• 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

Favorite Platform?

A

AASOP

New Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2019
Messages
20
Favorite Platform and why? I hunt 90% private, long trips into public is no longer in my playbook so weight isn't that big of an issue.
 
Search DIY preset platform. I use treated wood but you wouldn't have to. For private land presents where you can leave them in the tree they are extremely sturdy. Use the poly glue and you won't have any squeaks, you would have to tear them apart with a sledgehammer. If you get scrap lumber they are cheap to make.
 
Predator, followed closely by home made klemz.

If I'm doing a pre set, I like to incorporate a couple of steps on the back side of the tree just in case. For run and gun, I don't bother.


Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
I'm new to saddle hunting and just purchased the Tethrd Predator platform based on the many recommendations here on this site and others.
I'm pretty impressed with its design and ease of setup. It was smaller than I thought when I took it out of the package but realized it was plenty big when setting it up for the first time. I have pretty bog feet too and there was plenty of room.
Lots of great option out there today for saddle hunters. That's a good thing!
 
Predator for mobile and where presets "might "disappear. Podium for presets. I really like both. I could use the podium for mobile..just wasnt my intent. End of next hunting season, we should have this conversation again.
 
I’m leaning strongly to settling on a ring of steps. I do have the xop hand climber and the predator platform. The predator gets the nod for weight and stability. I think it is the best of any platform I have seen. The xop or lone wolf aren’t as stable or lightweight as the predator but offers similar size to the lone wolf Assassin platform or whatever the new lwc platform will be called. It also weights less than the Assassin and can be used as a climbing method.
The plywood used with the primal v or the perch used with wild edge steps are a good option but really only if you use that system as a climbing method and you are really proficient at getting the step crammed over super tight.
The podium I have no experience with but seems to be a solid option for the budget minded. It has the highest potential for noise because of the sound resonating properties of tubing vs cast but there are things you can do to any of the options available to make them better.
I feel that the diy seat style platforms are obsolete at this point unless you just want to diy something. They aren’t as strong, weigh more, and cost is similar to commercially available products.
 
For me the platform choice is dictated by the usage. If I'm mobile hunting and will most likely sit in a different tree each time out it's really hard to beat the Predator. It's light, quick, quiet and solid.

If I'm planning on hunting from the same tree repetitively then I'd choose something a little less pricey to leave set up. Leaving something setup limits the setup commotion a little and prevents risking the loss of the more expensive option. This theory would apply to public or private hunting for me.
 
AASOP said:
Favorite Platform and why? I hunt 90% private, long trips into public is no longer in my playbook so weight isn't that big of an issue.
Click to expand...

Honestly if I didn't have to walk up and down mountains, through thick brush, over rockfields, my choice on kush private land would be a regular size treestand as a platform. Maybe add a saddle and run a hybrid system to spice up your life. Excommunicate me now.
 
elk yinzer said:
Honestly if I didn't have to walk up and down mountains, through thick brush, over rockfields, my choice on kush private land would be a regular size treestand as a platform. Maybe add a saddle and run a hybrid system to spice up your life. Excommunicate me now.
Click to expand...
Nah, Thats how I hunted for years. RCH, tether and Windwalker. I was hybrid saddlehunting before I knew what saddlehunting was. I still run with that setup from time to time...
 
Vtbow said:
Nah, Thats how I hunted for years. RCH, tether and Windwalker. I was hybrid saddlehunting before I knew what saddlehunting was. I still run with that setup from time to time...
Click to expand...

Same here.
 
I have 20 acres out my back door with a few treestands - never used a single one last year. I've switched completely over to a platform, specifically one of my DIY scooter platforms. If I couldn't find an scooter foot rest, it would be a Tethrd Predator because they are so lightweight and portable. Going to do some additional testing with the Out on a Limb Podium at the next saddle demo day as well.
For longer hikes I will be using a Ring of SquirrelSteps. However, at this point it may not happen this year. Ruptured my achilles Monday night and had surgery yesterday. Going to miss turkey season but hopefully not deer season.
 
DanO said:
I have 20 acres out my back door with a few treestands - never used a single one last year. I've switched completely over to a platform, specifically one of my DIY scooter platforms. If I couldn't find an scooter foot rest, it would be a Tethrd Predator because they are so lightweight and portable. Going to do some additional testing with the Out on a Limb Podium at the next saddle demo day as well.
For longer hikes I will be using a Ring of SquirrelSteps. However, at this point it may not happen this year. Ruptured my achilles Monday night and had surgery yesterday. Going to miss turkey season but hopefully not deer season.
Click to expand...
Ouch. To bad about turkey but take care and heal up for deer season.
 
DanO said:
Ruptured my achilles Monday night and had surgery yesterday. Going to miss turkey season but hopefully not deer season.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that brother. Rest up and get well.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top