New and excited and confused

[Dragsmack]

Hi guys! I have been checking out the site and podcasts and I think I am going to get a Kestral, but I am still unsure about a few things. Im hunting out of a summit viper now which is bulky, loud , and heavy. Im hunting public land, so i want to be light, mobile, and cant screw into the trees. By the time you guys add steps and a platform, do you really stay lighter, more nimble, and quiet than a light climber?

I have read a million threads about different setups and I think i have paralysis by analysis. Im not sure what to use as a platform and climbing method. I want to be really light and quiet. I was leaning towards the Muddy sticks. Should I get the long or short ones? 2 wild edge steps as platform or is there something, cheaper, smaller, more quiet? Ameristeps?

Am i on a good track? How should I carry the muddy sticks? Thanks, John

 

[Justhanginground]

Hi guys! I have been checking out the site and podcasts and I think I am going to get a Kestral, but I am still unsure about a few things. Im hunting out of a summit viper now which is bulky, loud , and heavy. Im hunting public land, so i want to be light, mobile, and cant screw into the trees. By the time you guys add steps and a platform, do you really stay lighter, more nimble, and quiet than a light climber?

I have read a million threads about different setups and I think i have paralysis by analysis. Im not sure what to use as a platform and climbing method. I want to be really light and quiet. I was leaning towards the Muddy sticks. Should I get the long or short ones? 2 wild edge steps as platform or is there something, cheaper, smaller, more quiet? Ameristeps?

Am i on a good track? How should I carry the muddy sticks? Thanks, John

You and I are cut from the same cloth. I to have been a hostage to the viper for years and it is all you say it is heavy,bulky and loud. I made the jump to a Kestrel because I needed to change my style of hunting. Though the viper is comfortable it does take some prep to hunt with it. Clearing limbs looking for a straight tree and not necessarily the best tree to hunt. The Kestrel will allow you to get in the best tree without necessarily cutting any limbs to climb. My set up with muddy sticks and gear is about the same but size and compacted is advantage. You can pre set trees which will make you faster. I want to run and gun approach plus I want to focus on getting deep on state/public land where monsters reside. I would go with the wild edge steps as a base and climbing option with aider. I use muddy sticks as my climb and hunt option. I like how compact my wild edge steps are. Hope my two cents help. Get a Kestrel you won't be disappointed.


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[Mike K]

John, First off, welcome to the site. Paralysis by analysis is a great description. It's very easy to get overwhelmed with all the different methods and gear everyone uses on this site. To answer your first question, yes it is lighter to use a saddle compared to a climber BUT it all depends on the gear you feel you NEED to carry and the method you choose to get up the tree. You also don't have the tree limitations that a climber has. Almost any tree is huntable. Sticks are an easy and quick way to get up a tree but a major pain in the back side to carry. I used Lone Wolf sticks for one season and quickly got rid of them. The shorter Muddy sticks look good and I like the way they attach with a rope but you need 4 of them compared to 3 of the longer sticks. The Wild Edge stepps are a great option. Although slower than sticks, they are VERY quiet, easier to carry, and they serve double duty to get up the tree and as a platform. You're on the right track so just keep it safe and give it time. Hanging from a rope 20' up is a way different feeling than standing on a climber platform. It takes time to trust the equipment.

 

[ImThere]

Welcome to the site. I carry 3 Muddys with aiders and 4 ameristeps. I think my set up is 10lbs. Streamline and comfortable. I can climb any tree limbs, crooked, it doesn’t matter.


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[Dragsmack]

You and I are cut from the same cloth. I to have been a hostage to the viper for years and it is all you say it is heavy,bulky and loud. I made the jump to a Kestrel because I needed to change my style of hunting. Though the viper is comfortable it does take some prep to hunt with it. Clearing limbs looking for a straight tree and not necessarily the best tree to hunt. The Kestrel will allow you to get in the best tree without necessarily cutting any limbs to climb. My set up with muddy sticks and gear is about the same but size and compacted is advantage. You can pre set trees which will make you faster. I want to run and gun approach plus I want to focus on getting deep on state/public land where monsters reside. I would go with the wild edge steps as a base and climbing option with aider. I use muddy sticks as my climb and hunt option. I like how compact my wild edge steps are. Hope my two cents help. Get a Kestrel you won't be disappointed.


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Thanks for the info! Are you using the Muddys to climb and the wild edge as the platform?

 

[Dragsmack]

John, First off, welcome to the site. Paralysis by analysis is a great description. It's very easy to get overwhelmed with all the different methods and gear everyone uses on this site. To answer your first question, yes it is lighter to use a saddle compared to a climber BUT it all depends on the gear you feel you NEED to carry and the method you choose to get up the tree. You also don't have the tree limitations that a climber has. Almost any tree is huntable. Sticks are an easy and quick way to get up a tree but a major pain in the back side to carry. I used Lone Wolf sticks for one season and quickly got rid of them. The shorter Muddy sticks look good and I like the way they attach with a rope but you need 4 of them compared to 3 of the longer sticks. The Wild Edge stepps are a great option. Although slower than sticks, they are VERY quiet, easier to carry, and they serve double duty to get up the tree and as a platform. You're on the right track so just keep it safe and give it time. Hanging from a rope 20' up is a way different feeling than standing on a climber platform. It takes time to trust the equipment.

Thank you! I am checking out the Wild edge youtube videos!

 

[Dragsmack]

Welcome to the site. I carry 3 Muddys with aiders and 4 ameristeps. I think my set up is 10lbs. Streamline and comfortable. I can climb any tree limbs, crooked, it doesn’t matter.


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That was my initial inclination. What length muddy sticks and how do you carry them?

 

[Justhanginground]

Thanks for the info! Are you using the Muddys to climb and the wild edge as the platform?

Yes I use them as a platform and use them to preset trees.


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[ANR0225]

Thanks for posting this. I'm brand new to this site and I am on the verge of pulling the trigger on a kestrel, but I have all the same questions. Been hunting from a summit cobra for 20 years now and love it for what it is, but just tired of the bulk. Was planning on running and gunning with spurs, but after reading about tree damage, I'm looking for different options as well. Definitely following this.....thanks again. Mmm

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[PJC]

Yeah, it's a lot to figure out. I got my Kestrel in late October so I was well into my season. I didn't have my entire system worked out yet so I ended up not hunting out of it this year. Not one solution is sufficient for every scenario so it's bolts and drills and sticks and aiders... and on and on. Lol


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[GBlevins92]

I always hated climbers because of the bulk and noise... I will say they are comfortable but that's about the only pro I ever seen.... I've been running and gunning with lone wolf sticks this year and a sit drag and to me it's so much easier to pack in and be quiet and more comfortable than any of my hang ons I used I will probably upgrade to a Kestral before next season.


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[Root]

As a new guy this year myself to the whole saddle hunting thing here's my thoughts. (Assuming your not going to hunt out of it until next year) If I were to get into it all over again I would take my time and pick and choose my options. Buy the saddle first. Throw together a cheap quick wooden platform to start practicing from. Once you've practiced a bit and sat in it you'll start to figure out if your a sitter or a leaner or both. That will tell you the best platform option for you to start with. It will also let you start adjusting the saddle for comfort. Once that's ironed out then I'd decide on how I want to get up the tree. After that it's down to practice and carrying method from truck to location.
I have no plan of ever going back to a lock on stand. But I did rush into the saddle which meant spending money one way, learning my style and spending money again in a different direction. Now that I'm through my first season I have a whole list of changes I want to make and things that need bought.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

This good advice for a new saddle hunter below from Dave T I have wasted alot of dough on stuff I will never use. Sticks with aiders are simple and fast. Where allowed bolts and cranford screw in steps are great. For a platform... ameristeps or an Ernies platform depending on whether you sit or lean and what weapon you are using.

Listen to Red, Flinginairos, Dave T or Boswell and copy any of them and you will be close to what you eventually want. They all do things slightly different but well

DaveT1963 said: ↑
There is some wisdom in sticking to and perfecting one method. I used to try a lot of different things based upon terrain and type of tree - I have settled on sticks, with a single foot aider and I even incorporated your tether foot loop when I want to go above 18 foot. After three years of scouting, setting up trees and hunting I can now do this blindfolded (i.e. with all but no light). Often whatever moonlight that is available is all I need once I get to my tree. if I use any light at all it is a small red lens headlamp that just barely illuminates 2-3 foot in front of me. I seldom if ever spook deer as I climb.

 

[Apex7]

I use 4 lonewolf sticks and 5 ameristep on a ratchet strap for a platform. I also use WildEdge steps to climb and as a platform. Also use an aider. Look at Reds post about his climbing method it looks pretty cool . I'm going to give it a try. Good luck and take your time and see what works for you.

 

[ImThere]

That was my initial inclination. What length muddy sticks and how do you carry them?

I have to 20” muddy pros. I carry them with a shoulder strap. I wrap them together with niteize and my strap clips to it. It all I have carried or used since getting the sitdrag


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[Ontariofarmer]

Hi guys! I have been checking out the site and podcasts and I think I am going to get a Kestral, but I am still unsure about a few things. Im hunting out of a summit viper now which is bulky, loud , and heavy. Im hunting public land, so i want to be light, mobile, and cant screw into the trees. By the time you guys add steps and a platform, do you really stay lighter, more nimble, and quiet than a light climber?
I have read a million threads about different setups and I think i have paralysis by analysis. Im not sure what to use as a platform and climbing method. I want to be really light and quiet. I was leaning towards the Muddy sticks. Should I get the long or short ones? 2 wild edge steps as platform or is there something, cheaper, smaller, more quiet? Ameristeps?

Am i on a good track? How should I carry the muddy sticks? Thanks, John

Make sure you get the short muddy pro sticks. Add aiders. If you can't get the muddy pros get hawk helium sticks. and modify them later to a rope and cam or a rope and versa button. You can shorten them through modifications.
Personally I do not like wild edge steps... Maybe I need to practice more. I have a platform but mostly use ameristeps.

 

[redsquirrel]

Welcome to the site! Yes you can absolutely go lighter, quieter and more adaptable than a climber! I see lots of people making weigh comparisons lately. I have a full mobile system that can hunt most tree's that comes in at 10-11 pounds including my saddle. I bet most people weighting their stands aren't including their safety harness. I wear my saddle all the time that I'm in the woods, so it becomes part of me and It really feels like nothing.

Point being to everyone is don't just compare weight, there are more advantages to the saddle. The ability to move around the tree to easily get in shot positions or to move around to keep the tree between you and the deer. If you are able to preset trees you can have as many preset trees as you are willing to prepare and you just need one saddle.

I have tried almost every climbing method out there. On public land where I can't screw in steps I am now using 6 wild edge stepps with my "red squirrel aider" (search for the thread). It is not quite as quick as climbing sticks but it is less bulky and I can carry them in my pack. If I'm going mobile I'll give myself some extra time for the set up. I hunt on a platform of steps. I sit in my saddle so that most of my weight is on the saddle rather than my steps. I have no problems with comfort on my feet so I can't imagine ever carrying an actual platform to stand on. You will find that everyone on here likes to do something differently, this is just the methods that I have settled on that work for me. On lots of my public land I am allowed to screw in so I also go mobile with spurs and rappel down, and I have over 40 trees set up with screw in steps to climb and stand on. That is my all time favorite method because nothing beats just wearing your saddle in, climbing the tree and hunting.

 

[Dragsmack]

Welcome to the site! Yes you can absolutely go lighter, quieter and more adaptable than a climber! I see lots of people making weigh comparisons lately. I have a full mobile system that can hunt most tree's that comes in at 10-11 pounds including my saddle. I bet most people weighting their stands aren't including their safety harness. I wear my saddle all the time that I'm in the woods, so it becomes part of me and It really feels like nothing.

Point being to everyone is don't just compare weight, there are more advantages to the saddle. The ability to move around the tree to easily get in shot positions or to move around to keep the tree between you and the deer. If you are able to preset trees you can have as many preset trees as you are willing to prepare and you just need one saddle.

I have tried almost every climbing method out there. On public land where I can't screw in steps I am now using 6 wild edge stepps with my "red squirrel aider" (search for the thread). It is not quite as quick as climbing sticks but it is less bulky and I can carry them in my pack. If I'm going mobile I'll give myself some extra time for the set up. I hunt on a platform of steps. I sit in my saddle so that most of my weight is on the saddle rather than my steps. I have no problems with comfort on my feet so I can't imagine ever carrying an actual platform to stand on. You will find that everyone on here likes to do something differently, this is just the methods that I have settled on that work for me. On lots of my public land I am allowed to screw in so I also go mobile with spurs and rappel down, and I have over 40 trees set up with screw in steps to climb and stand on. That is my all time favorite method because nothing beats just wearing your saddle in, climbing the tree and hunting.

Thank you! Are you using 6 wild edge steps to climb and a few more as a platform or is it 6 total?

 

[redsquirrel]

Thank you! Are you using 6 wild edge steps to climb and a few more as a platform or is it 6 total?

I just use 6 to climb with an aider. I use strap on steps with a boat buckle (overcenter buckle) as my platform. The wild edge stepps definitely have a learning curve. If you read through some of the threads you can chronicle my journeys over the past year. There are still times where I don't get them on perfectly, but for the size and compactness of the system I keep at it.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

I just use 6 to climb with an aider. I use strap on steps with a boat buckle (overcenter buckle) as my platform. The wild edge stepps definitely have a learning curve. If you read through some of the threads you can chronicle my journeys over the past year. There are still times where I don't get them on perfectly, but for the size and compactness of the system I keep at it.

I think that is why Dave T's advice is good. Find a method practice it perfect it. So you can do it quick, quiet and safe.
I think in season,without practice, and for new saddlehunters... sticks are the easiest.
I guess that is why so far I do not like wild edge steps. I have not practiced or perfected them. Muddy sticks and aiders for me so far.

Aiders take a bit of practice. Stay up right, keep your foot against the tree and you linemans belt with minimal slack. Then you will not likely kick out.