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Saying hi...newbie from Arizona

tlin

New Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2019
Messages
15
Quick hello - I randomly stumbled across saddle hunting via an evening of YouTube hunting vids (I'd never even heard of this at all.....). I really liked what I saw, here I am.

I already ordered my Heliums (arrived yesterday) - the $99 price match from Bass Pro didn't work in my favor but the $50 gift card from last Christmas still got the sticks to my door for only $77.XX. So I'm on my way.....

IF there's anyone in Arizona who could actually go over a saddle with me, I'd love to take advantage of it. YouTube is one thing, hands-on is preferred.

For no obvious reason, tree hunting isn't nearly as popular here in Arizona as it obviously is in other states. Looking forward to learning and actually getting up in a tree :).

--todd
 
welcome an enjoy if i was close i would love to help out

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
Welcome from Louisiana! Try the link below to find a saddlehunter member near you. Good luck and be safe.
 
Update (just for kicks).....

On a deer hunt this past January, I snuck in on another hunter and watched silently for 10-15 minutes before he ever knew I was there (ground hunt, high desert). The spring we were at had some javalina, he had a tag, I didn't want to throw off his hunt so I just sat still. 10 minutes later, I got to watch him shoot a pig and he and I have been in touch ever since. Good way to meet someone!

Via text, I learn he's also interested in saddle hunting (he's actually done it for a season, I still hadn't yet gotten up in a tree). He volunteers to let me try out his second complete setup which was a great way to finally see what this is all about. I've never had so much fun target shooting.......and was amazed at how quickly I grew comfortable climbing as well as sitting in a saddle.

Long story short, the day after I tried everything out, I ordered the rest of my gear (deliveries come in next week). So I'll be in a tree next month for OTC deer. Can't wait!
 
Welcome from WNY. I have relatives in AZ. I didn't thing you guys had any trees there. :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:
 
Welcome from Iowa. Hope to do some hunting in Arizona someday. Good luck this season with the saddle. Let us know how it worked for you.
 
Welcome from Ca!
I lived in AZ for a couple seasons and bought OTC archery tags for the Kaibab Plateau. I didn’t connect, but the deer were around, and there were lots of trees to hunt out of. Imagine sitting high up in a blue spruce over a wet meadow, in a cool clean 40 degree breeze, the day after waking up in Phoenix where it’s 105. It almost doesn’t matter whether you see a buck or not!
 
Welcome from Maine! So................what did you order for a saddle?

I went with the Treehopper Recon (went with Tethrd gear for the lines man, tether and Predator platform). Ultimately, I like this guy's reviews a lot and the way he communicates and shares his experience just clicked with me - his reviews were a deciding factor for sure and focusing on lower back comfort had me concentrating on a two-panel system. If it isn't for me, I'll return it and try again.

My buddy has both the Mantis and the Phantom I got to demo earlier this week. Definitely noticed slight advantages in comfort with the Phantom in the 5-6 hours we were using them but take that with a grain of salt. This wasn't a 6-hour dedicated hang in each saddle, just a few hours of up/down, shooting, trying each out, etc......getting a real feel for all fo this. I liked them both but of those two, I preferred the Phantom by a hair although that sewn-in-marble-adjustment system for the bridge didn't work (also just an FYI from a newbie).

We have friends in Maine, been a few times, gorgeous!!!
 
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Welcome from WNY. I have relatives in AZ. I didn't thing you guys had any trees there. :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:

Tons of pine trees in northern Az.....just not a ton of deer like you're used to in the Eastern US.
 
I went with the Treehopper Recon (went with Tethrd gear for the lines man, tether and Predator platform). Ultimately, I like this guy's reviews a lot and the way he communicates and shares his experience just clicked with me - his reviews were a deciding factor for sure and focusing on lower back comfort had me concentrating on a two-panel system. If it isn't for me, I'll return it and try again.

My buddy has both the Mantis and the Phantom I got to demo earlier this week. Definitely noticed slight advantages in comfort with the Phantom in the 5-6 hours we were using them but take that with a grain of salt. This wasn't a 6-hour dedicated hang in each saddle, just a few hours of up/down, shooting, climbing, trying each out, etc......getting a real feel for all fo this. I liked them both but of those two, I preferred the Phantom by a hair although that sewn-in-marble-adjustment system for the bridge didn't work (also just an FYI from a newbie).

We have friends in Maine, been a few times, gorgeous!!!
Yeah I like his videos as well. He does a great job on his equipment reviews and has helped me out a lot. Where abouts in Maine are your friends at? It would be hilarious if I knew them :tearsofjoy: I'm very lucky to live where I do. Tons of hunting and fishing opportunity in my state all year long. Where I live along the coast we have a 3 month long archery deer season and I am allowed 2 bucks and unlimited does.
 
Yeah I like his videos as well. He does a great job on his equipment reviews and has helped me out a lot. Where abouts in Maine are your friends at? It would be hilarious if I knew them :tearsofjoy: I'm very lucky to live where I do. Tons of hunting and fishing opportunity in my state all year long. Where I live along the coast we have a 3 month long archery deer season and I am allowed 2 bucks and unlimited does.

Portland....

"3 month long archery deer season and I am allowed 2 bucks and unlimited does".........:oops:.........you just blew my mind.
 
Portland....

"3 month long archery deer season and I am allowed 2 bucks and unlimited does".........:oops:.........you just blew my mind.
The coastal areas are pretty well built up so firearms are quite restricted for safety reasons. This has caused the deer population to grow and there are a lot of car/deer crashes. It also has boosted the deer tick population. I have 5 family members that have gotten Lyme disease including me. I'm only about 30 minutes north of Portland.
 
Tons of pine trees in northern Az.....just not a ton of deer like you're used to in the Eastern US.
A couple of AZ quick stories. My cousin has a cabin in Northern AZ. Beautiful. He has elk in his "yard" all the time. He doesn't hunt at all but has a feeder and takes pics of them all the time.

A couple of years ago I get an email from my sister (who also lives back east here) and the subject said "Rondy's Bull" It was another cousin, different side of the family. She had drawn four resident elk tags over the previous four years and filled three of the four tags. One bull was incredible. The background looked like an an awesome alpine forest. I thought she may have gone up to Idaho to hunt or something. I asked where she shot it.... she said northern AZ. I have always thought AZ is basically sand and cacti. Nice country out there. Welcome to the rabbit hole known as saddle hunting. Good group of talented, helpful and funny people on the site too.
 
A couple of AZ quick stories. My cousin has a cabin in Northern AZ. Beautiful. He has elk in his "yard" all the time. He doesn't hunt at all but has a feeder and takes pics of them all the time.

A couple of years ago I get an email from my sister (who also lives back east here) and the subject said "Rondy's Bull" It was another cousin, different side of the family. She had drawn four resident elk tags over the previous four years and filled three of the four tags. One bull was incredible. The background looked like an an awesome alpine forest. I thought she may have gone up to Idaho to hunt or something. I asked where she shot it.... she said northern AZ. I have always thought AZ is basically sand and cacti. Nice country out there. Welcome to the rabbit hole known as saddle hunting. Good group of talented, helpful and funny people on the site too.

I'm a lifetime member of the Arizona Elk Society....it's a beautiful thing out here. Interestingly, they aren't native to Arizona - originally imported from healthy populations in California and New Mexico (from memory) in the early 1900's. They've done pretty well, numbering ~35,000 now. Our second home (aka our cabin) is up north and I see elk frequently but they are a draw-only hunt. And they're ...... absolutely delicious.
 
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