Tree saddle hunting?

[BW96]

I've read the whole post and really going to look into this. Couple questions,

Can you relieve yourself while up in the tree? You know, ****.

What is approx total cost to get started?

I had some lower stomach pains hit once while 20ft up. I guarantee I wouldn't have made it down the tree. Lets just say, anything is possible. Lol

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EDIT: I quit counting dollars at about the $700 mark for everything I wanted/needed. It's not cheap. But I'd do it again. Like mentioned above you can buy gently used equipment now vs when I got into it.

[Tex]

There are very few down sides to hunting out of a saddle. This will be only my second year but my experience with them has been excellent. I killed multiple deer and pigs out of mine. I used to hunt out of the Woodsey 2 360 stands for comfort but honestly I spent a full day in kansas last year in my saddle and I thought it was the best way to go. Knee pads are a MUST for comfort but I can sleep in my saddle. I never felt comfortable enough to do that in any of my lock ons.

You got any of those Woodsey stands you want to sell?


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[Blitz]

I was carrying my summit climber back to the truck on opening day of rifle season. Let me make a disclaimer here. I do foodservice delivery for a living and go up and down a ramp with close to 500lbs on a hand truck who knows how many times a day. When it comes to dealing with weight and how to manage it, I have mastered it. With that being said, my shoulders and hips here killing me walking back with the climber and backpack strapped to the back and carrying my rifle.

I've spent the past month looking into saddle hunting for various reasons (weight, mobility, tree types to hunt from, ease of use, etc.)

Just my climber alone sits at 20lbs. Then you add the other gear on top of that, I'm pushing 40+ lbs. Now don't get me wrong, its doable. And I use the molle II backpack straps with kidney belt. I have a sweet setup. But it really prevents me from wanting to get deep into the woods where the big boys are because of the burden I will be facing carrying the gear.

If I can get everthing down to say 20lbs combined, I don't care how much money you spend, its worth it. Shoot, how much money do guys spend on deer leases? A few hundred bucks is a drop in the bucket. And its a 1 time purchase. Oh, and I use a crossbow for bow hunting so drawing isn't part of my equation. After January, I will be purchasing a saddle.

[SFAbowhunter]

I was carrying my summit climber back to the truck on opening day of rifle season. Let me make a disclaimer here. I do foodservice delivery for a living and go up and down a ramp with close to 500lbs on a hand truck who knows how many times a day. When it comes to dealing with weight and how to manage it, I have mastered it. With that being said, my shoulders and hips here killing me walking back with the climber and backpack strapped to the back and carrying my rifle.

I've spent the past month looking into saddle hunting for various reasons (weight, mobility, tree types to hunt from, ease of use, etc.)

Just my climber alone sits at 20lbs. Then you add the other gear on top of that, I'm pushing 40+ lbs. Now don't get me wrong, its doable. And I use the molle II backpack straps with kidney belt. I have a sweet setup. But it really prevents me from wanting to get deep into the woods where the big boys are because of the burden I will be facing carrying the gear.

If I can get everthing down to say 20lbs combined, I don't care how much money you spend, its worth it. Shoot, how much money do guys spend on deer leases? A few hundred bucks is a drop in the bucket. And its a 1 time purchase. Oh, and I use a crossbow for bow hunting so drawing isn't part of my equation. After January, I will be purchasing a saddle.

You’re going to be hard pressed to get it to 20 pounds total. I’m betting my cruzr saddle, hawk helium 20” sticks, ridge runner platform, and ropes with ascenders is 15 pounds ish. Then I add my binos, range finder, and other gear probably close to 30 pounds for everything. Maybe 25.


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[Blitz]

The heaviest part of the kit will be the sticks. 7-9 lbs max. Then another 2 lbs for the platform? So let’s say that’s 11. If I can’t figure out how to make the rest work for 10-15 lbs, I have issues. Even at 25, it’s so much lighter than the climbing setup, you can’t even have the conversation about which is lighter.

Then you add the other intangibles, it’s like the climber is getting boat raced in this event.

[Arrowsmith]

I am not a minimalist and I am not all hung up and stressed on weight. My saddle, sticks, and platform weight 22 lbs. Then I have my bow, binos/rangefinder and pack. My average hike in is 1/4 to 1/2 mile here where I hunt. For example this evening I will go about 300 yards behind the house. On hunts close to the house I just take rattling horns, grunt call, a knife, headlamp and a haul line.

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[Blitz]

That ladder that is holding your sticks. How much does that thing weigh?

The predator is only 2 lbs and the saddle is 1. Even if your sticks were 10 lbs, where is that other 9lbs coming from??

[Arrowsmith]

That ladder that is holding your sticks. How much does that thing weigh?



The predator is only 2 lbs and the saddle is 1. Even if your sticks were 10 lbs, where is that other 9lbs coming from??

Referring back to my first paragraph.....

"I am not a minimalist and I am not all hung up and stressed on weight".

But since you asked here are real world weights.

Predator Platform with buckle and strap 3.52 lbs

Tethrd Phantom saddle with Sys Hauler, linesman's dump pouch, lineman's belt with two Trango carabiniers and Ropeman 1, Tethrd tether with carabiner and Ropeman 1, Backwoods Mobile Gear Versa Aider, and a pair of limb pruners 5.32 lbs.

Three 30" Hawk Helium sticks with buckle strap 3.42 lbs each

That strange ladder thing is an Non Typical Rapid Rail. It is 7" longer than a 30" Hawk Helium. It is easier to attach to the tree, it is more stable and it weighs 4/10s of an once more that a 30" Hawk Helium at 3.46 lbs


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[Blitz]

Didn’t mean any disrespect. Hope you didn’t take it that way. I don’t own the saddle yet so all I can do is pull specs off the web. I do own the lone wolf sticks.

Quite a few guys on saddlehunter stay in that 15-20 lb range which to me is music to my ears. Even 25lbs would be magical compared to what I’m doing now.

I’m not a minimalist either. But weight is still weight and when all you have is public forest to hunt, unless your not walking far, you have to take this stuff into consideration. I’ve done the short walks. Hunting sucks and you rarely see stuff when hunting. Close to the truck. Not saying you won’t. But the hunting pressure pushes the deer farther in. I’m done carrying 40lbs on my back.

[DonBell1144]

You got any of those Woodsey stands you want to sell?


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I’ll probably keep the ones I have. I have them put out at my home place for my daughter to hunt and a few in Kansas too.

[Tex]

I’ll probably keep the ones I have. I have them put out at my home place for my daughter to hunt and a few in Kansas too.

I don’t blame you. I have three and love them. For me it’s either the 360 stands or saddle. I’ll never hunt a hang on again.


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[LeanMachine]

For those of yall hunting private, you should really look into a treehopper drill and bolts. The drill and 12 bolts weights 2 lbs 10.6 ozs on my scale. 8 bolts is plenty for me to get to my average hunting height, but I am athletic and comfortable with large step spacing. 8 bolts takes me 8 minutes total. I can hang sticks faster than that but not by much. Then of course there is the bulk savings. This stuff will fit in a fanny pack pocket. I bought 50 3/8" 6" grade 8 bolts off ebay for just over $20 shipped. If you want to pull bolts out on your way down, it is faster by far than any other method to tear down. No fiddling with ropes.

[Arrowsmith]

Didn’t mean any disrespect. Hope you didn’t take it that way. I don’t own the saddle yet so all I can do is pull specs off the web. I do own the lone wolf sticks.

Quite a few guys on saddlehunter stay in that 15-20 lb range which to me is music to my ears. Even 25lbs would be magical compared to what I’m doing now.

I’m not a minimalist either. But weight is still weight and when all you have is public forest to hunt, unless your not walking far, you have to take this stuff into consideration. I’ve done the short walks. Hunting sucks and you rarely see stuff when hunting. Close to the truck. Not saying you won’t. But the hunting pressure pushes the deer farther in. I’m done carrying 40lbs on my back.

No problem. Just giving you actual weight with all the ropes, thether, buckle straps included. There are lighter options for sticks but most of the significantly lighter sticks are quite expensive.

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[LeanMachine]

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[Blitz]

I was actually curious of the weight of my current setup with the climber, bow, etc.

Without the backpack, I'm at 36 lbs. The climber alone is 27, the bow is 8, shooting stick is 2.

I'd say im easily in the 45 lb range. I am soooo looking forward to the tree saddle weight.