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Traditional set ups???

U.p.bowhunter

U.p.bowhunter

New Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2018
Messages
13
Is there things that you should think of or plan for to hunt out of a saddle with a trad bow? I cant my bow pretty good, has that caused any of the experienced guys deer?
 
U.p.bowhunter said:
Is there things that you should think of or plan for to hunt out of a saddle with a trad bow? I cant my bow pretty good, has that caused any of the experienced guys deer?
Click to expand...
Saddles are better suited for trad bows than conventional treestands are.
But I'm convinced that canting the bow is better suited to ground shooting. I just don't like a cant when alongside of a tree...too much chance of bow limbs hitting the tree upon release.
I've taught myself to shoot a vertical bow and I do not use a swing draw either. I get my bow up and pointed toward the critter while its still in the brace position and then draw. Doing it that way allows me to feel if bow limbs make will contact with anything during the actual shot. There is also less movement during those last few seconds before I shoot.
I know guys like Fred Asbel advocate the swing draw and bow cant. I dont believe its the best style for shooting white tails from trees.
I also think a short bridge and low tether allows better draw elbow clearance and also makes it easier to switch to the weak side if need be. Maneuvering the bow over a low tether is easier than it is with a high tether.
 
Limb clearance is about all. I will concur that it is easier than a conventional stand. You will set up to shoot hard off the left side for a righty. I practice on ground quite a bit while not facing the target at all......turning my upper body to the left and changing the angle of my feet as they would be on my ring of tree steps.
 
I do a slight cant and only problem is weak side lower limb clearance. Set up to anticipate a 6-9 shot and you can cover most everything. You will find a non vertical bow impedes weak side no way around it.
 
tmattson said:
When you say a low tether, how low?
Click to expand...
I like it below my chin. Maybe around collar bone height.

I 1st heard that from @DaveT1963 and I thought it was crazy to have it that low, until I tried it and really liked it.

I'm primarily a leaner so it works for me. A tether that low might not be comfortable for a sitter.
Everything has trade offs. A low tether limits travel around the tree unless I let out some slack with my Ropeman but a short tether gives me more control. High tethers have more pendulum effect, especially on leaning trees.

Low tethers aren't for everyone, but don't knock it until you give it an honest try.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
U.p.bowhunter said:
Good stuff Tom, I'm gonna be all ears around you brother.
Click to expand...
Everyone needs to figure out what works best for themselves.
Saddle hunting is very personalized. It ain't plug and play, and sorting thru all the multitude of moving parts takes some effort...and that's just the SADDLE side of it. Now toss in to the mix all the different weaponry and other assorted gear and things get pretty complex.
Don't just do something a certain way because someone says to do it that way...figure out YOUR best system.
I wish I knew that back when I first tried a Trophy Line. I did a lot of stuff "wrong" because I was told that was how you do it.
Half the fun of this stuff is figuring out your own system.
I think most of us here like to march to a different beat. We really don't want to be just like the hoards of the "off the shelf" hunters.
I'm having more fun than I did in my first 4 decades of bowhunting.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
Allegheny Tom said:
I like it below my chin. Maybe around collar bone height.

I 1st heard that from @DaveT1963 and I thought it was crazy to have it that low, until I tried it and really liked it.

I'm primarily a leaner so it works for me. A tether that low might not be comfortable for a sitter.
Everything has trade offs. A low tether limits travel around the tree unless I let out some slack with my Ropeman but a short tether gives me more control. High tethers have more pendulum effect, especially on leaning trees.

Low tethers aren't for everyone, but don't knock it until you give it an honest try.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

My recurve should arrive tomorrow so I can’t really speak to this in trad sense just yet, but I am tall and have long arms and I don’t think I’ll have clearance issues because of how I make weak side shots. I rotate CCW, basically turning 180°, and have my right hip to the tree. I already run a low tether so to avoid having to deal with letting out slack I place my stick so that the top step is slightly higher than the base of my platform.

Jibber Jabber gave me a tree drill so this year I plan on setting a couple of bolts for a change of pace footrest and be able to make the same weakside shot using them.
 
Allegheny Tom said:
Saddles are better suited for trad bows than conventional treestands are.
But I'm convinced that canting the bow is better suited to ground shooting. I just don't like a cant when alongside of a tree...too much chance of bow limbs hitting the tree upon release.
I've taught myself to shoot a vertical bow and I do not use a swing draw either. I get my bow up and pointed toward the critter while its still in the brace position and then draw. Doing it that way allows me to feel if bow limbs make will contact with anything during the actual shot. There is also less movement during those last few seconds before I shoot.
I know guys like Fred Asbel advocate the swing draw and bow cant. I dont believe its the best style for shooting white tails from trees.
I also think a short bridge and low tether allows better draw elbow clearance and also makes it easier to switch to the weak side if need be. Maneuvering the bow over a low tether is easier than it is with a high tether.
Click to expand...

Good stuff. I have never been for coming to full draw and bending at the hips. My style is similar.
 
Do what works for you. Try it and see. IF something is in the way, change it. Practice. differnt bows I shoot require a little different technique in the saddle. Get a stajack, grayling arrow holder, quick loc holder, whatever on your bow and practice. You'll find yourself canting your bow less as your less afraid to drop that arrow. I still cant my recurve very very slightly for certain shots, but most are straight pull like @Allegheny Tom describes. Dont over bow your self in a tree. it can be harder to draw depending on your position.
 
Heydeerman said:
Good stuff. I have never been for coming to full draw and bending at the hips. My style is similar.
Click to expand...

This is how I shoot trad from ground, or stand or saddle.
My shooting style works for me and may be helpful to some other guys so here's what I do and why I do it...

I get my bow up (not drawn yet) and pointed toward the shooting lane as soon as I think it's a deer I want to shoot. I use what I call "full body aiming", meaning that I use my full body to shoot where I want. Before I put any tension on the string, I point my head, my shoulders, my torso, everything in the direction I want to aim. I also place my bow hand with the correct angle of push during the pre draw. I want everything pre-set before I start using any major muscles to draw the bow. I feel that once the draw is started, the muscle exertion should be used strictly for the draw and not still adjusting bow hand or any other aspect that can be effected by trying to do it under draw tension. If I still need to bend at the waist or any other alignment, it will be effected by the actual draw process so I want all that other stuff addressed before I get distracted with coming to my anchor point. There are countless positions we can place our body during the shot process, setting up as many of the ingredients prior to the muscle exertion that it takes to draw 50 pounds plus, while cold in the stand, make for a more consistent form and shot sequence. My actual pull on the string and elbow alignment has to be straight back from the direction the arrow will be shot. If I draw then try to align my form, the weight of the bow can effect how much I'm on-target with everything that needs aligned.
95% of my aiming comes before I even start the actual draw.
It's really critical for me that I push my bow hand directly at the angle of the arc of the arrow with zero torque. If I push with my hand with too much pressure in any direction the arrow won't hit where I'm looking. It's not just a matter of the arrow pointing towards the target, the bow, and bow hand pressure, and draw hand/elbow must point toward the angle of arc that the arrow will fly. I'm aligning and aiming all parts of my body and I'm aiming the bow...I'm not aiming the arrow. It might seem like the same thing but it's not.

Another upside to that shot sequence is there is less movement when deer are in your lap. The only movement will be the draw arm. Being busted while drawing is minimized.
 
Allegheny Tom said:
I like it below my chin. Maybe around collar bone height.

I 1st heard that from @DaveT1963 and I thought it was crazy to have it that low, until I tried it and really liked it.

I'm primarily a leaner so it works for me. A tether that low might not be comfortable for a sitter.
Everything has trade offs. A low tether limits travel around the tree unless I let out some slack with my Ropeman but a short tether gives me more control. High tethers have more pendulum effect, especially on leaning trees.

Low tethers aren't for everyone, but don't knock it until you give it an honest try.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Good advice AT
 
Ok. I’m wearing earplugs and I’m in another country......so, does anyone put a sight on a trad bow?


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