• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Saddle or Bust?

redsquirrel said:
Saddle only. Surprise right? :p
Click to expand...

I can't find you post on the climbing aider from my phone, so I'll ask the question here. Is that a ropeman you are using on the RS climbing aider?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
PJC said:
I can't find you post on the climbing aider from my phone, so I'll ask the question here. Is that a ropeman you are using on the RS climbing aider?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I've been using the kong duck, but ropeman would work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PJC
Last year was my first with a saddle. Used a sit drag and RC harness like you. Made myself commit to only using a saddle last year. Glad I did...first couple of sits were a little rough and helped work some kinks out. After that, I quickly decided I'm all in on saddles.
 
I'm all saddles all the time, I only recently started so I didn't have any treestands, was looking at getting a summit climber but didn't like the limitations, ended up with a saddle and haven't looked back, sitdrag/fleece saddle all the way!
 
I was saddle only in 2012 and 2013. I slowly went back to my Lone Wolf due to comfort issues with my Trophyline. I ended up having it a bit too big in size. In 2016 I came back to the saddle world with the Aerohunter EVO. I hunted a bunch with it in 2016, but I just didn't like the bulk of that setup at all.

I'm now waiting for my Mantis and Predator platform setup and believe its the game changer in saddle hunting I've been looking for. The weight along with the compactness is exactly what I'm looking for for this type setup. I'd say with the platform and weight of the Mantis why would I need to go back to a traditional stand? It really does blend the best elements of saddle hunting and treestands into a more compact lighter system for us DIY guys.
 
skell said:
Last year was my first with a saddle. Used a sit drag and RC harness like you. Made myself commit to only using a saddle last year. Glad I did...first couple of sits were a little rough and helped work some kinks out. After that, I quickly decided I'm all in on saddles.
Click to expand...
Dont take long does it?

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk
 
donnieballgame said:
Which do you like better, Kong or Ropeman? I've been thinking about trying a Kong for XOP Hand climbing or ur aider climbing.
Click to expand...
Either one will work for those. On my tether I use a duck and I have my biner wrapped in a little vet tape to keep it quiet. On my lineman's belt I use a ropeman because the duck would be too noisy with the biner rattling. On my aider I've been using a duck because I just tie the foot loop directly into the hole but a ropeman would work just as well.
 
donnieballgame said:
I'm all saddles all the time, I only recently started so I didn't have any treestands, was looking at getting a summit climber but didn't like the limitations, ended up with a saddle and haven't looked back, sitdrag/fleece saddle all the way!
Click to expand...
As I mentioned ins the original post I pickednup a sitdrag and RCH. I recently purchased 2 yds of fleece to try my hand at a DIY. Any pictures and suggestions on the fleece? Thanks

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
While saddle hunting is pretty new to me (3 years in) and the cool thing to do, I still see it as just a tool. And like tools there’s always the correct one for the task at hand. Saddle hunting is a great tool in most all circumstances but I still use a lock-on and a climber when the need arises.
Last year was statistically interesting, I hunted well over the majority times out the saddle and killed plenty of hogs and had shot opportunities at deer, but the two bucks I killed came from a lock-on and a climber. It just worked out where those stands were needed and I’m glad they were there to be utilized.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Limbbender said:
As I mentioned ins the original post I pickednup a sitdrag and RCH. I recently purchased 2 yds of fleece to try my hand at a DIY. Any pictures and suggestions on the fleece? Thanks

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I'll try to get some photos of a the fleece saddle I made, I've got a small one that I didn't really like. Need to make s bigger one.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
elk yinzer said:
3 - Option 3 is trusty old Summit Climber. In the very crappiest of weather is when it gets called into the game. I find climbing sticks to be rather miserable when it is raining sideways and 33 degrees out, that kinda stuff. I am not a fair weather hunter. I’ve also spent a bunch of all day sits in this thing, and I’m not yet sure how a saddle is going to handle 12 hours, 5 days in a row. The climber is a comfort zone when things go to crap. I think as the years pass I will eventually sell it, but for now it still has that niche carved out in my lineup.
Click to expand...

Not to say a saddle can't be used in crappy weather as well but when there's a lot of nasty weather and rain I'll get my climber up tight underneath an umbrella and use a pistol chest holster underneath the rain gear to keep everything dry. Once you get set-up it's surprising how relatively comfortable inclement weather can be.
 
brydan said:
Not to say a saddle can't be used in crappy weather as well but when there's a lot of nasty weather and rain I'll get my climber up tight underneath an umbrella and use a pistol chest holster underneath the rain gear to keep everything dry. Once you get set-up it's surprising how relatively comfortable inclement weather can be.
Click to expand...

Tree umbrellas are nice. Hadn’t used it in the saddle yet. Hawk makes a huge one. I feel it may be too big but I bet you stay dry.
 
I've been thinking about adding on of these to my gear for the bad weather. I found that when there was a canopy I did alright, without the canopy and colder weather I didn't do all that good. I also don't have any rain gear, lol.
 
I rather enjoy the rain. As long as there’s not a lot of lightning with it, the deer in our area tend to move fairly well in it. All you have to do is make sure your phone is waterproof and enjoy the soak, no umbrella needed :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
IkemanTX said:
I rather enjoy the rain. As long as there’s not a lot of lightning with it, the deer in our area tend to move fairly well in it. All you have to do is make sure your phone is waterproof and enjoy the soak, no umbrella needed :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Thats usually the case because i always forget my umbrella or think it won't rain.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top