Saddle hunting, the newest hunting method sweeping the whitetail world and even leaking over into western hunting, can be daunting. Hopping on a forum or Facebook group will often find you slammed with posts talking about climbing rope diameters, ascenders, belay devices, and many other things that don’t make any sense. The good news is knowing what that all means isn’t necessary to get started saddle hunting. The bad news? If you fall in love with saddle hunting like many folks do, you’ll soon know what all of it means.
Why Saddle Hunt?
If you are someone that likes to move around, won’t often hunt the same tree twice, or ever have a situation where you need to be 50 yards closer to where the deer are moving. Saddle hunting shines here. It is easy and safe to get up the tree and down the tree quickly with some practice meaning you can be as mobile as you need in the woods.
Mobility isn’t all saddle hunting has to offer though, when you saddle hunt you put the tree between you and where you expect the deer to come from, giving you more cover until it is time to make the shot. If that deer happens to walk in a direction you didn’t expect it is no big deal, you can shoot 360 degrees in a saddle opening up your shot opportunities.
Comfortability is another big key to saddle hunting. I, and many others, find it to be more comfortable than sitting in a stand for long sits. There is one big key here though, make sure you spend time adjusting the saddle to your body on the ground level and trying it over and over until it is set perfectly for you. Failure to do this could lead to a poor experience in the woods.
The Necessities
A saddle, lineman rope, tether rope, carabiners, bow and pack hanger, climbing sticks, saddle platform. These are the basic components necessary to every saddle hunting set up and the bare minimum you would need to get up in a tree safely and hunt out of a saddle for the first time.
The saddle is the main component and where this hunting style gets its name. It is essentially a hammock style seat with a rope or strap that attaches two loops on the front of the saddle. That rope or strap is called your bridge. The bridge is how you will connect yourself to the tree once you get to hunting height. You can use the two loops the bridge attach to or some saddles will have two extra lineman loops on them that you can attach your lineman rope to while climbing up the tree
Your lineman rope and tether rope are how you will climb the tree and attach yourself to the tree once you get to hunting height. There are many rope diameters out there, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that they are climbing rated ropes. This means they have been tested in climbing situations and will safely stop you without breaking if you fall. On one end of either of these ropes you will have a loop, called an eye, that is either spliced back into the rope (the stronger option) or formed by tying a knot in the rope. On the rope you’ll have a prusik knot with a carabiner attached to it and on the other end of the rope from the eye you’ll have a stopper knot to make sure your prusik can't slide off the end.
Your bow and pack hanger are largely personal preference. As long as it goes around the tree and you can hang things on it easily you are good to go.
Climbing sticks and saddle platforms are something you may already have and even have set up in the woods at your favorite spot and not even realize it. Your favorite stand set up can work for this and save you some money if you are starting out. If you are looking into saddle hunting for the mobile options then you may find that you’ll need sticks and a platform. There are a ton of options on the market in all sorts of price ranges and any of them will work. Sticks are typically packable and lighter than steel ladders often used with lock on style stands. Saddle platforms have smaller foot room than tree stands, but don’t let that worry you, because of the way you hunt out of a saddle the platform space feels much bigger than it is.
Practice, Practice, Practice
How often do you go into the woods or to a tree in your backyard and practice putting up and taking down your ladder stand or lock on stand? I’d be willing to guess that it isn’t very often if at all, but for saddle hunting practice is key. Saddle hunting is going to be different than what you are used to. Climbing the tree with sticks will be similar or the same if you’re used to using climbing sticks. Hanging a platform is similar to hanging a stand. What is the most different is attaching the tether, using the lineman to climb, and carrying all your gear up the tree with you while you climb. Practicing to build the system and method that works best for you ensures that it will all be second nature when you hit the woods in the fall.
Practice also plays a big role in being comfortable in the tree. The more time you spend practicing the more time you have to adjust the saddle to exactly what you want for comfortability. That practice will teach you how to adjust the saddle to stay comfortable while hunting in leaning trees. You will also learn what to expect when you are up at hunting height and give you confidence in your equipment to know that it is safe allowing you to relax and be more comfortable while hunting
Conclusion
Starting to saddle hunt can be daunting, it requires a bit of dedication to learn, but can be an invaluable tool in the arsenal when chasing deer. Don’t let the idea of learning something new scare you, saddle hunting isn’t hard, it just takes a little getting used to. I started 5 years ago myself and have found it to be my preferred method for getting in a tree now, especially on public land.