JX 3 Hybrid Marathon Sit

[jbogg]

This Saturday was our Bow opener in GA. I have had my sights set on another bear so I spent Friday and most of Saturday climbing mountains looking for fresh sign I could hunt over. By Sunday after sleeping in the back of my truck for two nights I was completely smoked. As I was slowly plodding up the mountain Sunday morning I decided I would park myself in my JX 3 and sit over the first decent sign I found giving my legs a break. I got to a little White Oak flat I had found last summer and it was rainy acorns. There was also a little fresh bear scat. Not a lot, but what was there was still smoking. I got settled in the tree and the wait began. The moon was full the night before, and the temps were warm so not a great combo for opening weekend. It was a slow day, but at some point I determined it was to late in the day to relocate to another spot so I decided I would stay put until dark.

It has been over ten years since I have done an all day sit. I have done it a handful of times, but always during the rut when the days are cooler and shorter. The JX 3 Hybrid proved to be as comfortable if not more so than my Summit Goliath. I sat for probably 95% of the time, but enjoyed the ability to stand up and lean every few hours to stretch my legs and back. While seated I alternated between keeping my feet on the LW Hand-climber and a couple of Steps on either side of the tree. The ability to effortlessly change the angle of the backrest allowed me to easily change positions as needed. The Hybrid is easily one of the best hunting related purchases I have made in a long time. I carried it for almost five miles on Saturday which included 3 liters of water and a heavy crossbow.

My Hunt almost ended with a nice bear in the truck. At 6:30PM after 8 1/2 continuous hours in the tree a nice 200lb boar steppef out of the thick tornado damage regrowth to my back. I had been facing a well worn bear trail, but like so many bears this one failed to read the script. It was immediately clear he was walking with a purpose so I quickly grabbed my Excaliber from my gear hanger and spun around to my back side. His path through the thick stuff brought him within 25 yds of my tree, but after stopping him briefly with a mouse squeak I did not have a clear shot and had to watch him disappear back into the regrowth. By the time I climbed down at dark I had been in the tree for ten hours.

I turned 56 last week with a bad back and all the aches and pains that go with my age. If I can be comfortable for that long in the JX 3, anybody can. Thanks John for developing a product that I am confident will extend my hunting for years to come.

 

[whatever]

I have the same set up (jx3 & lone Wolf hand climber) I bought new this year. Due to work I haven't been able to try but I've read a couple times on this forum that people were unable to climb with this set up . Were you climbing or just using. As a platform?

 

[parkersdad]

I am the same way. I can only sit in most stands for about three hours and my back is killing me. So far I have put about 24 hours in my JX3 hybrid and I will not be using anything else. I sit still and I am so comfortable. Are you climbing with the Lone Wolf hand climber or just using it as a base


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[jbogg]

I have the same set up (jx3 & lone Wolf hand climber) I bought new this year. Due to work I haven't been able to try but I've read a couple times on this forum that people were unable to climb with this set up . Were you climbing or just using. As a platform?

I use the LW as my climbing method and platform and it works well. I did find that it is much easier after completing the Adreana Mod. The White Oak I climbed in the pic was probably 14” in diameter at chest height, but I have climbed smaller trees as well.

 

[whatever]

I use the LW as my climbing method and platform and it works well. I did find that it is much easier after completing the Adreana Mod. The White Oak I climbed in the pic was probably 14” in diameter at chest height, but I have climbed smaller trees as well.

Thank you for quick response If I could bother you for 1 more question. Can you clock you Excalibur in the tree ? And any other tips you may have regarding your set up..I have an Excal lone wolf & Jx3 . Never had my xbow up a tree always been compound up a tree and xbow on the ground

 

[jbogg]

Thank you for quick response If I could bother you for 1 more question. Can you clock you Excalibur in the tree ? And any other tips you may have regarding your set up..I have an Excal lone wolf & Jx3 . Never had my xbow up a tree always been compound up a tree and xbow on the ground

I have never tried cocking my Excaliber in the tree. With the crank devise attached it could probably be done, but no way could I do it with the rope cocker. With the addition of two steps combined with my LW platform I can pivot around the tree 360 degrees easily. I use a piece of paracord with some S biners to hang my gear. I like how I can snug everything up tight to the tree and it does not sag like it did when I used hammock straps.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

Thank you for quick response If I could bother you for 1 more question. Can you clock you Excalibur in the tree ? And any other tips you may have regarding your set up..I have an Excal lone wolf & Jx3 . Never had my xbow up a tree always been compound up a tree and xbow on the ground

I have cocked a 335 Excalibur micro several times in a tree with a kestrel and a Jx 3. You need steps or a platform to do it. My crossbow has a 265 pound cocking weight and I have a bad shoulder. Of course I mostly use leg strength to do it.
That said cock it on the ground. Way easier


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[whatever]

I have never tried cocking my Excaliber in the tree. With the crank devise attached it could probably be done, but no way could I do it with the rope cocker. With the addition of two steps combined with my LW platform I can pivot around the tree 360 degrees easily. I use a piece of paracord with some S biners to hang my gear. I like how I can snug everything up tight to the tree and it does not sag like it did when I used hammock straps.

Thank you

 

[Hebeskibe]

I love my jx3 hybrid it lets you remain motionless for long periods and is much more comfortable than my summit Goliath

 

[Hillclimber]

I’m very interested in the jx3 as it seems a person could get so comfortable they could remain motionless for hours

 

[TNSTAAFL]

Thanks for posting. I think I'm ready to quit messing around and go all in with my JX3. I was trying to save its use for all day ruts as something to look forward to, but day 1 of year 2 in my soft saddle was not the comfortable experience I remember. I was a fidgeting and a fussing after an hour! Granted, saddle shape is a thing, and I also changed a couple items from last year that probably had an effect. But I really think that the Hybrid practice sessions ruined me for soft saddlehunting.

I drove home (deerless btw) convinced I was going to list my saddle, platform, and maybe some sticks in the classifieds. This is a remarkable thing as I really had an awesome first year in them last year. I slept on it and decided I'll hold off on the listing until I get out in the Hybrid to hunt a few times and be sure that I'm sure. But I'm pretty sure.

I weighed my whole setup from my Sunday hunt and it was just above 15 lbs. I reloaded all necessary stuff in the Hybrid and weighed it at 18 lbs. It is definitely way more comfortable then 3 lbs lugged thru the woods!

So this weekend it's all JX3, and Monday, maybe some trips to the classifieds.

 

[Hillclimber]

Nice, as many hours spent in the woods, might as well be.comfortable right. I want one.

 

[jbogg]

Thanks for posting. I think I'm ready to quit messing around and go all in with my JX3. I was trying to save its use for all day ruts as something to look forward to, but day 1 of year 2 in my soft saddle was not the comfortable experience I remember. I was a fidgeting and a fussing after an hour! Granted, saddle shape is a thing, and I also changed a couple items from last year that probably had an effect. But I really think that the Hybrid practice sessions ruined me for soft saddlehunting.

I drove home (deerless btw) convinced I was going to list my saddle, platform, and maybe some sticks in the classifieds. This is a remarkable thing as I really had an awesome first year in them last year. I slept on it and decided I'll hold off on the listing until I get out in the Hybrid to hunt a few times and be sure that I'm sure. But I'm pretty sure.

I weighed my whole setup from my Sunday hunt and it was just above 15 lbs. I reloaded all necessary stuff in the Hybrid and weighed it at 18 lbs. It is definitely way more comfortable then 3 lbs lugged thru the woods!

So this weekend it's all JX3, and Monday, maybe some trips to the classifieds.

The fact that the JX 3 doesn’t require a pack is the game changer. I have been hunting on the ground for the last three years in the mountains. My Horn Hunter pack at 7 lbs empty, combined with my Millenium Tree seat at 4 lbs comes in at just 2-3lbs less than my JX 3 set up.

My shot opportunities in the mountains are few and far between. The mountain deer numbers are only 4 - 6 per square mile. Not sure what the bear density numbers are, but I’m lucky to get one or two shot opportunities a year. Well, the JX 3 just upped my odds for success. Being able to sit still longer is one of the obvious benefits, but having an elevated field of view compared to sitting on the ground is huge. I would have never seen the bear mentioned above had I been sitting on the ground due to the topo. For anybody on the fence regarding the JX 3, you won’t regret it.

 

[parkersdad]

The fact that the JX 3 doesn’t require a pack is the game changer. I have been hunting on the ground for the last three years in the mountains. My Horn Hunter pack at 7 lbs empty, combined with my Millenium Tree seat at 4 lbs comes in at just 2-3lbs less than my JX 3 set up.

My shot opportunities in the mountains are few and far between. The mountain deer numbers are only 4 - 6 per square mile. Not sure what the bear density numbers are, but I’m lucky to get one or two shot opportunities a year. Well, the JX 3 just upped my odds for success. Being able to sit still longer is one of the obvious benefits, but having an elevated field of view compared to sitting on the ground is huge. I would have never seen the bear mentioned above had I been sitting on the ground due to the topo. For anybody on the fence regarding the JX 3, you won’t regret it.

I hunted the mountains last weekend at 4600 feet. On my afternoon sit I was in a thicket and I was only 8 feet off the ground in my Hybrid. They are my favorite stand that I have ever had and I have had almost all of them.