season. I'm guessing the bump in pressure is less than we'd think, and maybe more animals get passed.

Yeah, perhaps but i find it impossible to think the Gun Deer kill rate wouldn’t go up dramatically. Id have to believe the number of guys in the woods at the same time (increased pressure) would go up dramatically as well in Sept, Oct, as well seeing as there are roughly 570,000 Gun Deer licenses sold every year vs 220,000 or so Archery licenses.

Like i said, i’m mystified some of these states deer herds are able to sustain a 4 month rifle season as i’d think WI public land Whitetails would become as rare as unicorns. Either tons of deer or not that many people chasing em?

 

[Nosaj]

I just shot my first deer from a saddle with a rifle. The only thing I did different than in my climber is that I left the sling on the gun so I could hang it when I didn't want it laying across my bridge. When the time came I used the bridge as my support and didn't even think about the fact that I was in a saddle. Since I started hunting from my saddle I have not even though about my Viper. Test out all the shooting angles once you get in the tree before you need to make the shot.

 

[bj139]

Yeah, perhaps but i find it impossible to think the Gun Deer kill rate wouldn’t go up dramatically. Id have to believe the number of guys in the woods at the same time (increased pressure) would go up dramatically as well in Sept, Oct, as well seeing as there are roughly 570,000 Gun Deer licenses sold every year vs 220,000 or so Archery licenses.

Like i said, i’m mystified some of these states deer herds are able to sustain a 4 month rifle season as i’d think WI public land Whitetails would become as rare as unicorns. Either tons of deer or not that many people chasing em?

Plus, some of these states have a multi buck limit per year as well as unlimited does. The hunting pressure must be very low.

 

[tcbroome]

I tried to read through to make sure no one else said it but ran out of time, so sorry if its a repeat. I use the gun hoist from Third Hand and it works very well.

 

[Nchunter1989]

Yeah, perhaps but i find it impossible to think the Gun Deer kill rate wouldn’t go up dramatically. Id have to believe the number of guys in the woods at the same time (increased pressure) would go up dramatically as well in Sept, Oct, as well seeing as there are roughly 570,000 Gun Deer licenses sold every year vs 220,000 or so Archery licenses.

Like i said, i’m mystified some of these states deer herds are able to sustain a 4 month rifle season as i’d think WI public land Whitetails would become as rare as unicorns. Either tons of deer or not that many people chasing em?

It’s a combination of less pressure, due to longer season, & habitat. Milder winters & longer growing seasons lend themselves to creating habitat “everywhere”.. most of the southern states have around 1 million deer, but those deer have an abundance of bedding & browse. Compared to other states that have harsher winters & not as much browse.


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[Kelbrook]

I have hunted hunted with my rifle several times out of my saddle. Killed a doe last year and a really good buck this year. I use a little Remington Model 7 .260 that is short, light and easy to maneuver around the tree. I hang my rifle like I normally would right against the tree. Bridge and tree make a good rest and the light rifle makes it easy to take a free hand shot behind me.

 

[smcchevy]

Nope cant do it

 

[Hardly_Hangin]

Nope cant do it
View attachment 39473

Looks like a goodern from up here!! I knew you would prove them wrong

 

[Nutterbuster]

Quit watching hunting videos. A saddle is just another stand so grab your damn gun and go climb a tree.

I have a feeling bow hunters are like the guys that bought the Mantis. Once the mantis guys hunted out of it a few times they realized it was awful, but that’s not what they read.....are they the defective 1 in a 1000??? Can’t have folks you don’t even know thinking you suck at saddle hunting so they joined in the fanfare online and suffered in person.

Guys new to hunting want to kill deer. If you’re new and continually not killing deer it sucks. All they’ve seen on tv and YT is bow hunting so they go that route not wanting to be out of the loop. But they don’t kill anything so they adopt phrases like “passed” and “encounter” and “target buck” and “mature” and “a buck I call ______” to justify their lack of success. Inwardly they’re not enjoying themselves.

Finally, the Mantis crowd is provided with a new model and they all pounce “because it’s the new model, gotta try it” while inwardly they’re ecstatic because they’ve been given a socially accepted way out of their suffering. They post their Mantis for sale and as soon as it’s out of their hands you start to see the truth creep in......”never could get comfortable” , “sucked”, “hip pinch”, etc......

Don’t fall into that trap. If you want to kill deer and learn HOW to kill deer in the process then take a gun. The relief of knowing you might actually kill something in itself is liberating. Go do you. If you want to kill a deer then kill a deer. Once you kill a few with a gun it will sink in that it’s not that hard so a bit of the anxiety subsided and you realize you don’t have to shoot it as soon as you see it. You have a gun in your hands, the deer is dead, it’s now just a matter of where it’s going to die. This allows you to spend more time with deer in front of you and that’s where you learn them. And learn yourself.

Now that your wife/husband has renewed faith in your ability to provide if you decide you want to go back to bow hunting then start (gun hunting) setting up with a 30 yd restriction self imposed. Not saying you can’t shoot a deer at 80 yards, but setup to kill the deer at 30 and in. When this gets to be second nature then transition back to the bow.

Even after going back to the bow, every now and then grab your gun and go climb a tree and lay the smack down just to remind the deer, and your spouse, who the damn real boss of the woods is......

SLOW CLAP

Somebody tattoo tbis post across my back.

 

[swampdonkey]

Plus, some of these states have a multi buck limit per year as well as unlimited does. The hunting pressure must be very low.

Right, it’s gotta be.

 

[Aeds151]

6 deer tags here. 2 bucks. 5 month archery season. 3 week modern gun during rut plus some more days. I drove up NF road saturday and every 100 yards was a truck or a deer camp.


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[BuffaloBill]

Took my muzzleloader out in my saddle today. Isn't bad except I don't like my dinky gear strap holding up my muzzleloader. I was afraid the hook was going to snap or it'd shift and fall off.

 

[bj139]

I guess you can just sling it diagonally on your back and climb or descend.

 

[Hardly_Hangin]

I guess you can just sling it diagonally on your back and climb.

I tend to rest it across my bridge in my lap while waiting - much faster to shoulder when you have short time, especially during the rut when they're cruising.

I will sling it diagonaly across my back while decending, to eliminate ground contact

 

[Aeds151]

If you have a pack with a bow/gun sling, put it there then pull your pack and bow/gun up with your rappel line all in one. I wouldnt recommend loading it prior to the climb. Guy around these parts blew is head off with a Muzzle loader last season pulling it up to his climber while loaded and apparently safety off. .50 cal under chin did a number on his domeskey.


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[ericabbott]

Learn to shoot with either hand so you don’t have a weak side, brace the stock on your bridge, and attach your pull up rope to the rear sling attachment point so the barrel is pointed down when lifting.

 

[SNIPERBBB]

It’s a combination of less pressure, due to longer season, & habitat. Milder winters & longer growing seasons lend themselves to creating habitat “everywhere”.. most of the southern states have around 1 million deer, but those deer have an abundance of bedding & browse. Compared to other states that have harsher winters & not as much browse.


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and theyre not much bigger than goats the farther south you go with some exceptions.