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IF NOTHING ELSE...Ladders stand install

J

Jokerswild

Active Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2019
Messages
163
So I put up a 2 man ladder stand on my property today, By my self! Huge effort on a god forsaken hill. Beat the tar out of my four wheeler just getting within 70 yards. But once it was up- One stick tree saddle to the rescue!

No more of that whole Wallenda circus act to get the strap on the ladders stand first time up. THOSE days are DONE! I just one stick saddle climbed up and secured the stand to the tree.

I did learn the challenge of saddle climbing on a crooked tree. My coer muscles will chime in tomorrow for sure!
 
There was a guy on the hunting NY forum today who fell when installing a ladder stand. The whole thing buckled,but luckily he had hooked his harness up. He took a 5'fall and had a friend with him who was able to get a ladder close to him so he could climb down.
That could have went so much worse..
I am happy i don't have to deal with ladder stands anymore. Saddle all the way!
It is great you use yours as a safety feature for getting ladder stands up.
 
Setting up and taking down stands has gotta be the most dangerous part of hunting. I had a good friend break both his legs putting up a hang on a few years back. Probably the safest part of saddle hunting is you pretty much have to master setting up to use this system.
 
The saddle would be an excellent way to make sure a ladderstand is secured before climbing. I have three of the 20 ft models in my main places. My brother was taking his down recently and didn't realize the mid brace was putting back pressure on the ladder. The upper section teetered away from the tree with him on it. The ladder buckled just above the brace and hinged down hard with him and throwing him to the ground. It also hit him on the head. Cost h a trip to the er for stitches. Thankful there were no broken bones. The two people on the ground just pushed against the brace but it didn't help any. Lessons learned. Check the brace and have back up ropes tied off from the top to ground level. Im trying to get him to realize the benefits of the saddle but he is not interested. My family thanks im bonkers for taking up saddle hunting instead of stands all the time.
 
I NEVER go more than a foot or two off the ground without safety gear anymore. The Saddle is part of the safety gear AND a hunting method, It has its safety issues for sure. But compared to how I hunted years ago when I was young...wow its amazing Im Alive!

I remember when I was a young buck... I was PERTRIFIED of heights. But I did it to be productive in the deer woods. NOW...fearless and confident because I use the right gear, practice with it, and trust it.
 
Jokerswild said:
So I put up a 2 man ladder stand on my property today, By my self! Huge effort on a god forsaken hill. Beat the tar out of my four wheeler just getting within 70 yards. But once it was up- One stick tree saddle to the rescue!

No more of that whole Wallenda circus act to get the strap on the ladders stand first time up. THOSE days are DONE! I just one stick saddle climbed up and secured the stand to the tree.

I did learn the challenge of saddle climbing on a crooked tree. My coer muscles will chime in tomorrow for sure!
Click to expand...

Yup...

Safety of Saddle vs. Tree Stands

You can wrap it around the base of the tree and move it up as you climb (sort of like one-sticking), or you can climb up with a linemen’s belt and hang it at height. Both are no less safe than climbing with a saddle, Mr. Smarty Britches. Kind of my point though! Climbing trees is dangerous...
saddlehunter.com
 
When hanging ladder stands, I always raise and lean it against the tree. Then I hang sticks and climb the back with my saddle and lineman rope to ratchet the stand to the tree. Safest way yet and I don't need a buddy holding it at the bottom.
 
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