First saddle harvest...few issues.

[BGillispie]

Made it happen for the first time in the saddle last night! Hunting on scarce Illinois Public land (Loud Thunder Forest Preserve, 50 hunters 6 hunt zones in the park open to residents only for a fee of $100). Have to harvest a doe before you are allowed the harvest of a buck.

Had a hard time adjusting to the new setup with the bow so had to resort to the crossbow. I am using a Field and Stream safety rope with a prussic for linesman belt and another for the tree tether. I had a hard time coming to full draw with the bridge and tether right in front of me and was wondering if anyone has any advise on how I could fix the issue. Could I move the tether further down on the tree and shorten the bridge so its not right where my elbow is when pulling back?

Another thing I am combating is how to hang my bow to a tree on public lands that do not permit screwing things to trees. I have an old tree strap with a couple hooks cut off an old ratchet strap that works well for my quiver and a pack but I think it would be more preferable to have the bow hung away from the tree at least 6-12 inches.

Any advise is more than welcome and the best of luck to everyone!

 

[slonstdy]

Tether height is usually somewhere between forehead and chin, but it's a personal preference and you can place it where you find it most comfortable. As for a bow hanger I use a length of paracord with alpine loops tied every 4" and I hook a heroclip to a loop and hang my bow from it. Check out doublesteps.com for all saddle related essentials.

 

[Weldabeast]

Turn down the poundage on your bow

 

[swapfox1862]

my teather is at chin height an 21 inch bridge an i can shoot all the way around a tree ....i also take a s hook off one of those black rubber cords an hook it to my tether an hook by bow to that threw the cam for a compound i shoot long bow now so i just tie a peice of para cord around the tree an an let the tag end catch between my string an limb

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[bj139]

I use this.

McGuire-Nicholas 3.5 in. Monster Hook Multi-Tool Holder-93333 - The Home Depot

The single Monster Hook Multi-Tool Holder is perfect for job site storage. Holds most cordless drills, nail guns, saws, gardening tools and many other items. Hook can be shaped to accommodate different

www.homedepot.com

 

[Hogwild2004]

Big Whitetail Dreams

Welcome to Big Whitetail Dreams LLC, home of premium products for the dedicated deer hunter.

www.bigwhitetaildreams.com

This works great. Available on Amazon but will customize your order if you buy through his website. I bought the bow hanger and two hooks since i had my own ratchet straps, but considering going with an OCB boat buckle to finish out the package.

 

[BGillispie]

Thanks for all the replies! Going to shorten up my tether and do some practice in the yard with the compound. Really like the Big Whitetail Dreams stuff probably going to go with that instead of my goofy ratchet hooks. Dropped the crossbow out of the tree last week and bent the foot strap all to **** but it saved the rest of the bow, mainly because of my goofy bow holder. Still need to work on getting comfortable leaning around the tree but I'm sure that will come with time.

 

[Psu927]

trust your equipment and lots of backyard practice. Be confident enough to lean completely around

 

[redsquirrel]

You need to experiment with your bridge and tether length combo to find something that will work for you. A good place to start is a 24" bridge (from tip to tip) and a forehead level hookup (when standing on your steps/platform). It's all personal preference and you can adjust from there but that should put you at a good starting point. I will adjust from there on every sit to find a comfortable position for the tree that I'm in. From the problems you're describing it sounds like you have your bridge and tether too long. I see the same comments often from new saddle hunters. Good luck!