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Deer busted me twice

Hillclimber

Hillclimber

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
464
Location
WV
I was in the tree and first doe group spotted me swinging. Then another group did the same thing. Finally another group came in and I spotted them before me. They moved out and another doe came in. I tried picturing myself being able to move for a shot out of the saddle and realized it would be too much movement with a group of does around. So ... sadly... I gave up saddle hunting.
 
That's deer hunting be still, wait , watch, shoot when the time is right . Next time set up with more cover.
 
At one time or another I have been busted in a lock on, climber, box stand and ground blind. No type fixed deer hunting is perfect. Maybe the wind or thermals were giving you away there’s a million things that can go wrong for a Hunter. Those animals survive in the wild and have developed survival abilities that we can only imagine.
 
I get busted MUCH less in a saddle than I ever did in a stand.
The biggest factor in effectively moving in ANY setup is PLAN AHEAD.

Have your moves figured out for each direction a deer could come, and move slowly.

Also, don’t forget... back cover, setup height, movement speed, alertness of the prey, and hunting pressure are all contributing factors in getting visually busted.

Giving up on all the benefits saddlehunting brings for being busted twice on one of your first sits is kind of ridiculous. I’ve been visually busted without moving a finger...


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Hillclimber said:
I was in the tree and first doe group spotted me swinging. Then another group did the same thing. Finally another group came in and I spotted them before me. They moved out and another doe came in. I tried picturing myself being able to move for a shot out of the saddle and realized it would be too much movement with a group of does around. So ... sadly... I gave up saddle hunting.
Click to expand...

why would you be swinging? slow movements. did you try a platform or ring of steps?
 
I feel your pain brother. I blew a shot opportunity on a little spike buck last year. Not a great deer, but it would have been my first and only deer I shot with snow on the ground, so I was kinda bummed.

I climb a bit higher than I used to in a saddle, so that I can get away with a bit more movement. I also find that the mobility saddle hunting allows me puts me in new areas, where deer aren't suspecting hunters.

But you still have to be on point. And I think that sometimes folks gloss over some of the negatives of a saddle setup. To me they're few and minor, but they're definitely there.

I wouldn't give it up based on one hunt though. That's hardly a good, honest try.
 
Nutter I do think your on to something with the drill and bolt sets. I’m going to incorporate that in with either my hang on lone wolf (11lbs) or maybe try to find something else. For me, I just like the 270 open view in front of me. Mobility can still be achieved with a lock on, maybe just have to try around a little bit. I tried picturing myself moving around to shoot a doe. It can be done. But for me I’ve been stand hunting since 7 year old, I just can’t break it.
 
This was a platform btw. I think ring screw in steps is the way to go. I practiced around on them and really liked them, but didn’t want the bridge in front of me.
 
Hillclimber said:
Nutter I do think your on to something with the drill and bolt sets. I’m going to incorporate that in with either my hang on lone wolf (11lbs) or maybe try to find something else. For me, I just like the 270 open view in front of me. Mobility can still be achieved with a lock on, maybe just have to try around a little bit. I tried picturing myself moving around to shoot a doe. It can be done. But for me I’ve been stand hunting since 7 year old, I just can’t break it.
Click to expand...
VTBowlts and a Windwalker would weigh 7lbs. That's plenty light for me. Add a minimalist, traditional TMA harness, linemans, and tether and you're plenty safe and right at 10lbs.

Different strokes brother. Different strokes.
 
It’s not for everyone. You have to want to do it. It’s not an instant gratification type of gear. A guy has to be willing to put effort into getting his setup right for him. A hang on stand is foolproof. Most of us are into fooling around...
 
Hillclimber said:
10 4. Love the people on here tho. Can you still be a member if you use a stand? I know that’s a bad word on here
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I still have a few ladders set out. Stick with us. Give it a few tries. We like to have fun! My first sit in a saddle was interesting to be sure. Awkward, slipped off my screws (I started 15 years ago - we didn’t have tons of options then). My first kill in a saddle changed my world. I still hunt from two ladders, went from 10 lock ons on my farms to just two. Saddle for me allows more options and my hope is that you try again. You won’t be sorry.


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You gave up that quick? Sounds like you're just learning to saddle hunt. Nobody is perfect at anything they do the first time. You gotta stick with it and learn the in's and out's.
 
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