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Saddle safety PSA

Come
TreeCreep said:
That’s a pretty ideal set up! I take a surf trip most years, this year is Nicaragua. I haven’t been to Hawaii actually as I want to spend at least 2 weeks out there after that fly time. Plus cost of taking the whole family out.
It’s tentative for 2023 but who knows…
Kauai has always been top of the list.
Be safe. Cheers
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If you ever do, come in late December or January so you can surf and hit up 2nd rut (that’s when the big boys come out to play)!
 
FLYIN_HAYN said:
yup! Usually only can tow in the winter when swells start cranking but Hunting can be year round if you like. I gave up hunting goats and pigs to focus on blacktail so I do a lot more scouting then hunting. When I scout I tend to leave my bow at home so I can just focus on finding great spots to hunt later since the deer zones are so far from my house. I will try to get a pig if the moon is right but I have spots closer to home for that.

our family never runs out of meat.... when we visit family on the other islands I tend to bring my bow and a cooler to stock up on variety, sheep from big island and axis from Molokai are usually on our hit list
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That sounds like paradise to me!!! Wow!!
 
FLYIN_HAYN said:
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so lucky you are young and limber...that woulda hurt one of us old guys a lot worse...glad you are still in one piece and learned a lesson no worse off than a pair of soiled skivies...looks like you are hunting over a marijuana field...LOL...
 
Pilk64 said:
so lucky you are young and limber...that woulda hurt one of us old guys a lot worse...glad you are still in one piece and learned a lesson no worse off than a pair of soiled skivies...looks like you are hunting over a marijuana field...LOL...
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I wish it was pakalolo! But seriously though I am great-full and lucky to come out unscathed. I been in the saddle for 7 years now and got complacent.... I just wanted to share my experience with those that are coming in as I keep seeing people disregard leg straps and waist belts for comfort... I hope everyone can take away something from my mishap and I wish nothing but success and full coolers to y’all!
 
Great post.

Leg straps are completely unnecessary….until that rare day when things go completely wrong. They’re like paying an insurance premium - 99.9% of the time they don’t come into play, and the tendency is to think “what do I need these things for, they’re just extra weight and one more thing to mess with”. The thing is, the odds of multiple things going wrong may be small BUT IT IS NOT ZERO.

There’s a reason why professional climbing gear always includes leg straps.
 
Glad to hear you’re ok and thanks for sharing. This is exactly why I use a ring of steps. I like to have both feet on a solid surface when moving around the tree. I see too many people moving around for a shot with one foot on a platform and the other dangling trying to balance for a shot. In my opinion you should always have two or three steps on the backside of the tree when using a platform especially on a leaning tree.
 
FLYIN_HAYN said:
I wish it was pakalolo! But seriously though I am great-full and lucky to come out unscathed. I been in the saddle for 7 years now and got complacent.... I just wanted to share my experience with those that are coming in as I keep seeing people disregard leg straps and waist belts for comfort... I hope everyone can take away something from my mishap and I wish nothing but success and full coolers to y’all!
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Before I lose the thought, what's the grip paint you use?
 
Noonespecial said:
Glad to hear you’re ok and thanks for sharing. This is exactly why I use a ring of steps. I like to have both feet on a solid surface when moving around the tree. I see too many people moving around for a shot with one foot on a platform and the other dangling trying to balance for a shot. In my opinion you should always have two or three steps on the backside of the tree when using a platform especially on a leaning tree.
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Im definitely am adding a ring of steps to the arsenal! The weight is well worth it
 
farmlegend said:
Great post.

Leg straps are completely unnecessary….until that rare day when things go completely wrong. They’re like paying an insurance premium - 99.9% of the time they don’t come into play, and the tendency is to think “what do I need these things for, they’re just extra weight and one more thing to mess with”. The thing is, the odds of multiple things going wrong may be small BUT IT IS NOT ZERO.

There’s a reason why professional climbing gear always includes leg straps.
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Yah I'm just glad I had them on and tightened down.... I've been there where I have not used em and I'm lucky nothing happened then..... just a young buck here paying my dues and letting my ego go so I can hopefully one day become one of those wise old bucks!
 
I saddle hunt, but I don’t believe the hype that saddle + sticks is the safest method to hunt. Performed with certain methods it can be about as safe as other tree stand methods performed with certain methods. I get the sense that some of the safety assumptions are pushed by folks in their 20s that haven’t fully thought things through yet, and don’t yet fully grasp death and injury. Glad this situation worked out though!
 
neonomad said:
I saddle hunt, but I don’t believe the hype that saddle + sticks is the safest method to hunt. Performed with certain methods it can be about as safe as other tree stand methods performed with certain methods. I get the sense that some of the safety assumptions are pushed by folks in their 20s that haven’t fully thought things through yet, and don’t yet fully grasp death and injury. Glad this situation worked out though!
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People use shady logic because they like saddle hunting so much that it also must be safer as well. The shady logic is comparing typical/bad tree stand safety practices to correct saddle hunting practices.
 
raisins said:
People use shady logic because they like saddle hunting so much that it also must be safer as well. The shady logic is comparing typical/bad tree stand safety practices to correct saddle hunting practices.
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I might seriously argue it is not shady logic for the exact same reason's you mention. Saddle hunting forces the use of some amount of safety gear and some amount of knowledge of how to properly use it. Treestands dont and for many of us that pre-date safety gear of any kind related to treestand hunting, saddle hunting is by far the safest we have been hunting elevated.
 
BTaylor said:
I might seriously argue it is not shady logic for the exact same reason's you mention. Saddle hunting forces the use of some amount of safety gear and some amount of knowledge of how to properly use it. Treestands dont and for many of us that pre-date safety gear of any kind related to treestand hunting, saddle hunting is by far the safest we have been hunting elevated.
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If I am climbing a tree with a climber and a tether / descent safety system and one system fails I have a backup system. Sticks and saddle approach generally has no redundancy. You got busy through the season and your custom friction knot loosened, that’s it… that kinda thing. Cut one rope for any reason you’re probably going down. Climbing with sticks is also inherently dangerous. Agree, if you use no safety gear with another system, that system is more dangerous but with proper safety gear the other methods are just as safe if not safer.
 
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