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Need Some help! Cant stay comfortable

Mdbowhunter2414 said:
I need some help. I have a Cruzr XC saddle and cant seem to stay comfortable. I love the weight and how compact everything is, I get in the tree quick and safer then I probably ever have, how ever I have spooked more deer then I can ever remember for the simple fact I fiddle with everything trying to stay comfortable. I lean, I sit, I move my feet, adjust my tether, adjust the saddle position on my body, and I sway with out even thinking about it. At the end of the hunt i'm frustrated and my hips are bothering me. I was a hang and hunt guy for the longest time, i've been so tempted going back to a hang on for the simple fact for me personally I don't move near as much. I hate the weight and bulk of the hang on stand, being i've gotten a very good saddle set up that I personally like, but i'm struggling. I have tried everything I can think of based on videos on youtube and comments on here. The last thing I was going to try was a 2 panel saddle. Not sure if it would help but not sure what else to do. Appreciate the help in advance.
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25 year treestand hunter and got tired of the bulk and noise factor as well. First year saddle hunting Mantis, Tactisaddle then sitdrag, everything hurt but I sucked it up and made it work, shot two nice buck. Second year H2 then Treehopper Recon suck wasn’t that bad but still hurt shot 2 buck 1 doe. At the end of the season I had a treestand in my hand while shopping but put it back. I knew this style of hunting was way superior so I kept looking. This year started with Recon then after I couldn’t take it any more I bought the size 3 Cruzr XC. Finally…finally I figured it out and this was the saddle for me. Over the years I’ve come to realize the more surface area that your saddle supports the more comfortable you will be. I’m 6’ 200lbs athletic build and by Cruzr’s specifications I should be in the size 2 but I took a chance and got the bigger size, glad I did. If you listen to John Eberhart he even admits it was awkward at first and took him 3 years to figure it out. Try as many saddles and sizes as you can that’s how you will decide what works for you. Good luck and stick with it!
 
MAHunter said:
So you carry two sticks, a lw alpha, grunt call, knife, first aid kit, water, hat, gloves, extra layers, etc.. without a backpack?
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You can add a pouch under the seat to carry essentials like a kill kit, tags, grunt tube, phone charger, etc. Extra layers you can bungee to the stand. Also use pockets to carry things. I'm going hunting not on a picnic ha.
 
BuffaloBill said:
You can add a pouch under the seat to carry essentials like a kill kit, tags, grunt tube, phone charger, etc. Extra layers you can bungee to the stand. Also use pockets to carry things. I'm going hunting not on a picnic ha.
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Carrying a pouch on your back is a backpack lol
 
I'm a 34" waist and use a Cruzr XC size 2 myself. My previous saddle was a Hawk and I was miserable and moved and fidgeted constantly. The Cruzr is very comfortable to me but I would still fidget a bit more than say my climber. I'm a sitter with my knees to the tree. What helped me the most is ditching all the knee pads I'd bought and getting a nice cushion that strapped around the tree.

I'm an old kickboxer with tree trunk legs. The straps on knee pads drove me crazy and they constantly shifted putting the brunt of tree bark pressure on my kneecaps. A smaller tree made it worse. I've had three knee surgeries so I'm not much of a stander/leaner in any stand and the knee pads weren't doing it for me. The cushion allowed me to sit comfortably and I lay my head on my bridge and have to fight going to sleep. I've done dark to dark sits with a knee cushion no problem.

Since I've moved to the Cruzr I've pretty much eliminated a backstrap. I had trouble shooting with one anyway. I like my tether about throat level and when I stand I like my caribiner about even with the divot in my chest around the sternum. I like my bridge more horizontal than vertical so when I stand and shoot I "feel" like everything is out of the path of my draw. It may not make a bit of difference but in my mind it gives me the warm and fuzzies.

I picked up my cushion at Academy for $7.99. It has a long sewn in strap so you won't lose it and it's been long enough to go around every tree I've climbed. It also has enough thickness that a long sit doesn't mean knee to bark after a few minutes but not bulky and cumbersome.
 
MAHunter said:
Comfort is one of the major draw backs of saddle hunting IMO. We have been sitting on cushioned flat chairs for years now. Some office chairs even have a little suspension and adjustable lumbar support.

Go from that to dangling from a tree in an ass sling made of webbing and mesh, and well, you can see why its uncomfortable lol.

This is my first full season in a saddle and have about 50hrs up in a tree since mid October. Ive tried 3 or 4 different saddles to see which i liked best. Im good for about 2-3 hours before I start getting fidgety, which is up from 1-2hrs when i started. After i get to the fidget phase, I pack it in for the day. Once you start squirming around, youll never get a deer. And "Getting comfortable" is only a temporary (10-15min) fix, before im fidgeting again.

When i get home, my wife (a chiropractor) does a quick tune up. My back, hips, pelvis, and other bits i dont even know the names of are all snap, crackle, and popping back into place. She asks me what the hell i was doing and cant understand why i do that to myself when i tell her lol.

For reference, im 39yrs old, 140lbs, and an athletic build. How u older guys do this, i dont know lol. But im determined to make it work.
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I have to disagree with some of this when I’m up in the saddle I’m rocking back and fourth just like I’m in a rocking chair at home it’s just side to side and I’m a sitter 95% of the time and have zero problems with killing deer or being busted. I’m not saying I won’t be in the future I’m sure I will be lol, but so far so good and I can sit in my cruzr xc for 6 hours with zero problems most days. Every once in a while my leg will go to sleep if I don’t have it set just right. I’m 44 5,11 190 pounds dad bod and will never go back to my summit unless I have too. I do like my 2 panel saddles better as far as not using a back band but can’t sit as long without my legs going numb and the cruzr xc has fixed that for the most part. This is my second season using a saddle and the part I don’t like is getting up the tree with a 1 stick or 4 sticks I hate that crap. Now I like the repel down a lot… good luck the rest of the season God Bless…


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JasonA1977 said:
I have to disagree with some of this when I’m up in the saddle I’m rocking back and fourth just like I’m in a rocking chair at home it’s just side to side and I’m a sitter 95% of the time and have zero problems with killing deer or being busted.
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Im guessing thats specific to where u hunt. If you hunt pressured/public land, a deer will 100% bust you before you even see it if you are swinging around. Ive been busted just lifting my arm to range them.
 
MAHunter said:
Im guessing thats specific to where u hunt. If you hunt pressured/public land, a deer will 100% bust you before you even see it if you are swinging around. Ive been busted just lifting my arm to range them.
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Some of the highest pressure there is in north west Florida deer walk around looking up in the trees. I don’t do it when I see a deer or hear what I think can be a deer. Also I’m not swinging side to side like a crazy man it’s just a slight sway. Unless I see or hear something..


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