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How often do you hunt out of a treestand?

0% from a stand. My back is so jacked up that I cannot sit in a stand more than 10 minutes. If it weren’t for saddle hunting, I wouldn’t be hunting from a tree and probably wouldn’t be hunting with a bow.


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2Sloe said:
If I had access to private there’s always a natural funnel somewhere that deserves a permanent stand as part of the rotation. If for nothing else but for when the weather sucks. On public, not a chance. I’m not going to make it easy for someone else to hunt the place I want to hunt. And since I only hunt public now….
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There's something to be said for a shooting house that you can park 100 yards away from on a cold, windy day when you've got a sore throat and cabin fever.

I'm inclined to throw up a little duck blind on a creek next to my house for days when I want to go but don't want to go, if that makes sense.
 
Interesting the amount of guys that hunt on the ground. That’s the biggest surprise to me
The only time I’m ever hunting on the ground is my way in on an afternoon hunt to a tree
 
3 years ago decided to give the saddle a trial run… I do many fewer sits in a season than I used to, so that trial is still ongoing. I’ll never sell my Summit, parked in that thing is still my favorite perch in the woods even though I haven’t used it in three years. Have also moved more to ground hunting as well… so me and the treestand are taking some time apart, not divorced but we’ll see if the flames ever rekindle. IMO climbers are now officially underrated. I kinda like all methods, wish life and every hunting season was longer so I could spend more time with each.

Edit: also if I had more time I’d like to become a ghost blind specialist… they’re just cool and I’d love to have a beer with somebody who’s really put em to work. I have one and have had deer close, while I end up in trees more often I wish I had the willpower to put a ghost blind to work for a full season.
 
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100% saddle on public
60% saddle on private bow
40% saddle on private firearm
0% saddle or stand for spring turkey (ground blind)

We have two shooting houses and four ladder stands on the private I hunt but they're more in firearm locations and the ladders are shared with a buddy who doesn't saddle hunt and its his property so I rarely use them and they are not as comfortable at all as my saddle. Plus, they make noise getting in and out of them and they've been in the same locations for years, also decreasing their effectiveness in my opinion.

I have a Pac-seat and use that a lot for ground hunting especially during firearm season but haven't hunted with it for deer with my bow. Do use it exclusively for Spring Turkey with my bow.

I did pick up a Chippewa Wedgelock Quest for late season hunts with my bulkier IWOM for a late season hybrid setup.
I also picked up a Windwalker for my daughter but I may try it out as well.
 
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Those who ONLY hunt out of a saddle are missing out. So many advantages to a treestand in so many areas.

The “my saddle can go anywhere” thing is a myth. My .5 is much more versatile than my saddle set up and as such gets used probably ten times what my saddle platform gets used.
 
swampdonkey said:
Those who ONLY hunt out of a saddle are missing out. So many advantages to a treestand in so many areas.

The “my saddle can go anywhere” thing is a myth. My .5 is much more versatile than my saddle set up and as such gets used probably ten times what my saddle platform gets used.
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We shall agree to disagree sir
 
Fl Canopy Stalker said:
We shall agree to disagree sir
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Yep, we can disagree for sure it’s what makes America great afterall.

That being said, i’ve never hunted a spot with my saddle that I couldn’t also use my .5. But I have hunted in spots with my .5 i couldn’t have with a saddle. A nice mature cedar on the edge of a cattail swamp comes to mind. It’s a bear to work your way up through the tangle of branches but there is a hole in the branches 18 ft up thata perfect to hang a treestand in and settle in. I can’t use my saddle in that little hole without clearing a lot of it out which is illegal here. The trunk is pretty thin up there too so leaning out on a saddle would cause way too much bend and swaying.

But i’m not saying don’t use a saddle, i still use mine from time to time.
 
swampdonkey said:
Those who ONLY hunt out of a saddle are missing out. So many advantages to a treestand in so many areas.
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Right now I have a good looking set where deer will be coming from the west and heading north of a tree… if you think about the orientation of a right handed shooter on the back side (east side) of the tree, a stand is starting to feel like it might make more sense here, unless I want to plan for an awkward lotta movement saddle position to shoot. So that’s one example.
 
neonomad said:
Right now I have a good looking set where deer will be coming from the west and heading north of a tree… if you think about the orientation of a right handed shooter on the back side (east side) of the tree, a stand is starting to feel like it might make more sense here, unless I want to plan for an awkward lotta movement saddle position to shoot. So that’s one example.
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Yup, i’m not saying NEVER hunt out of a saddle. I still use mine. Just saying there are definitely a lot of scenarios where a stand is your best option.
 
I am lucky to own 160 acres of private land next to hundreds of acres of County Forest. I hunt 70% treestand 30% saddle on our private land and 90% saddle on County Forest land 10% LWTS climbers. County Forest with saddle seams easier in and quicker and quieter.
I try to keep all options open. it’s funner that way. I’m still having fun at 70.
 
Actually right now there are only two types of stands systems I do not use every year. Saddle and climber. I hunt about 70% hang ons and 25% ladders about 5% on the ground.
Had a injury free but very unnerving experience with a climber (Summit Viper II) and never used it again.
 
Has anyone tried hybrid hunting out of a windwalker with the option to sit I’ve been thinking of getting a windwalker to try out maybe for longer hunter I use a mission platform right now.
 
It really depends the situation.
i hunt platform for a first couple weeks of season which this year has not been much ive been so swamped.
After that I'm saddle with a stand. Kind of a hybrid setup.
if i want to sit i sit if i want to lean i lean.
 
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