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Kind of apprehensive

B

Billfresh

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
49
Well, i finally have my saddle to go with my Wild Edge steps. Now I am heading down to my property this weekend to check up on my cabin. I plan on taking all of this with me and I have to admit, I am a tad apprehensive about saddling up and climbing up. All the waiting and now that it is all here I am questioning what the hell I was thinking. Here I am, a 53 yr old guy...not in the best of shape...about to hitch into a piece of cloth, albeit, a very well made piece of cloth....and shimmy my chubby ass up a tree with nothing but a thin looking rope standing between me and obvious major bodily harm. Yeah, yeah...I know. That much too skinny rope will lift my UTV off the ground and the piece of cloth will hold twice my 245 pounds easily. This may be true but I still feel very nervous and honestly...down right frightened at the prospect of ascending over head high with this stuff.

So all you fellow saddle hunters. Someone tell me it will be fine. That this is a normal feeling. That you too felt this way once. Anything to get my fat butt off the ground. I see myself standing alone next to a tree this weekend, looking up saying to myself, "GET MOVING!!"
 
You'd be crazy if you weren't nervous. I still get nervous on my first climb every year.

Practice breeds familiarity and familiarity breeds confidence.

BEFORE YOU CLIMB, setup your platform about 8" off the ground. Tie in your tether and hang right off the ground. Learn how to move. Learn how it feels. If you have your bow, take a few practice shots. Here's something most guys don't do, but I always recommend - try to fall out of it at ground level. Bring your legs up in weird ways, sit sideways on the tree, flip upside down (if you're so inclined). This will build a lot of confidence in your gear. What you'll find is that it's impossible to fall once you've learned your system and set everything up correctly.

Next, go 10 feet up and do the same process. The more time you spend in your saddle, the more you'll begin to trust your equipment. You've been trusting your tree stand equipment for all these years. Learning to trust a saddle is no different.

Have fun and report back. I want to hear about your experience.
 
LOL I felt the same way...only at ground level. Set up your WE steps a foot off the ground and get accustomed to being in a saddle. Play with your tether height, bridge (if it's adjustable), and any other adjustments. Practice maneuvering around the tree, sitting, standing, twisting, and then try to flip yourself sideways and upside down to prove to yourself you are going to be JUST FINE. Once you've gotten used to that, move yourself up the tree. After you've spent some time in the saddle you'll be afraid to use a conventional stand again. After spending a year in a Guido's Web and then used a buddy's ladder stand, I was shaking in my boots in that ladder stand. It just didn't feel as safe (and it isn't).
Welcome to the brotherhood and good luck!
 
lol - Everything G2 said - he posted before I could.
But you're going to love it. Just set your platform close to the ground and get comfortable at that level for a while.
Age means nothing. I'm 53 as well and we're not even close to the oldest ones in a saddle!
 
g2outdoors said:
You'd be crazy if you weren't nervous. I still get nervous on my first climb every year.

Practice breeds familiarity and familiarity breeds confidence.

BEFORE YOU CLIMB, setup your platform about 8" off the ground. Tie in your tether and hang right off the ground. Learn how to move. Learn how it feels. If you have your bow, take a few practice shots. Here's something most guys don't do, but I always recommend - try to fall out of it at ground level. Bring your legs up in weird ways, sit sideways on the tree, flip upside down (if you're so inclined). This will build a lot of confidence in your gear. What you'll find is that it's impossible to fall once you've learned your system and set everything up correctly.

Next, go 10 feet up and do the same process. The more time you spend in your saddle, the more you'll begin to trust your equipment. You've been trusting your tree stand equipment for all these years. Learning to trust a saddle is no different.

Have fun and report back. I want to hear about your experience.
Click to expand...
g2outdoors said:
You'd be crazy if you weren't nervous. I still get nervous on my first climb every year.

Practice breeds familiarity and familiarity breeds confidence.

BEFORE YOU CLIMB, setup your platform about 8" off the ground. Tie in your tether and hang right off the ground. Learn how to move. Learn how it feels. If you have your bow, take a few practice shots. Here's something most guys don't do, but I always recommend - try to fall out of it at ground level. Bring your legs up in weird ways, sit sideways on the tree, flip upside down (if you're so inclined). This will build a lot of confidence in your gear. What you'll find is that it's impossible to fall once you've learned your system and set everything up correctly.

Next, go 10 feet up and do the same process. The more time you spend in your saddle, the more you'll begin to trust your equipment. You've been trusting your tree stand equipment for all these years. Learning to trust a saddle is no different.

Have fun and report back. I want to hear about your experience.
Click to expand...
Very good advice thanks. My wife will probably walk out to check on me when I am hanging upside down 5 feet off the ground. She will shake her head...turn around and walk back to the cabin and never say a word.
 
Billfresh said:
Well, i finally have my saddle to go with my Wild Edge steps. Now I am heading down to my property this weekend to check up on my cabin. I plan on taking all of this with me and I have to admit, I am a tad apprehensive about saddling up and climbing up. All the waiting and now that it is all here I am questioning what the hell I was thinking. Here I am, a 53 yr old guy...not in the best of shape...about to hitch into a piece of cloth, albeit, a very well made piece of cloth....and shimmy my chubby ass up a tree with nothing but a thin looking rope standing between me and obvious major bodily harm. Yeah, yeah...I know. That much too skinny rope will lift my UTV off the ground and the piece of cloth will hold twice my 245 pounds easily. This may be true but I still feel very nervous and honestly...down right frightened at the prospect of ascending over head high with this stuff.

So all you fellow saddle hunters. Someone tell me it will be fine. That this is a normal feeling. That you too felt this way once. Anything to get my fat butt off the ground. I see myself standing alone next to a tree this weekend, looking up saying to myself, "GET MOVING!!"
Click to expand...
I'm a self described "old fat guy" (56 and 250lbs) and I have never felt safer than when I'm hanging in my Kestrel. As long as your tie in points are solid there's really no way to fall. Start out at ground level, get comfortable with the attachments and then work your way up the tree as you gain confidence. It won't take long and realize how much safer you are and you'll feel more comfortable always tethered to the tree. Enjoy!
 
okie_edward said:
lol - Everything G2 said - he posted before I could.
But you're going to love it. Just set your platform close to the ground and get comfortable at that level for a while.
Age means nothing. I'm 53 as well and we're not even close to the oldest ones in a saddle!
Click to expand...
You gotta be fast on the trigger to beat ol' G2.
 
Take it slow and start at the ground level. Like G2 said he still gets nervous on his first climb of the year. But nervousness and or fear can be used to your advantage. You will be more cautious which in turn will make things take longer giving you time to think each move out. You will be okay and take small steps before you set off running
 
Has anyone actually managed to get upside down in their kestrel?? The belt was pretty substantial, I wouldn't be worried, but I'd like a picture :)
 
I get nervous climbing ladders strapped to trees or ladder stands. I'm 58 and just starting to hunt from a saddle. I'm with you. But I feel good that I'm always connected to the tree. Hanging from a rope doesn't seem to bother me. Climbing with a linemans belt and setting up trees where I have nothing to reach up to grab while climbing makes me the most nervous.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I would tell you we are about the same age, and I have not been in a tree since 2 seasons ago; I had a mishap. I would tell you it is very very safe or I would not be going back into a tree. Last weekend I took my time in the yard practicing. I am not so worried about doing presets as I am about rebuilding my confidence and building a repeatable system for me that is safe. I literally hung upside down at 18” off the ground on Saturday. Yeah definetly not looking like Boudreaux. It wasn’t pretty righting myself lol. I moved into shooting positions. I am sure my neighbors thouhht I was nuts. Sunday I moved up a little further. I did not practice with a bow but moved myself into different positions. I even put myself in the classic drop shot pose. I found out that I need core work. :pensive:

I would tell you to do what G2, Red and other accomplished saddle Hunters tell you as far as familiarizing yourself at a low height first.

My twin brother is a nationally recognized OSHA teaching instructor. He thought I was nuts until he looked at the system. Now he too is getting into saddle hunting. His kestrel ships tomorrow. I truly believe that by taking your time and building your confidence in the system is best approach.

I cannot thank the guys in here enough.
 
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you
bigjoe said:
I would tell you we are about the same age, and I have not been in a tree since 2 seasons ago; I had a mishap. I would tell you it is very very safe or I would not be going back into a tree. Last weekend I took my time in the yard practicing. I am not so worried about doing presets as I am about rebuilding my confidence and building a repeatable system for me that is safe. I literally hung upside down at 18” off the ground on Saturday. Yeah definetly not looking like Boudreaux. It wasn’t pretty righting myself lol. I moved into shooting positions. I am sure my neighbors thouhht I was nuts. Sunday I moved up a little further. I did not practice with a bow but moved myself into different positions. I even put myself in the classic drop shot pose. I found out that I need core work. :pensive:

I would tell you to do what G2, Red and other accomplished saddle Hunters tell you as far as familiarizing yourself at a low height first.

My twin brother is a nationally recognized OSHA teaching instructor. He thought I was nuts until he looked at the system. Now he too is getting into saddle hunting. His kestrel ships tomorrow. I truly believe that by taking your time and building your confidence in the system is best approach.

I cannot thank the guys in here enough.
Click to expand...
You said a key thing. A repeatable system. That is what I have now with my climber stand. I have been using climbers for probably 20+yrs now. I know exactly what to do step by step from the time I approach the tree I intend on climbing until I leave the woods. I can do this in the dark, I have climbed so many times now. I am CLUELESS with this saddle and steps and I think that is the big part that concerns me. I wish I had a local saddle hunter who I could have with me the 1st time I set up to mentor me a little. This may sound stupid but right now I don't know what I don't know. Climber stand hunting took me a while to work all the bugs out to the point I am at now. At my age I am used to knowing what I need to know. I feel like I am a new, 20yr old hunter again...in a 53 yr old body. Still..I am excited to get at it. I will update after my first few climbs. I plan on a few ground level to 10ft climbs to start though.

Thanks to everyone here who answered. This site has been an excellent resource.
 
same here , but I do not consider myself old even though we are the same age. I have been using LW sticks for 4 yrs now with a hang-on and line mans belt. So to me this is just an upgrade.without having to hang a hang on stand. I tested the xop platform at ground level, then raised it up to 4 ft surprised at how secure it was. Setup 1 climbing stick + platform and the saddle. Next is to set 3 sticks + platform + pack and test shooting bow out of saddle. Now that is going to be interesting.
 
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