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Howdy from Oregon but soon to be Georgia

Mossy-Back

Active Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2021
Messages
106
Location
SW Georgia
Dropping in to say hi. I have lived in western Oregon all my life (35 years) except for four years I was in the Marine Corps. I've never hunted out of a tree stand or saddle before. I started bow hunting 2 years ago, have shotgun and rifle hunted for 20+ years, always from the ground.

Since I am moving to a new state with whitetail hunting I want to try hunting out of a tree. I have some lower back issues so I think a saddle will be a good option.

Any advice on a good beginners setup that won't break the bank is appreciated.
 
Welcome from Wentzville Missouri! You’ll be able to find plenty of information and suggestions in this forum! Good luck!
 
Dropping in to say hi. I have lived in western Oregon all my life (35 years) except for four years I was in the Marine Corps. I've never hunted out of a tree stand or saddle before. I started bow hunting 2 years ago, have shotgun and rifle hunted for 20+ years, always from the ground.

Since I am moving to a new state with whitetail hunting I want to try hunting out of a tree. I have some lower back issues so I think a saddle will be a good option.

Any advice on a good beginners setup that won't break the bank is appreciated.
What part of Ga are you moving to?
 
SW corner, North of Tallahassee
You aren’t gonna be too far away. Best advice I can give you is meet up with some saddle hunters that are within a couple hours of you and try out multiple saddles and platforms before you make the purchase. The “trial and error” method of saddle hunting can get expensive. It saves money and head aches if you can try out some gear before you jump in and purchase. Because everyone’s idea of comfort is different.
 
Welcome from NW Ga! Find some used setups as you can save a ton this way. Plenty of good options out there
 
Welcome from Texas. If you're on a budget I suggest lurking on the classifieds, you can get some great deals and if the gear doesn't work out you typically don't take a big hit if you turn around and sell it again. Best of luck!
 
Welcome from Tennessee. I used to be an Georgia boy too. Like others have said, don’t buy new. Use the classified section. Just pay the 5% PayPal fee if you’re nervous. I usually do if it’s someone I haven’t done business with before. Never had a problem. I buy several things (saddles, climbing sticks, whatever) beginning of the summer and test them out for months. Then when September rolls around I sell off what I didn’t like and either get all my $ back or even more than I paid because right before season everyone is rushing to get their gear set up. Good luck!
 
Welcome from South Georgia. North of Tallahassee can be a lot of places but there’s some decent public hunting opportunities in that area. You can buy a saddle and sale it for minimal loss when trying to get one you like. A climbing system on the other hand can be really expensive to ship so you’ll lose more money if you decide to sell sticks. I’ve bought a bunch of saddles but have lost more on climbing systems by far.
 
Welcome from South Georgia. North of Tallahassee can be a lot of places but there’s some decent public hunting opportunities in that area. You can buy a saddle and sale it for minimal loss when trying to get one you like. A climbing system on the other hand can be really expensive to ship so you’ll lose more money if you decide to sell sticks. I’ve bought a bunch of saddles but have lost more on climbing systems by far.

Thomasville area is where I'll be.
 
Thomasville area is where I'll be.
I still stand by my original comment. There are several of us in the lower Ga/Northern Fl area. And some in southern bama. Try to meet up with a few to try gear out. Yes you can save money in the classifieds but you also have to spend money. There is a lot of knowledgeable people on here but we are all different physiques, ages and just hunt differently. What works for me might not work for you so just listening to other people’s idea of comfort or climbing system will not equate to you finding the saddle and system that fits you the best. Like I said trial and error get expensive! A couple good meet and greets or some one on one with guys that have multiple saddles and platforms will give you the best opportunity to save some money by getting it right the first time as opposed to the fourth. Lol
 
Welcome from Central Illinois! The saddle really helps with my lower back issues on long sits compared to a stand or camp stool. I even use a Sit drag for ground sits now.
 
Welcome from NE Georgia! I was in the Corps as well, 8 years time in service. I left Northern California almost 4 years ago. I never hunted out of a tree either until I moved here. Second nature now and love it! I got into the saddle hunting gig at the end of last season and loved it. Anxiously await this year. More than welcome to message me on any Georgia hunting information. Semper Fi brother!
 
Welcome! I switched from stands to saddle because of my back. I can't sit in a lock on more than 10 minutes because of my back. But with a saddle I can manage to sit alot longer.
 
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