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Cut and pasted from John Eberhart's website:
Benefits of a saddle over any other types of stands!!!!
-The concept is simple, you hang in the Saddle from the trunk of the tree to which you are securely fastened.
-You sit facing the tree with your legs somewhat straddling the trunk or your knees into the trunk.
-Your feet rest on tree-steps placed around the tree, and they are used for leverage while maneuvering, and as footrests while sitting.
-Once properly adjusted the saddle is very comfortable, and acts as its own safety belt, and is almost impossible to fall out of once properly fastened to the tree.
-To shoot, you stand up or lean back (straighten your legs) in the saddle away from the tree.
-There is no platform to stand on and nothing to encumber movement around the tree or make noise
-Bowhunting for mature bucks is all about being able to adapt to their ever-changing movements.
-The more adept, and expedient you are at responding to changing deer movements, the better your chances will be at tagging a trophy.
-Not only can you adjust to ever changing sign during the season, you can also prepare as many trees prior to the season as you consider necessary, because you only need one Saddle to hunt from all of your trees.
-Having many trees ready to hunt is a huge advantage from a surprise standpoint.
-You can clear out trees for every potential situation, you do not have to limit yourself to a handful of spots. I have over fifty trees ready to hunt prior to each season. Many have been in place for years and require some periodic cleaning up and some are in new locations every year.
-Having so many trees ready for the season also allows you to rotate sites, which increases your element of surprise and reduces both scent contamination and general human presence in a hunting area.
-As you know pressured mature bucks do not tolerate known hunter presence.
-The saddles "specific" mobility, makes it possible to shoot a full 360 degrees around most trees.
-Considering that mature bucks often come from unexpected directions during the rut phases this is an important advantage.
-As you can see you have to make your sparse opportunities count and the mobility and
shooting range advantages of the saddle will do that.
-Another major advantage is general mobility, or the ability to hunt almost any tree in the woods. It is no longer a question of finding a tree to hunt out of, but finding the right spot and making a tree work.
-With a saddle there are few limitations to tree diameters, branches, or straightness. Trees leaning more than fifteen degrees will not give you the full 360 degree shooting circumference, but they are trees you couldn't even hunt without the saddle.
-Another form of mobility is the ability to adjust to circumstances. If you find a hot scrape area or fresh rub line it is no problem to quietly set up and hunt in a matter of minutes if you take a set of steps with you.
-Weight and bulky treestand frames are also factors when reacting to fresh sign. The Ambush, our lightest saddle weighs less than three pounds and can be carried in your backpack. This eases opportunities to scout in heavy cover and set up on the spur of the moment.
-Another major advantage is the fact that you can be sure your stand will be there when you arrive because it is always with you.
-No more concern about other hunters hunting you location when you are not there.
-Stolen tree stands are unfortunately a sad fact of life for anyone hunting state land, or even private property in states with heavy hunting pressure. Not any more, because your saddle is always with you.
-Yet another big plus is that you can keep the trunk of the tree that you are in between you and the deer. As a non-targeted deer approach you slowly ease your way around the trunk, out of sight of the deer. This keeps your silhouette from sticking out from the tree. This is especially important in pressured areas where deer tend to look for hunters in trees.
-Height is another big advantage, especially once the hunting gets good and the foliage is gone from the trees. With a Saddle the only height constraint is your ability to get up the tree. There should never be a fear of height because you at all times have a safety system attached to the tree.
-Because saddles are all made from fabric there is no noise concerns with the set-up. This is very important when setting up near where deer feed or bed.
-The mobility of the saddle makes it awesome for freelance hunting or on trips to unknown properties.
-As with everything that has to do with hunting, the type of hunting system you use is ultimately based on your own hunting situation, goals, and personal preference. The Saddle is a tool that can be added to your hunting arsenal to increase your element of surprise and success rate.
-It has completely changed the way I hunt, providing unsurpassed ease of use and mobility. When used properly the advantages it offers will without question increase the number of opportunities you receive and the likelihood of success dramatically.
GOOD HUNTING
John Eberhart
