Who has seen more deer since switching to a saddle?

[coolhand78]

Just asking the question in the thread title. I hunt a large area of public land (10,000+ acres?) in north-central Wisconsin. Although I've been bowhunting for almost 15 years, I don't typically see a lot of deer every year. And not many bucks. I'm switching to a saddle this year to hopefully go back farther, deeper into the woods/swamps/marshes, getting into and through a lot of thick brush where I hope more of the deer are hiding. These are the places where I've found it very difficult to get to and setup with my climber.

So who has seen more deer (and got more kills) since switching to a saddle? I'd love to hear any other experiences you've had on big public land – thanks!

 

[ImThere]

I see a ton less deer than I used to. it seems like I never could hunt where I want to. these days where I’m hunting is more for a one on one experience with the pope and young and I’ve seen a lot less deer but most of them are bucks


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[Gamover06]

I have not hunted from the saddle yet (been practicing) but I will tell you that I have gone from hang on stands to mobile hunting and seen more deer. Most of my hunting career (18 years ish) has been from hang on stands and ladder stands. I would switch them around from year to year but noticed that most deer were just out of range or traveled different trails as the season progressed. 2 years ago I switched to hang and hunt mobile set up and have since seen a lot more deer and gotten within range more often. The big thing is I can see when deer are changing their patterns and go after them.

I think where the saddle is going to make my mobile hunting even more successful is I am opening myself up to even more trees. When you mobile hunt with a stand you are still limited to certain trees but with a saddle the trees you can hunt from open up even more. I am also going to start hunting more public land and a saddle will allow me to go deeper to where someone with a climber or mobile set up might not want to go.

 

[Kurt]

I'm a 100% public land hunter at this point and have been for awhile. I've only been in a saddle for one season, but it allowed me to arrow two bucks. I had a stand located in the same area, I saw a nice buck 70 yds. down the hill. I moved in with the saddle easier than if I moved the whole set up, boom! Kllled my first buck out of the saddle from 15 yds. It wasn't the buck I had seen previously so knew I needed to move a little closer to where the deer had been coming out. A few days later I had the right wind to move further up the hill and closer to where I thought they were bedding. If I tried to move a stand there or use my climber I don't know if it would have worked out. I do know the saddle is quieter to get set up, and it is more compact to pack in. I actually moved in a little past where the buck was bedded. I was able to call him up the hill to me, and I was able to move to the side of the tree so I wasn't silhouetted on the side of the tree, like I would have been in a stand. Boom. Arrowed my second buck at like 12 yds. It wasn't that I needed to move far to get into a better position, but more importantly, I was able to be mobile and quiet. When you start to flirt with a bucks sanctuary you have to sneak in. I feel like the saddle allowed me to do that better than anything else I had, and trust me I have it all.

 

[flinginairos]

Two things have changed my hunting for the better, one of them being the saddle and the other is learning "Beast tactics" by Dan Infalt. Combining those two have been deadly for me the past few years. I have never had trouble seeing deer, but finding and killing good bucks was a struggle. Now I see LESS deer but when I do see a buck it's typically a good one. The saddle allows me to get into those spots were others aren't willing to go and that makes a huge difference!

 

[EricS]

A saddle is quieter than a climber and quicker to setup than a hang on. A saddle isn’t going to make you see more deer. You can hike in 2 miles and see less if you are in the wrong place. Sometimes the best spot is close to the road and others it is deep within a roadless area. Now a saddle will let you get deep within an area with less effort. It definitely has advantages when hunting near or far.

 

[Nutterbuster]

I have seen more and bigger deer in a saddle. Hard to say it it's a direct result or if it corresponds with me moving next to a higher quality WMA than I have hunted in the past. I also hunt more now that I'm out of school, and I'd like to think I'm just a little smarter.

But I did kill a mature buck last year out of a tree that was not treestand friendly, and I missed another.

 

[coolhand78]

Two things have changed my hunting for the better, one of them being the saddle and the other is learning "Beast tactics" by Dan Infalt. Combining those two have been deadly for me the past few years. I have never had trouble seeing deer, but finding and killing good bucks was a struggle. Now I see LESS deer but when I do see a buck it's typically a good one. The saddle allows me to get into those spots were others aren't willing to go and that makes a huge difference!

Yeah, I've been watching Dan's videos and listening to podcasts with him for the past year. Still not sure I know what I'm doing locating buck beds – at least within the topography I hunt – but I'm trying. My plan is to read through the best tactical threads sticky post on huntingbeast.com. The trick for me is learning to identify good spots through satellite images and topo maps, because I am not able to do much out of season scouting.

By the way, your video of the buck you shot using beast tactics is awesome!

 

[Dewey]

I can’t say I have seen more deer while hunting in a saddle since my hunting tactics are the same as when I hunted hang on stands. What has changed is I can get away with much more in my saddle without being busted due to being able to hide behind the tree. This has been huge for me.

 

[coolhand78]

I can’t say I have seen more deer while hunting in a saddle since my hunting tactics are the same as when I hunted hang on stands. What has changed is I can get away with much more in my saddle without being busted due to being able to hide behind the tree. This has been huge for me.

I'm looking forward to the benefits of this also.

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[EricS]

If I lived in Wisconsin I would try to read as much of Dan’s stuff as I could. I couldn’t say he’s the best hunter up there but he’s one of the best that is sharing info and he is hunting close to you. In my opinion post season scouting is what make Dan and John as successful as they are. It’s important on public land especially in big woods away from agriculture. I only got about ten days of post season scouting this year before everything turned green and only found two for sure areas that were buck bedding. That kind of stinks but If I add 2-3 every year I should be good in about ten years. Of course you will lose some to timber harvests and beavers flooding an area but If I had started seeking buck bedding 20 years ago I would have a pile by now.

 

[MCDM]

I have always seen deer but in the last 5-6 years solely in the saddle i have definitely seen that number jump upwards to 60%. For the last 3 years i have not hung without seeing deer about every sit. Now that could be due to that the population in my areas have slightly increased but also being in the saddle has allowed me to access areas many won’t or can’t go. The benefits have been seeing more deer which leads to more shot opportunities (although I pass way more than the average guy imho in my areas), it also allows me to watch deer behavior a little better which helps for future years leading to less scouting in certain areas.

I can say that guys I know well have had a couple rough years maybe seeing on average 10-15 deer. I look back at my logs for the same last couple years and i see an average of 90+ per year. Factor that at about 60-70 sits a year.

Keep a log and you too can see the benefits. Its always easier when the numbers are presented before you

 

[Jimmyfunk60]

I have not hunted from the saddle yet (been practicing) but I will tell you that I have gone from hang on stands to mobile hunting and seen more deer. Most of my hunting career (18 years ish) has been from hang on stands and ladder stands. I would switch them around from year to year but noticed that most deer were just out of range or traveled different trails as the season progressed. 2 years ago I switched to hang and hunt mobile set up and have since seen a lot more deer and gotten within range more often. The big thing is I can see when deer are changing their patterns and go after them.

I think where the saddle is going to make my mobile hunting even more successful is I am opening myself up to even more trees. When you mobile hunt with a stand you are still limited to certain trees but with a saddle the trees you can hunt from open up even more. I am also going to start hunting more public land and a saddle will allow me to go deeper to where someone with a climber or mobile set up might not want to go.

I had about the same progression as you did which led me to this site lol good luck


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[Bogle]

Two things have changed my hunting for the better, one of them being the saddle and the other is learning "Beast tactics" by Dan Infalt. Combining those two have been deadly for me the past few years. I have never had trouble seeing deer, but finding and killing good bucks was a struggle. Now I see LESS deer but when I do see a buck it's typically a good one. The saddle allows me to get into those spots were others aren't willing to go and that makes a huge difference!

This 100%

 

[Lacky]

I've never even seen a tree stand in the woods in Idaho, except a couple old wood platforms that looked pretty old. Certainly never seen anyone hunting in one. I'm hoping the deer and elk that see me will walk up to the tree just to figure out what I am. That's my hope.

 

[Rg176bnc]

IDK about more deer but Ive shot 3 that will make book out of tress smaller than my upper leg at less than 12ft up.

Its nice hunting where you need to be instead of just where you can.

 

[John Eberhart]

I see a ton less deer than I used to. it seems like I never could hunt where I want to. these days where I’m hunting is more for a one on one experience with the pope and young and I’ve seen a lot less deer but most of them are bucks

Totally agree with I'm there on the saddle allowing you more options in targeting mature bucks because of it's many advantages and being able to have the mobility to hunt back in tighter quarters where mature bucks are.

If mature bucks are not what you're after and you just want to kill "deer" a saddle will also allow you to see more deer because you can hide behind the tree, have many more options of trees to hunt from and for a plethora of other reasons.

 

[BCHunter]

saddle, Beast tactics, and Eberhart books/videos. I went from struggling with double ladder stands and deer feeders to a mobile killing machine that hunts a tree no more than twice a year. I have way more fun now. I go on adventure hunts to see new spots, and scout my way in, because I know other spots that I can go to kill a doe or two if I need. I play the wind, sneak through the woods like a ninja, and never get stressed out if it doesn't work out

 

[boyne bowhunter]

saddle, Beast tactics, and Eberhart books/videos. I went from struggling with double ladder stands and deer feeders to a mobile killing machine that hunts a tree no more than twice a year. I have way more fun now. I go on adventure hunts to see new spots, and scout my way in, because I know other spots that I can go to kill a doe or two if I need. I play the wind, sneak through the woods like a ninja, and never get stressed out if it doesn't work out

Once again I find a need for the double like button. Good post @BCHunter .