Saddle or climber?

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deerkiller300wsm

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maryville,tn
I got rid of my last climbing stand in 2018. Went to ladders, tripods and blinds. Lost my lease and hunting new areas again. I what is everyone using? I had an aluminum summit. Borrowed one for this weekend and still like it. But I'll admit they are a pain to haul in and set up. How about saddles?
 
You're gonna need 3 saddles, 8 climbing methods, 3 loc ons, 4 climbers, a tripod on wheels and then you'll be ready! Lol.
😂

I hunt out of a saddle. Have been for years. They are comfortable after you get in saddle shape. lol. It's like wearing a new pair of shoes in. The first sit or three every year is uncomfortable then you will be fine IF you have found the right saddle. You can hunt any tree your willing to put the time in to climb.
Loc ons use the same climbing method as the saddle so that's a plus but with my fat arse I haven't found a light loc on I likes for a full sit.
A summit is out of the box comfort. But I always thought it was a pain to lug and I hated hitting my gun on the climber in the dark. You need straighter, limbless trees If I only hunted a handful of times a year I would use a climber. IMHO.
For the power lines and the marshes I made some wheels for my tripod I wheel it in, stand it and hunt. Put the deer on top and wheel it out. Works like a charm.
 
ImThere said:
You're gonna need 3 saddles, 8 climbing methods, 3 loc ons, 4 climbers, a tripod on wheels and then you'll be ready! Lol.
😂

I hunt out of a saddle. Have been for years. They are comfortable after you get in saddle shape. lol. It's like wearing a new pair of shoes in. The first sit or three every year is uncomfortable then you will be fine IF you have found the right saddle. You can hunt any tree your willing to put the time in to climb.
Loc ons use the same climbing method as the saddle so that's a plus but with my fat arse I haven't found a light loc on I likes for a full sit.
A summit is out of the box comfort. But I always thought it was a pain to lug and I hated hitting my gun on the climber in the dark. You need straighter, limbless trees If I only hunted a handful of times a year I would use a climber. IMHO.
For the power lines and the marshes I made some wheels for my tripod I wheel it in, stand it and hunt. Put the deer on top and wheel it out. Works like a charm.
Click to expand...
This. My first a XOP mondo was terrible. Switched to a trophyline cover lite 2.0 and major difference. Also get some sticks worth a dam*. XOP X2s will be the cheapest option for quality. They bite the tree great. You can dang near climb the tree without strapping them to It. They're also a tad loud if they get hit but hush tape will help that some. If I had private land to leave a climber I'd probably still use it but I don't miss lugging that thing around.
 
I'm a climber guy. Granted, have never tried the saddle, but a climber is very comfortable which makes it easier for me to sit longer stretches. I also like having the shooting rail for stability when gun hunting. It's not small, but it makes my hunt so much more enjoyable!
 
I use it all. Saddle, climbers, hang on, ladders, tripods even shooting houses. But as far as moving around and not having to worry about finding the right tree. A saddle is the best option for me. If I only had one option to go with it'll be a saddle. I have the tethered saddle and sticks. 2 sizes of latitude platforms.

Have 2 summit climbers. Have hunted out of the all I prefer the summits.

They are also making great light weight hang on. Good sticks and a hang on and you also in good shape.
 
I use pretty much everything to cover all the different scenarios you run in to. That said, saddle hunting probably wont suit everyone as its definitely not like sitting in a 12 ft ladder stand but is has definite advantages to cover certain scenarios.
 
I am starting my majority public land hunting next year for the first time at 56. I want a new challenge…I figure a saddle set up is the way to go for mobility and flexibility, but just now looking into it. At 6' 265 lbs, decent physical shape…I am looking for something better than a climber (although I will add one for this if I deem necessary). Looking for saddle recommendations…west tn hills and hollers, not mountains. Take it on the road as travel hunts present themselves.

Primarily bow and pistol hunting. Really interested in hearing Winchester's views on the negatives.
 
I have hunted out of a climber most of my life. I want to try a saddle. but have not pulled the trigger yet. I can see pros and cons to both. I'll keep following this and try and learn some more on the topic.
 
I have started using a saddle this year and I love it. It is so much easier to walk in with that equipment rather than a summit climber. I have the trophyline products. I could not be more pleased. Glad to answer any questions. Not an expert but I certainly enjoy it.
 
Primarily bow and pistol hunting. Really interested in hearing Winchester's views on the negatives
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CBU imo a saddle has its place in every serious hunters arsenal. Some situations just fit a saddles attributes, Lightweight, easy to transport and cover long distances, steep ridges and thick places in the dark, all where carrying a stand of any kind is a lil more difficult. You can go up pretty much any tree you can get a stick on and stay hidden better in most cases as well. I could go on about the positives but you get the point. Now for the negatives imo. Nowhere near as comfortable on all day sits, much more involved to be able to shoot a 360 deg circle all around you. You have to be in decent physical shape and not be afraid of heights at all, as you your hanging by a rope and literally almost standing on your head to make some shot angles. Much much more movement involved to make some of said shots (especially with a bow). Also while a saddle is lighter, not much time saved in setup as you still have to hang sticks and then hang the platform. You get the point, definitely a good tool but not for every situation imo!
I run a Tethrd saddle and Latitude sticks all of which I have modified to fit my preferences.
 
i hunted out of summit climbers and switched to the saddle in 2018. ive used the following climbing methods each for at least an entire season: bullman steps, 5 step aider with stirrups, one sticking with a lock on, one sticking with integrated top step platform, and currently i use a panther quick climber. happy to answer questions about any of them.
if i was hunting in places where i can walk open pathways to a climber friendly tree, i'd use a summit climber.
if i was hunting in places where i will have to move through cover and may want to climb a less than ideal tree, i'd use a saddle setup.
i like the panther quick climb because it works much like a summit climber base but can easily work around limbs in a saddle hunting scenario.

for the saddle itself i use a dryad hammock style saddle with a rock climbing harness for safety. i prefer to lean and can get comfy cozy and still as can be with my feet braced against the climbing bars on the platform. if you prefer to sit, i think that affects saddle comfort far more - you may want to try a few before you commit.

someone mentioned movement: one thing i appreciate about a saddle setup is that you spend the majority of your time face to the tree. most of my movement involves my hands and happens between my body and the tree. if anything i think i get away with more in a saddle. ive used my saddle at ground level as opposed to using a chair or sitting up against a tree and taken multiple deer inside of 15 yards.

i think maybe the toughest thing about saddle hunting is figuring out which methods/equipment work for you. when you grab a summit climber you know how you're getting up the tree and what you're gonna sit on when you get up there. when you decide to saddle hunt you have to sort out which climbing method you like, which platform configuration you like, which saddle you like etc... and you'll find a just as many people who can't get comfortable on a ring of steps and have to have a platform as you will folks who can't fathom dragging a platform up a tree when you could take a simple ring of steps.
 
ImThere said:
You're gonna need 3 saddles, 8 climbing methods, 3 loc ons, 4 climbers, a tripod on wheels and then you'll be ready! Lol.
😂

I hunt out of a saddle. Have been for years. They are comfortable after you get in saddle shape. lol. It's like wearing a new pair of shoes in. The first sit or three every year is uncomfortable then you will be fine IF you have found the right saddle. You can hunt any tree your willing to put the time in to climb.
Loc ons use the same climbing method as the saddle so that's a plus but with my fat arse I haven't found a light loc on I likes for a full sit.
A summit is out of the box comfort. But I always thought it was a pain to lug and I hated hitting my gun on the climber in the dark. You need straighter, limbless trees If I only hunted a handful of times a year I would use a climber. IMHO.
For the power lines and the marshes I made some wheels for my tripod I wheel it in, stand it and hunt. Put the deer on top and wheel it out. Works like a charm.
Click to expand...
i would love to see pics of the wheely pod if you're willin to share.
 
I love my Summit Viper. I've been using it quite a bit this year for the comfort and nostalgia. I started bow hunting out of a Summit. Sure having a hang on already in place on private land is convenient, it's nice to be mobile with the Summit.
 
Winchester said:
CBU imo a saddle has its place in every serious hunters arsenal. Some situations just fit a saddles attributes, Lightweight, easy to transport and cover long distances, steep ridges and thick places in the dark, all where carrying a stand of any kind is a lil more difficult. You can go up pretty much any tree you can get a stick on and stay hidden better in most cases as well. I could go on about the positives but you get the point. Now for the negatives imo. Nowhere near as comfortable on all day sits, much more involved to be able to shoot a 360 deg circle all around you. You have to be in decent physical shape and not be afraid of heights at all, as you your hanging by a rope and literally almost standing on your head to make some shot angles. Much much more movement involved to make some of said shots (especially with a bow). Also while a saddle is lighter, not much time saved in setup as you still have to hang sticks and then hang the platform. You get the point, definitely a good tool but not for every situation imo!
I run a Tethrd saddle and Latitude sticks all of which I have modified to fit my preferences.
Click to expand...
Ditch the sticks!!! Either one stick or panther quick climb and rapel out of the tree, less weight, less hassle, less time and much safer. The cruzer xc is the most comfortable saddle ive had
 
I've gone to a saddle Just about exclusively. We have a couple ladder stands and shooting houses around the farm, but I very rarely hunt out of them.

Saddle has become so simple to me. I use a one-stick method, and the stick I have has an attachment that doubles the platform size. I wear a size 13 and have zero issues.

My saddle set up and strapping by stick to my backpack is so much less bulk than a climber.

I'm actually the opposite too. Im more comfortable in a saddle than I ever was in a climber.
 
Kevin said:
I've gone to a saddle Just about exclusively. We have a couple ladder stands and shooting houses around the farm, but I very rarely hunt out of them.

Saddle has become so simple to me. I use a one-stick method, and the stick I have has an attachment that doubles the platform size. I wear a size 13 and have zero issues.

My saddle set up and strapping by stick to my backpack is so much less bulk than a climber.

I'm actually the opposite too. Im more comfortable in a saddle than I ever was in a climber.
Click to expand...
Me too, i never felt as safe and comfortable in a climber as i do my saddle
 
Saddle is the safest treestand imo. Can hunt any tree anywhere, pretty light, got a lot of pluses.
Downside is a longer learning curve and more complicated in the dark but still a saddle is hard to beat.
 
Kevin said:
I've gone to a saddle Just about exclusively. We have a couple ladder stands and shooting houses around the farm, but I very rarely hunt out of them.

Saddle has become so simple to me. I use a one-stick method, and the stick I have has an attachment that doubles the platform size. I wear a size 13 and have zero issues.

My saddle set up and strapping by stick to my backpack is so much less bulk than a climber.

I'm actually the opposite too. Im more comfortable in a saddle than I ever was in a climber.
Click to expand...
What saddle and stick are you using?
 
I hunted out of a climber for years… Went to a saddle ( I went with a Lattitude Method 2 and four carbon sticks with double aiders from Hang-free…. I can easily get 25-30' up on about any kind of tree. Couldn't do that with a climber). Zoom in on the pics and you can see my backpack and stuff. Had 5 deer under me this morning. They never knew I was anywhere around. Absolutely love the saddle. If you were close to Chattanooga I would let you see my set up and see what you think.
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I've used everything, mostly lock-ons though. If I had to pick one for all around, it would definitely be a saddle. In fact, that's all I've used for the past 2 or 3 years and love it. Summit climber is super comfortable though!

Lots of good saddle companies out there. I just happen to have the CRUZR XC. Again, lots of good ones to chose from. The sticks I am partial to because they are light and easy to attach to the tree...Tethrd Skeletor sticks
 

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