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Transition to a saddle

Mike K

Mike K

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2014
Messages
280
Location
NJ
Years ago I had the Anderson tree sling but really didn't give it a fair chance. Since then it's been mostly lock ons with a summit climber mixed in. This year I'm making the switch back to the saddle. I ordered a New Tribe Aerohunter evolution, and it should be here next week. How easy was it for you guys to make the switch from a traditional tree stand? How long did it take to be confident in the saddle? Any tips or advice you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike
 
What made the biggest difference for me was I told myself I wasn't going back to a traditional tree stand and I was going to make this work. Put in 5-6 practice sessions at home before I went plus that many more hunts and I was pretty comfortable with the system.

Didn't hurt that the first time out in a saddle I doubled up on does.
 
Rg176bnc, wow, doubling on your first sit, thats enough to give anyone the confidence they need to stick it out. I'm determined to make this work also and think the positives far outweigh the negatives with this style of hunting.
Thanks for your reply, Mike
 
Mike K, I'm going thru the same process as you. I'm not giving up on my LW's though. I have trees here where a saddle won't work so I have to use LW's. I also have trees here where I can't use LW's and the saddle would work perfect. My plan is to use both according to the tree type.
 
1simplemann said:
Mike K, I'm going thru the same process as you. I'm not giving up on my LW's though. I have trees here where a saddle won't work so I have to use LW's. I also have trees here where I can't use LW's and the saddle would work perfect. My plan is to use both according to the tree type.
Click to expand...

1simplemann,

Are your LW's the fixed posiion stands? I had a LW climber hand and sit and climb but it was tough using it in the pines otherwise it was a very well built stand. I've never tried their hang on stand but a lot of people seem to like them especially when paired with their climbing sticks. I'm looking to do the same thing as Mike K and pretty much use the saddle full time for all or most of my hunts and eventually eliminate my other stand setups in favor of the saddle. This is especially true for public land hunts here in NJ where things have a tendency to disapper if they hang to long in a tree!

Roger
 
Stykbow, I have been using the hang on LW Alpha's for years. I don't recommend leaving them on public land especially in Jersey! I usually carry them in and out w/ me but will occasionally leave them. Here, the tree species is very limited along the river and has caused me to "rethink" which trees are huntable. The cottonwoods are most of the time too big depending on where I'm hunting. There is a species of willow tree that most of the time isn't big enough or doesn't have enough cover that I prefer. Then there is a species of tree that I don't know what the name is is but that's the one I generally hunt out of. They don't grow real tall, nor do they grow real fat and they definitely don't grow straight! What they do have is enough cover to hide guy. I have to look for a straight or semi straight section of the tree at the right height. The LW's have adjustablity built into them and will work work leaning or crooked trees which is generally what this species is. Leaning or crooked! I generally hunt 15 -20' but most of the time on the middle of that range which is lower than I like but they just don't grow tall enough to hunt any higher. Plus if I get too high then the tree canopy cuts down on my visiblty and my shot distance. If I tried to use a saddle in these trees I wouldn't be able to spin around the tree because of the branches. Also these trees sometimes have quite a bit of lean to them. I try to set up on the high side. Some trees are right handed and some are left handed depending on wind direction and or trail location. It doesn't matter because I can spin on the platform and shoot most directions. With a saddle I would have to stay on the high side and only shoot to the right side(I'm Lefty) I'm not saying it can't be done but with trees that have a good lean to them it would quite hard to get back to the high side. You would basically be hanging straight down in the saddle if you tried to used one on some of the trees I hunt. Occasionally I find a semi straight tree and a saddle would work. For me the cottonwoods are where the saddle will shine. They are straight, big and have lots of cover. I will be able to hunt locations that I couldn't previously. Plus since I elk hunt, I could also use one at wallows deep in the forest when I find a good one that is active and needs to be hunted. those trees are obviously pine trees that are generally straight.
 
Mike, it has been a while since I switched to the saddle but here is the best advice I can give you.

1. Practice, practice, practice. It is going to take some time to get used to it because it is different than anything you've ever done. Practice at ground level as much as you can to get used to it and comfortable.
2. Practice shooting from the saddle in the tree. Again this is a bit different that what you are used to, but once you get used to it I think I can shoot more accurate from a saddle than a tree stand due to having more stability. If set up properly you should be able to move around and shoot 360 degrees.
3. Don't give up! You may get frustrated at the beginning and feel like its not for you. This is the most common thing we hear. Most likely, it WILL take you some time to get comfortable and used to it in hunting situations. Practice in the yard is still different than a 3 or 4 hour sit in the tree where you're not moving much. I would say it could take up to 10 sits to start to really get the hang of it.
4. Prep as many trees as you can this winter and spring! You will thank me next fall! I love having the ability to be mobile and go where I want, but there is nothing like walking to a tree I have already set up, climbing up and strapping in.
 
Redsquirrel, thanks. That's exactly what I plan on doing, practice practice practice. I should have my saddle on Monday so I need to think about something to use for a platform. With some serious practice Maybe I can be ready and try it out during winter bow.
 
No problem Mike. Since we can use screw in steps in most places in NJ, I would suggest getting a set of about 5 cranford EZ screw in steps. You can get them in and set up on the tree very quickly.
 
Red-squirrel, I have plenty of screw ins. I used to use them all the time. What a pain to put in though! I should probably pick up one of those tree step tools that you use. It looks like it would make life a whole lot easier.
 
That tool helps for those screw ins, but look at the cranford EZ step. They are easy lol
 
I'll look into them thanks. What's your opinion on the ropeman 1? Roger sent me a picture of your set up and it looks great. Is it worth replacing the blakes hitch with it? If so, where would be a good place to get one? I searched online, and prices vary quite a bit.
 
I prefer my custom web strap but if I use rope I like the rope man a lot. Personally, I hate prussic knots and Blake's hitches but I know others like them. I got mine from backcountry.com
 
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