Three Reasons Why Saddle Hunting is Right for You

When it comes to saddle hunting our typical minds can find the new challenge overwhelming, and we often want to resort back to what we know and find comfortable, whether that is climbing tree stands, or still hunting.  What keeps us going? 

I felt that same experience, but as I stuck with it, I decided the pros outweighed the cons. More specifically, it comes down to what saddle hunting provides in the form or mobility, stealth, and tree choice that outweighs the discomfort of those first few saddle hunts.

We are all creatures of habit.  As outdoorsman, we most often find something that works and we want to double down on that method, lure, bow setup, bend in the river, cornfield, ridge top oak flat, shotgun, etc. 

One of the more rewarding yet challenging changes I have made as a hunter was switching from the traditional way of climbing a tree, such as a lock-on, climber, or ladder stand, and buying into the saddle hunting method in order to be mobile.

Saddle hunting has become incredibly popular as of late, although some hunters, such as legendary whitetail hunter John Eberhart, have been using saddles for decades. With the emergence of companies like Tethrd, saddles are easily attainable and are becoming a favorite of mobile hunters.

Public land hunting is driving the need to be a mobile hunter more than ever and the following key points were formed through the lens of public land hunting or any environment that replicates those common hurdles associated with public land.  The key factors being mobility, stealth, and tree choice.

Greg Godfrey, co-owner of Tethrd, said saddle hunting provides sportsmen with another option when in the field.

“A golfer carries more than one club and a carpenter uses more than one tool. When a hammer makes sense, he uses that tool. So, when a ground blind makes sense, use that.  When a box blind on a corn field makes sense, use that. I believe that the more lightweight and efficient your tools are, the more you are willing to hunt harder, stay longer, and go further. And in the public land scenario a saddle setup simply can’t be beat.”

Mobility

First, and foremost, a mobile hunter learns that carrying a climber into the woods is a tricky business if you want to get off trails, logging roads, or fire breaks.  The tight spaces you encounter as you push deeper into the forest, marsh, or aging clear-cut are always a challenge when that bulky tree-climbing apparatus is fixed to your back. 

Lock-on tree stands with steps are also challenging. Although typically smaller than a climber in bulk, they most often are wider than the hunter’s shoulders. Once you attach the necessary steps, the weight and size add up. 

If you choose a permanent stand then you lose all mobility. While you can use a ladder stand on public land, there are rules that require them to be removed after the season. Also, it’s much more difficult to get to those hard-to-reach places with this method.

In my opinion, none of these options stack up to saddle. The saddle, being so light and compact, allows a hunter to move around on his or her feet until he finds it necessary to climb a tree to ambush deer or he can plan to hunt from a tree from the beginning.  The beauty of saddle hunting is it provides the most options in order to be mobile. 

Stealth

There are two questions asked by every hunter when it comes to stealth – “What allows me to produce the least amount of noise in order to climb a tree?” and “How do I best conceal myself from deer?”

All tree stands provide the opportunity for the hunter to get off the ground in order to see deer approaching and is a key step in ensuring that deer do not see us. However, this often comes with other inconveniences, like safety harnesses, tree preparation, and getting comfortable hunting from an elevated position off the ground.

Climbers have been my preferred method for a long time, but they have their downfalls. There is always that dreaded chance that the metal by which the climbers are constructed will clang together at some point in attaching to and climbing up the tree, creating an unnatural sound in the woods and spooking deer in a half-mile radius.  They are also bulky and can be heavy.  If I carry a pack and a climber on my back then pushing through thick woods is very challenging.

Lock-on stands are a bit quieter, but they take more time to attach, increasing your chance at making some sort of mistake that produces unwanted sound from all the moving.  They also are tricky to set up safely in the dark. Ground blinds and ladder stands can spook deer if they are not accustomed to seeing them in their home range.

This is where saddle hunting provides another advantage in the deer woods. With the right climbing sticks or climbing spikes, the saddle allows you to get up the tree quietly and get tied into the tree with almost no sound.  The experienced saddle hunter can become extremely quiet once he gets the muscle memory down of his particular climbing method.  

Once the hunter is at the ideal height in the tree, saddle hunting allows you to use the width of the tree itself to conceal your outline. The goal is to position yourself between the tree and the area from which the deer are traveling.

Climbers and lock-ons put the hunter in front of the tree, which allows deer to notice movement more easily. Although this risk can be minimized with adequate back cover, it cannot be reduced to the level of having a tree to block your silhouette like the saddle does.  

Tree Choice

If you are a public land hunter like me, you have probably experienced those morning hunts in which you arrive to your pre-scouted location and another hunter has beaten you to the spot.  Most hunters do not give up. Instead, they get out their phones, do a quick overhead imagery analysis from ONX Hunt, Google Maps, or whatever hunting app they prefer, and based upon the wind, access, and likely food/bedding areas, pick a new spot and try to get there before the sun rises. 

These situations are actually common for the public land hunter and “going in blind” is a topic deserving an article just for itself.  When you go in blind and are forced to choose an unfamiliar tree in the pitch black, it can be frustrating. This is where saddle hunting really shines. 

Saddle hunting set ups come with a lineman’s belt and a tree tether. Trees with thick branches can be safely by-passed as you climb by using the tether as a second lineman’s belt.  With climbers, the hunter has to choose a tree with either no branches before hunting height or with small enough branches that can be cut with a portable folding handsaw, which makes plenty of noise as the cut branches fall to the ground. The saddle also acts as a safety harness as one climbs around these branches and therefore is the perfect combination of safety and climbing mobility. 

With saddle hunting, it is rare to find a tree that you cannot climb. It allows hunters to maximize their opportunities in the woods. That tree that is in the perfect location, but has too many branches for your climber, is now available with your saddle hunting set up. When you’re on public land, and cutting branches is prohibited, you now have a workaround with saddle hunting. 

It’s For You

I hope all of you are evolving as hunters. It is nice to have the same ole stand to hunt each year, but are you really getting better? I encourage you to expand your hunting range, try new methods, and go after a bigger buck every year. It keeps hunting fresh and alive.  

As Godfrey said, “Saddle hunting allows you to go where a tree stand can’t, so why not maximize your options and get into un-pressured areas with a saddle set up?”

Saddle hunting can be a way for you to not only push yourself as a hunter, but also improve your skillset, and expand your opportunities. For public land hunters like myself being mobile, stealthy, and having the most tree choice creates a rewarding experience worth the effort of learning to saddle hunt.