I would really like to see a "hunt any tree" challenge video.

[mattsteg]

This would take more than 8’ circumference for a tether. Plus the poison ivy would kill a hunter. It is right on a deer trail that skirts condos, with no other climbable trees in sight.

I haven’t found a way up this tree.

 

[sojourner]

I think I can hunt any tree within reason with a saddle. I can not hunt any tree on a mobile hunt with and saddle and don’t think you could with a stand either, definitely not a climber. If I have a funky unique tree I will prep it in the spring.

Don’t believe everything you see on YouTube. There’s a ton of information being put out there for marketing purposes or by people who have minimal saddle experience and are looking to become YouTube famous and are regurgitating the same lines over and over.

Preach it brother!!!!

All these neophytes trying to sell themselves as saddle OG gangsters is repugnant!

 

[Westdesign03]

I preset 4 trees for srt, realized I couldn't use a throwball quietly enough, and was on bolts at the end of the season. Aside from various ropes for srt drt and reppel I think I have,
30 bolts + treehopper drill, 5 wild edge steps, bullman outdoors ros, 15 squirrel steps( ros and climbing method), hawk helium with webbing aider, 2-5 step mobile aiders 1 offset, 1 ladder style, shikar mini, ridge runner, solo scout.

Daisey chain amsteel, shikar mini, ladder 5vstep aider, ridge runner, 30ft oplux 8mm, figure 8, and I'm set. I really wanted to be a ring of steps guy, but I'm not.

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Man that sounds like a lot of stuff to fiddle with. Glad it works for ya though. Tried a ring of steps too and just never felt good about it.

Between last year and this year, I’ve gone through quite a bit of gear finding what I really like and don’t like. Currently I’ve settled on the mission platform and Novix mini sticks. Really like that platform and the fact that the sticks work with the system. Didn’t think I would care for the single steps but find I don’t mind them as much as I thought I would. Not using any aiders unless i need to at ground level. I consider this a mobile setup for me to bounce around new pieces of public and still be relatively comfortable.

If I want just a “portable” setup I’m not gonna walk in far with, I find myself switching out the mission for my LW assault hang on stand. More of a pain to set up but I do find it slightly more comfortable than a saddle in some ways. Hate to say but I am looking to add a climber of some kind back into the toolbox again. Not sure which one. Likely a LWHC when they become available again which is what I had before and have missed it ever since I sold it.

At the end of the day I think I like having a variety of tools to choose from for the situation or just whatever I feel like using that day.


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[flinginairos]

One thing I’ve learned hunting run and gun in multiple states is that you can for sure get in a wide variety of trees, and even some downright funky trees, but many times the effort and noise required to get in them isn’t worth it. I would say you can get in most trees that you need to, but saying any tree on the planet Is stupid. In Missouri this past week I found myself set up on the ground (in the saddle) just because it was a better, more comfortable setup than sitting in a bad leaner for 6+ hours.


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[huntin_addict]

This would take more than 8’ circumference for a tether. Plus the poison ivy would kill a hunter. It is right on a deer trail that skirts condos, with no other climbable trees in sight.

I haven’t found a way up this tree.

I wouldn't get within 20 feet of that bad boy. I'm itching just looking at it.

 

[Noonespecial]

I can and have preset THE tree I wanted for the spot I was hunting. You can’t ask someone on a run and gun to pick a spot then pick THE tree they want to be in. If your referring to public vs private then NO system will allow you to hunt THE tree you want to be in. Can’t cut limbs or shooting lanes but on private many saddle hunters like myself have hunted out of THE tree we wanted because of the prep work we did to get in that specific tree. I can tell you though that some of those trees you still could not have hunted with a treestand because of the severe lean. Look at the episode on Eberhart outdoors where he shows everyone some of the crazy trees he hunts out of. No way you could get in those trees with a stand.

 

[huntin_addict]

I've made a few interesting climbs the last couple of years, but I am definitely not the "I can climb any tree" guy. I'm out there hunting so I better darn well have some windows to shoot thru, and too much of a lean can be sketchy.

I got into saddle hunting primarily to save weight. I was legitimately a pack my stand in and out guy every single hunt for several years before making the switch (there are tons of guys who CLAIM they do that, but in reality many don't.) Along with that, the only stand I could use was a Millenium M100, every other stand I could only get an hour before my lower back was in excruciating pain. So, after stand, (maybe) 4 full length Lone Wolf Sticks and my extra clothes and pack, I was between 30-50 pounds every hunt. I try to hunt every evening after work, so that was a major grind. My current saddle set up is just as comfortable to me as my stand, with a significant weight savings. I can get my saddle set up in every tree I could get my stand in, with a significant reduction in actual weight carried. I could get my stand and my saddle setup in every tree that my climber would get into, but my climber was limited in trees I could get into.

In summary, I never claimed to be able to climb every tree, but I sure can get my saddle into any tree that I can get a stand into, plus some, with a significant weight savings. It's a no-brainer for me.

 

[#TradLife]

I was in a tamarack bog a few weeks back where I have never seen so many giant rubs in about a 1 acre area! Not a single tree you could climb without serious trimming session.

Watch out tamarack trees, scouting 2021 here i come.

This would take more than 8’ circumference for a tether. Plus the poison ivy would kill a hunter. It is right on a deer trail that skirts condos, with no other climbable trees in sight.

I haven’t found a way up this tree.

That looks like the tree I climbed 2 weeks ago! Going in blind at 5am... lesson learned, urushiol oil stays in dead leaves, vines and roots for up to 5 years. And can continue to spread from gear, clothing and other items you touched for up to 2 years.

Just yesterday I thought to myself, "what haven't I cleaned yet that I touch almost everyday?!?!" As my poison ivy continues to spread...

"Car keys, uck! With a capital F!!"

 

[ThereWillBeSpuds]

This would take more than 8’ circumference for a tether. Plus the poison ivy would kill a hunter. It is right on a deer trail that skirts condos, with no other climbable trees in sight.

I haven’t found a way up this tree.

Tripod?

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[iamcorey]

I learned first season in a saddle, that just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Basically I picked a small tree that only got smaller on the way up. When it was killing time, it was the only tree shaking in the forest.


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[Jtaylor]

I've been in a few situations where I've found the "ideal" tree to sit in to see deer and take a shot but it wasn't the most ideal to climb and hang the saddle or stand from. My solution is to move over to the next tree that is easier to climb 5, 10, or 15 yds over or sit at ground level. I have honestly never found a situation where this isn't feasible. By the time I try climbing the "ideal" tree by removing branches, clearing an area to shoot and banging around whatever climbing method I'm using I'll have the deer ran off into the next county anyways. I am willing to accept defeat in these scenarios and move to the next tree over or sit at ground level. If the tree is too hard to climb and there is a decent amount of cover at the base, try clearing a small area to shoot from and hang on the tree from the ground.

 

[JoyRyd]

This would take more than 8’ circumference for a tether. Plus the poison ivy would kill a hunter. It is right on a deer trail that skirts condos, with no other climbable trees in sight.

I haven’t found a way up this tree.

If it's close to Condos.......zip line and rent-a-crane time!!! I'm betting someone on here can, and will, get in that tree!!!

 

[bj139]

Do you mean any safe tree? How about the poison ivy covered tree or a dead tree ready to fall? With SRT, I can climb any tree I can throw a line over a crotch which means those 12 foot or more circumference trees and with my electrical conduit push pole, I can climb any straight tree. With a preset, it's super easy. If not, practice with a throwball works great.

 

[bj139]

Here is the tree I would like to see someone climb. It is probably safe to just walk up the angle but I would not test it. Both trees are dead or at least had no leaves in early fall.

 

[sojourner]

If it's close to Condos.......zip line and rent-a-crane time!!! I'm betting someone on here can, and will, get in that tree!!!

If someone were to try this, they would be hurting for a rather long time. Just the tiniest bit of ivy is painful. That tree would be the death of me.

 

[ImThere]

This would take more than 8’ circumference for a tether. Plus the poison ivy would kill a hunter. It is right on a deer trail that skirts condos, with no other climbable trees in sight.

I haven’t found a way up this tree.

Ladder stand.


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[SNIPERBBB]

I think the "Hunt any tree" thing is really, "if you have to absolutely have to hunt that tree, you can". Not quite as catchy.

 

[HuntNorthEast]

With so many people claiming that this or that climbing method or platform or stand will allow you to "hunt any tree" I would really like to see a video where proponents of various methods who claim they can "get in any tree I want and set up right on the hottest sign" walk into the woods and an impartial host picks a series of trees and the hunters have to climb to a height that they can justify as being the "right height" for the tree rather than just the highest point they can get. Then the contestants would have to set up their hunting aparatus (gear hangars, platform, stand whatever else) and demonstrate that they could actually effectively stay there and shoot a weapon.

I see people claiming the any tree thing an awful lot, but I have never seen anyone say "any tree, what about this one?"

I do think time and noise should be considerations in the judgement as well.

Within reason and limitations of course. For example, the tree would have to be structurally sound enough to hold human weight. I've sat in a few that I have questioned and they swayed when I moved. On top of that, you can only sit a tree in which your attachment rope/webbing is long enough to hold true.

I don't think there is an end all be all and you can literally hunt ANY tree, cause I have been in some NASTY ones, but there are a few methods out there that do come close. I think that would make for a good/fun video tbh. Good thinking!

 

[Jimmy Wallhanger]

This would take more than 8’ circumference for a tether. Plus the poison ivy would kill a hunter. It is right on a deer trail that skirts condos, with no other climbable trees in sight.

I haven’t found a way up this tree.

Hand drill and bolts

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[DMTJAGER]

This would take more than 8’ circumference for a tether. Plus the poison ivy would kill a hunter. It is right on a deer trail that skirts condos, with no other climbable trees in sight.

I haven’t found a way up this tree.

Maybe not this year but as soon as it gets above 60* next year is a absolute max dose of poison ivy herbicide and a stout rake with a DIY 15' extension a viable solution?
I did the same for a huge gnarly multi limbed shag bark hickory covered in PI as it literally was the only tree I could set a stand in at a location I was seeing a huge non typical frequent. Unfortunately after my successful herculean poison ivy removal effort the land got sold last week of October and I never got to hunt out of that stand.