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First year reflections

R

Rex920

New Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2022
Messages
19
Fall of 2022 was my first season hunting from a saddle. Greatly appreciate the info offered from so many on this and other saddle hunting forums.

As many have mentioned practice is critical to being safe and comfortable.

I'm using a latitude method 2 saddle and three Hawk Helium sticks with aiders. Was hunting from fixed stands on hunting lease until neighboring dogs became unbearable. Then I switch to hang-on stand on public land. Worked well but at 71 I started looking for ways to cut weight of gear.

Converted over to the saddle and after some practice and learning how to tweak the adjustments to bridge and tether for comfort I am very happy with decision to go this route.

Though I did not bag that special old buck this year I did fill the freezer with a nice doe. I find great enjoyment just being in the woods even if I'm not seeing the numbers of deer I would like.

I did have one very special sit this year when I had a black bear come up my tree to see what I was up to....as they say Priceless!

Love the ability to carry less weight and yet be comfortable sitting for hours. Enables me to get to places where there is less pressure on the deer.

Can't wait to get back in the woods.
 
71 years young! Good for you-you're my inspiration! I'll be 61 this year. You said it best-it's about being out there-any game taken is just the cherry on top!

I'm retired now, & enjoying the heck out of playing with my climbing & saddle gear!

I usually climb every other day or so-decided to learn how to rappel down this off-season. Set up a 15 ft platform on a leaner with some steps going up to it, & so far I'm getting better each time I do it! The lean helps me also to learn how not to panic when I get too far to one side & swing around the tree-just let go of everything, & wait for the swing to stop!

Next thing I'll work on is using aiders, to reduce the number of steps I have to carry in (I'm a Wild Edge guy- I have sticks too, but for some weird reason, I prefer the steps..) I also got a knaider/swaider set, so plenty for me to learn until opening day...and I think it's GREAT exercise!!
 
It is great exercise which in turn helps me focus on staying in shape in the off season as well. I hunt public land in the Blue Ridge mountains mostly which adds to the challenge.

I have not yet tried the repel method. I climb up and back down very deliberately just as I practice. I do like the repel down idea though and may have to give it a try this off season as one of my biggest concerns is using the aiders on the way down in the dark.
 
I love climbers and they are the reason I started saddle hunting. The weight of all my stuff and the heavy climber and my age (70 in March) got me into it. My problem is, I still love climbers better than any other climbing system. So someone here I think it was @mtsrunner was redesigning a Summit Open Shot seat in conjunction with the saddle to climb with. I ended up buying one and doing the same thing. It's awesome to climb with, it weighs only 7 pounds and it is very solid on the tree, so much so that at times I have a hard time breaking it's grip on the tree. The two issues I have with climbers is (1) the problem of the tree being larger at the bottom so when you climb the stand starts tilting forward as the tree gets smaller so you have to adjust as you climb and (2) getting around limbs. That is what I will work on this spring and summer. I have an aider from Wild Edge that works perfect for the tilting problem but I haven't tried going around a limb with it yet. I also repel and use my repel rope to climb just in case something happens while climbing I can just repel down.

The bear thing is awesome! Congratulations!
 
That little encounter with the bear made my whole season. I love the different situations that you find in quite times in the woods.

Light and effective is so much better than trying to manage heavy equipment. I'm not saying our age limits our ability but rather it makes us smarter so we don't have to work so hard. :).
 
"Light and effective is so much better than trying to manage heavy equipment. I'm not saying our age limits our ability but rather it makes us smarter so we don't have to work so hard."

That's some soundly stated wisdom right there!! It's all about lessons learned! ;)
 
Rex920 said:
Fall of 2022 was my first season hunting from a saddle. Greatly appreciate the info offered from so many on this and other saddle hunting forums.

As many have mentioned practice is critical to being safe and comfortable.

I'm using a latitude method 2 saddle and three Hawk Helium sticks with aiders. Was hunting from fixed stands on hunting lease until neighboring dogs became unbearable. Then I switch to hang-on stand on public land. Worked well but at 71 I started looking for ways to cut weight of gear.

Converted over to the saddle and after some practice and learning how to tweak the adjustments to bridge and tether for comfort I am very happy with decision to go this route.

Though I did not bag that special old buck this year I did fill the freezer with a nice doe. I find great enjoyment just being in the woods even if I'm not seeing the numbers of deer I would like.

I did have one very special sit this year when I had a black bear come up my tree to see what I was up to....as they say Priceless!

Love the ability to carry less weight and yet be comfortable sitting for hours. Enables me to get to places where there is less pressure on the deer.

Can't wait to get back in the woods.
Click to expand...

I just finished my second season and About to turn 56. I have been a lot more health conscious over the last decade or so. Saddle hunting has brought the fun factor of my outdoor adventures to a new level for sure! I started rappelling after just a few sits using a set of helium sticks . I’ve used my rappel rope for my tether, but find the separate tether is easier to work up the tree.
This year i learned to go around branches using a few feet of my rappel rope for a lineman’s belt. It’s already got a carabiner on the end and a friction hitch tied on. My secondary bridge connects with a biner on one end, so I clip the hitch to that after throwing the ropes carabiner around the tree. I don’t care much for using a lineman’s belt up 15’, but I know I ain’t going anywhere cinched up tight.
I agree with the comfort factor too! No seat is as comfy as a saddle!
 
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