Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer Bow Talk Saddle Hunting

What is your guys opinions on saddle Hunting? Will only use on hunts for about 3 hr sits at a time. Tried before but never really gave it a chance.

A lot of guys like the mobility and "claim" they can sit in theirs all day, not me. I prefer a loc-on and am sticking with them.

I’ve got several climbers but haven’t touched them in years. Rifle hunting, I almost always use my saddle with either climbing spurs or tethrd ones. Compound I’m a mix of lockon or saddle. Recurve I mostly use lockons. I’ve got a beast stand, lonewolf .5, and an xop vanish evolution. I have trouble shooting the recurve accurately out of a saddle, otherwise I would use it more.


A saddle is not more comfortable than a comfy climber. It is however many times easier to lug through the woods, much lighter if you spend money on the right climbing method, and just as fast or faster getting up a tree. Plus you are not limited in tree selection. Plus, much more stable shooting rest with a rifle. Screw in a bow hanger or strap on a camera arm to rest your gun on and use your tether plus tree to brave. Very solid.

I have given it an honest shot but just could not get used to it, especially while carrying my recurve. It was not as comfortable to me as some claim. I hunt out of a lock on and like it much better. I plan on saving up some money and buying one of these ultra lightweight lock on stands.

I'm giving it a shot this year. My expectations are low and plan to just have it as a tool as needed. I've practice climbed a couple times and shot my bow out of it. I think it will be a good asset in certain situations.

Im a creature of habit..and i have hung a loc on spirit or limit for like 12 years. My little boy is a little easier to take care of now so im hoping to get away and hunt some this year as i did not hunt at all last season with a newborn..but i am gonna this year hopefully. I tried to film most of my hunts in 2022..and i have not carried a camera since then because i have not hunted..but i will this year. All that to be said..i am seeing some benefit to this potentially for weight reduction..i have been into mobile set ups for a very long time and i have always cut as much weight as made since…i do not have a saddle..but i am actually considering one now…as before i just couldn’t due to cost.

I stand about 90% of the time when bow hunting, but I have really bad knees so as I’ve aged it’s getting harder to stand still as long as I used to in a traditional tree stand. I picked up a saddle last year and it has made a huge difference in my ability to stay in a standing position without killing my knees. .

I currently have one and have basically retired my climber. I hunt on property that is owned by the company that I work for, so we don't have the option to leave stands. Once I developed a system that worked for me, I prefer it over a climber. There is one area that I was the only one that hunted last year because there are very few trees to climb with a climber. I did switch from a platform to a ring of steps, and I like them better than the platform. The biggest advantage to saddles that I have found other than being able to hunt trees with limbs is that I can see 360 with very little movement. I started with a JX3 and comfort was great. Difficult to shoot a bow out of so I got rid of it. Have a Cruzer now and I am more comfortable in it than my climber.

It will take 5 or 6 climbs to get a “system” dialed in. Do the same thing climbing and descending.
And probably more sits than that to fine tune your bridge , tether, straps on the saddle etc.
They can be somewhat comfy once dialed in. What ever your foot platform is, you will most likely need some hard soled boots if your platform does not have angled foot rest. My experience has only been with one saddle model.

Some of us would need a saddle that would fit a draft horse and 3/4” rope. Those of us will stick to stands or better yet, ground blinds.

I love my saddle. When I got mine, I put my platform just off the ground and then got on it. All I did for about an hour was adjust it and move things around and get it to where it was the most comfortable. Then I started climbing. I have yet to sit all day, but I’ve done 5 hour hunts with no problem. If I’m by myself I primarily use my saddle. If I have my son, we go another route.

They make bigguns..an i mean…bigguns…as for the rope…technology has far exceeded what our own common sense deems safe…an 1/8th in amsteel rope will hold up an insane amount of weight…like….lift a truck…a 1/2 in will probly pick up a 100hp tractor…our rope rigs for puing wire had like 1.5in samson rope…pretty much amsteel…we tied it to a d6 an pulled a 140hp john deere out of a mudhole….that was after we done broke 2 chains….unreal how strong it is for its size.