Kind of apprehensive

[River Hunter]

@Billfresh,
John Eberhart will be at the Ohio Deer and Turkey Expo in Columbus from March 16-18th. I'm betting he'll have a saddle of some sorts set up in his booth. Looks like you're pretty close - would definitely be worth the trip.

 

[huck72412]

@Billfresh
You will be perfectly fine. In fact, you will be laughing at your own apprehension much sooner than you can imagine.

 

[Billfresh]

@Billfresh

Check the map. See if there's anyone that can help you out. Also, follow the directions to add yourself.
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.5410967,-92.5051112,5z/data=!4m2!6m1!1s1GhuYfPZR436tAHCVJAi2Z9oc-oc

I am on the map already

 

[Adamcincy]

@Billfresh,
John Eberhart will be at the Ohio Deer and Turkey Expo in Columbus from March 16-18th. I'm betting he'll have a saddle of some sorts set up in his booth. Looks like you're pretty close - would definitely be worth the trip.

I will be there Saturday. Going to sit in on John’s seminar. Anyone else going?

 

[bongo]

you

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.

If you are used to a climber try using your climber bottom as a platform and climb with it use your saddle as climber top. Be sure and tie platform to tether biner. Don’t go high just try it. An ascender on your tether makes it much easier but you can use a Blake’s hitch. Just advance your tether as high as you can reach sit back in saddle and raise your legs up push ascender or hitch up sit in saddle and raise legs again.


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[Billfresh]

I will be there Saturday. Going to sit in on John’s seminar. Anyone else going?

Man I wish I could. Would love to meet some other saddle hunters. I have a show at the Playhouse in Cleveland saturday. May try to go to the show friday or sunday.

 

[Gerg]

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!!"

I started bow hunting at 38, I found the saddle after 1 year in climbers and traditional stands.
Looking ahead to when my young kids would be hunting with me, I could not in good conscience put them in anything else but a saddle. It is without a doubt the safest way to hunt from elevation. Take the advice given on this thread ... go slow and get familiar with the equipment and you will come to appreciate the safety of this method. Like I said I have 3 children who hunt and I have bought them their most important piece of hunting equipment they will have the rest of their life... their tree hunting saddle. Not to mention it opens up EVERY tree to be able to hunt from. Check out the saddle hunter podcast with John Eberhart for the rest of the advantages!

 

[ImThere]

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.

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.

There ‘s an endorsement! Like!


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[ImThere]

I started bow hunting at 38, I found the saddle after 1 year in climbers and traditional stands.
Looking ahead to when my young kids would be hunting with me, I could not in good conscience put them in anything else but a saddle. It is without a doubt the safest way to hunt from elevation. Take the advice given on this thread ... go slow and get familiar with the equipment and you will come to appreciate the safety of this method. Like I said I have 3 children who hunt and I have bought them their most important piece of hunting equipment they will have the rest of their life... their tree hunting saddle. Not to mention it opens up EVERY tree to be able to hunt from. Check out the saddle hunter podcast with John Eberhart for the rest of the advantages!

That’s awesome family saddlers!


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[bigjoe]

You fall one time and get broken and you have a new perspective on what truly is safe.

For me to say I was not nervous last weekend.... Yet once I was up and tied off with the tree strap and I felt pretty comfortable.

 

[ImThere]

You fall one time and get broken and you have a new perspective on what truly is safe.

For me to say I was not nervous last weekend.... Yet once I was up and tied off with the tree strap and I felt pretty comfortable.

I have fell 2 times from traditional ladder stands.
In 2002 I fell getting out of the stand, that one really hurt. I hit the ground hard, so hard I threw up. I cut my hand open on a broad head, (Probably the reason I don't shoot thunderheads anymore) and limped back to my buddy. I should have went to the hospital, I had a hard time walking for a few months and missed the rest of that season. I still have a hard time putting in the miles walking today.
In 2006 I lost the bottom half of my climber and had to shimmy down the tree, scared the crap out of me. Since then I tethered the top and bottom together. now I have third hand stabilizer straps that hold them together.
In 2015 The second time the strap broke and i just rode the stand to the ground I wasn't hurt, just scared a little.

I changed to a saddle in 2015 and never looked back or felt safer

 

[Billfresh]

I have fell 2 times from traditional ladder stands.
In 2002 I fell getting out of the stand, that one really hurt. I hit the ground hard, so hard I threw up. I cut my hand open on a broad head, (Probably the reason I don't shoot thunderheads anymore) and limped back to my buddy. I should have went to the hospital, I had a hard time walking for a few months and missed the rest of that season. I still have a hard time putting in the miles walking today.
In 2006 I lost the bottom half of my climber and had to shimmy down the tree, scared the crap out of me. Since then I tethered the top and bottom together. now I have third hand stabilizer straps that hold them together.
In 2015 The second time the strap broke and i just rode the stand to the ground I wasn't hurt, just scared a little.

I changed to a saddle in 2015 and never looked back or felt safer

First thing...I am glad to hear that you were not seriously injured from any of your multiple mishaps. That said...Dude! You either have giant balls or a giant heart to keep going back up after a major fall. I know a guy who fell backwards out of a tree from just 12' or 14' up. he landed square on his back. Missed a busted sapling by a foot. He still has occasional back pain issues 20 yrs later. You must be a lucky guy. In 25 yrs I had my seat climber come loose from the tree one time that should have dumped me 20' to the ground. My safety harness rope was all that kept me in the tree. I have been paranoid ever since. Luckily I have not had any more close calls.

So switching to the saddle made all the difference for you then? I am feeling better now. If a repeat tree jumper like you feels safe, I should be fine.

 

[Apex7]

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!!"

Don't climb up a tree until you practice at ground level and let yourself get familiar with the system . Then maybe climb 4 feet or so and get comfortable at that height . Once you get use to your system you'll be fine. I'm 58 soon to be 59 years old and recovering from a shattered palvic on my left side and broke pelvic on the right also brust fractures to the L 3 and L 4 . It's been almost two years since I got hurt and I have no problem feeling safe in a saddle. I have used a Treesuit , Trophyline , a Guido's web and a Kestrel. I've felt safe in every one. Take your time learn your system and in no time you will be swinging from the tree and loving it. Have fun.

 

[red2delta]

It is amazing to hear some of these fall stories. Falling any distance to the ground flat on your back has to hurt; one rock to the spine could paralyze you. Yall are tough...
Anyways, I am glad to hear most of these guys still hunt and can walk. I am one of those guys who has a backup to everything. I grew up hunting out of other people tree-stands and I have to say I never felt safe, even knowing i had that safety harness hooked up behind me. I feel completely safe in my saddle ( AH Evolution), and have hunted out of it stock, the way new tribe sent it to me for 2 seasons. Felt safe every time and can sit all day. In fact i feel less safe when i am climbing than I do when i am tethered in. It is a huge difference and way safer than hang on stands IMO. Now i run two bridges and two tethers, but that is a personal preference, backups if you will ( not that it is needed, i hunted two season without backups), but just my preference. I have young kids and I am only 30, cant afford a fall. I already have the ropes up there so why not use them as backups.

 

[Apex7]

It is amazing to hear some of these fall stories. Falling any distance to the ground flat on your back has to hurt; one rock to the spine could paralyze you. Yall are tough...
Anyways, I am glad to hear most of these guys still hunt and can walk. I am one of those guys who has a backup to everything. I grew up hunting out of other people tree-stands and I have to say I never felt safe, even knowing i had that safety harness hooked up behind me. I feel completely safe in my saddle ( AH Evolution), and have hunted out of it stock, the way new tribe sent it to me for 2 seasons. Felt safe every time and can sit all day. In fact i feel less safe when i am climbing than I do when i am tethered in. It is a huge difference and way safer than hang on stands IMO. Now i run two bridges and two tethers, but that is a personal preference, backups if you will ( not that it is needed, i hunted two season without backups), but just my preference. I have young kids and I am only 30, cant afford a fall. I already have the ropes up there so why not use them as backups.

I got hurt at work . I was thrown about 20 feet and landed on a beam after a weld broke on a pipe. I was life flighted to the hospital like I told my family I'm alive can walk just can't move as well as I used to.

 

[red2delta]

@Apex7 Wow, we don't expect welds to bust so not much you could have done to prevent it. Sorry to hear that, probably scared to crap out of you im sure. Ouch

 

[ImThere]

First thing...I am glad to hear that you were not seriously injured from any of your multiple mishaps. That said...Dude! You either have giant balls or a giant heart to keep going back up after a major fall. I know a guy who fell backwards out of a tree from just 12' or 14' up. he landed square on his back. Missed a busted sapling by a foot. He still has occasional back pain issues 20 yrs later. You must be a lucky guy. In 25 yrs I had my seat climber come loose from the tree one time that should have dumped me 20' to the ground. My safety harness rope was all that kept me in the tree. I have been paranoid ever since. Luckily I have not had any more close calls.

So switching to the saddle made all the difference for you then? I am feeling better now. If a repeat tree jumper like you feels safe, I should be fine.

Thank's man, In reality I'm to stupid to be scared of anything and don't like being beat.

I had never been in a tree stand growing up out west. my first fall I was in a tree with no harness, no pull up rope nothing. I decided right then if i survived i would learn everything i could about tree stand safety. To be honest, I really think i fractured my hip during this fall. i was nearly crippled for quite sometime.
My climber incident i was sitting with my legs on the foot rest that was attached to the top of the climber, Catman has that stand today he knows what i'm talking about. i shifted my weight a little bit and hit the lower piece and it just dropped, in slow motion, to the bottom. i used my harness and tree tether to get down much like guys climb with a hand climber and saddle.
The ladder stand was one i put out on public land we were going to move it. when i started climbing i got 3/4 the way up and the top ratchet strap popped and the stand twisted and just laid its self on the ground, im not sure how it didn't flip over and me land on my back I guess the Grace of God, Bigasports was 40 yards clearing shooting lanes and watched helplessly at my stupidity. He had told me to hold on he would come hold the stand and I got impatient and thought Heck I've done this 1000 times i will be fine. I was after I cleaned out my pants.
Bigasports sent me an aero hunter pic sometime in 2014. I got on here in 2015 looking at Aero hunters and was searching the web(at work) and came across a sit drag on Ebay. The rest is history I was already using a rock climbing harness, had some old API climbing sticks. I went for it. I have had the same set up until Saddlepalooza 2018 .
My sit drag with my Erniepower belt and a molle kidney belt is REALLY comfortable. the way I use a back belt is a game changer. I shared it with a couple of guys at Saddleplooza I think they cant attest to the comfort it adds, it is also another point your tied to the tree.
Be safe and enjoy it when you become accustomed to it and get in saddle shape you wont want to hunt any other way.

 

[Billfresh]

Thank's man, In reality I'm to stupid to be scared of anything and don't like being beat.

I had never been in a tree stand growing up out west. my first fall I was in a tree with no harness, no pull up rope nothing. I decided right then if i survived i would learn everything i could about tree stand safety. To be honest, I really think i fractured my hip during this fall. i was nearly crippled for quite sometime.
My climber incident i was sitting with my legs on the foot rest that was attached to the top of the climber, Catman has that stand today he knows what i'm talking about. i shifted my weight a little bit and hit the lower piece and it just dropped, in slow motion, to the bottom. i used my harness and tree tether to get down much like guys climb with a hand climber and saddle.
The ladder stand was one i put out on public land we were going to move it. when i started climbing i got 3/4 the way up and the top ratchet strap popped and the stand twisted and just laid its self on the ground, im not sure how it didn't flip over and me land on my back I guess the Grace of God, Bigasports was 40 yards clearing shooting lanes and watched helplessly at my stupidity. He had told me to hold on he would come hold the stand and I got impatient and thought Heck I've done this 1000 times i will be fine. I was after I cleaned out my pants.
Bigasports sent me an aero hunter pic sometime in 2014. I got on here in 2015 looking at Aero hunters and was searching the web(at work) and came across a sit drag on Ebay. The rest is history I was already using a rock climbing harness, had some old API climbing sticks. I went for it. I have had the same set up until Saddlepalooza 2018 .
My sit drag with my Erniepower belt and a molle kidney belt is REALLY comfortable. the way I use a back belt is a game changer. I shared it with a couple of guys at Saddleplooza I think they cant attest to the comfort it adds, it is also another point your tied to the tree.
Be safe and enjoy it when you become accustomed to it and get in saddle shape you wont want to hunt any other way.

You sound like a lucky guy. My oldest son is 28. He and 3 of his college friends hunt now out of our camp. They are all new hunters(except my son) who just started in the last few years, since college graduation. None ever hunted prior to this so it is too cool that we have some young guys hunting now. I am a prick with everyone hunting out of my camp about safety though. They get a kick out of me sometimes but I am adamant that they use safe practices when we put up or take down ladder stands. I try to impress upon them that when I was their age we did everything half assed and it is a wonder we did not get seriously injured at some point. Now it is a 3 man job to put stands up or down. I never want to visit a guy in a hospital who was hurt hunting with me or working my properties. They are a great group of guys and so far....they have listened. It is not the 1,000 perfect tree stand set ups i think about. It is the 1 that we screw up on. That one can kill you. No mulligans in this sport. I will be trying all of this gear out tomorrow afternoon for the first time. I will follow up next week with how things went. I want to thank everyone for the input and shared stories as well as the reassurances. Great website.

 

[kelly.jayp]

If you are used to a climber try using your climber bottom as a platform and climb with it use your saddle as climber top. Be sure and tie platform to tether biner. Don’t go high just try it. An ascender on your tether makes it much easier but you can use a Blake’s hitch. Just advance your tether as high as you can reach sit back in saddle and raise your legs up push ascender or hitch up sit in saddle and raise legs again.


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This is EXCELLENT advice. Put the WE Stepps to the side while you get the saddle confidence- using a method to climb you know intuitively will allow you to focus on one thing not multiples. The testimonials on this site plus the support offered should really energize you - this group is so safety conscious


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[Apex7]

@Apex7 Wow, we don't expect welds to bust so not much you could have done to prevent it. Sorry to hear that, probably scared to crap out of you im sure. Ouch

Actually it kind of knock me out hard hat save me hit me in the head. No concussion no headaches after it happen. Wife always said that I had a hard head. lol