Who's Hunting a TreeSaddle??

[mrpenguin]

Hey Everyone!

This season I made the decision to go with a TreeSaddle for my deer hunting adventures.  So far, I have discovered the necessity of kneepads and the joy of mobility and stealth, AND the discipline of not moving in a HIGHLY mobile device.  But I really like it.  Just curious who else is using one of these?

[Dave Bowers]

Erik, I use one as well, although not too much this year. Its a great product, I am just not proficient enough shooting out of it with my recurve.

[lovethehunt]

Erik, I made my own, but the concept is great, it took a little getting used to. In two years of use I have had many shot opportunities. It's surprising how mobile you can be when the wind isn't right. Good luck.

[T Sunstone]

If you are facing the tree how do you shoot to your right without going around the tree?

[ishoot4thrills]

"Topic: Who's Hunting a TreeSaddle??"

HHmmmm.........never hunted for a "treesaddle" before. Are they good eating?!??            :rolleyes:    

Sorry 'bout that.....I couldn't help it!

[30coupe]

I'm kind of hunting one, but it appears they are all out of stock.    

[Balding Kansan]

I use mine all the time. I just can't go anywhere with it though, the trees in central KS do not allow it. I recently took it a step further and strapped on a pair of gaffs. Shooting to the right is possible, but not comfortable until you get used to it (for a right handed shooter).

[vtmtnman]

I'm very interested in one for next year.I love the mobility factor.Would like to hear more pros and cons.

[Dave Lay]

i have a buddy that uses one and swears by it, a couple screw in or strap on steps for your feet help alot i think he made up 1 strap to go around the tree with 2 steps on it that he can posisition however he wants, he has taken several deer from it..

[bicster]

I just killed another deer out of mine last weekend. I started using one last year and love it. I would also recommend wearing lace up boots like Rocky's or Danners because your ankles get sore after a few hours. It has allowed me to hunt almost any tree I want to.

[SuperK]

This is my second year using one and my climbing stand is for sale.  I have never felt more safe hunting out of a tree.  It does take a little practice to get the "hang" of it but I love mine.  Do a search here and you will get lots of info.  Also go to youtube and do a search.  One fellow has many great films on how-to with it.

[wihill]

I use one!  Not all the time, but it's a great addition to the rest of my stands.  Takes a bit of practice to get used to it, but once you do it works surprisingly well.

[dirtguy]

Hey Erik,

That sounds like a pretty cool set up.  Drop me a pm and let me know how your season is going.

Bob

[canopyboy]

Originally posted by Balding Kansan:
I recently took it a step further and strapped on a pair of gaffs.

As a guy who moonlights as an arborist, the only time you should be using gaffs is on telephone poles, dead trees, and trees you want dead.  Not only are you damaging the tree with the spikes, but in many parts of the country you're leaving open wounds in the trees that attract beetles and the like.  Plus you can carry disease between trees if you're not disinfecting the spikes between trees.

That said, arborists climb in "saddles".  Many are meant to support the guy comfortably for hours.  All you need is a rope over a limb and you can go up any tree with a little technique and move around quite well when up there.  I've used mine to hang stands, get to the stand without any kind of steps, and just to hunt in the trees without stands.  Just a thought, but most people who try it get hooked (like any of you need a new hobby.)  Recreational tree climbing is a growing (but still small) sport as well and meshes perfectly with hunting.
 

[hardwaymike]

Does anyone have any pictures of themselves in a tree with one on? It would be cool to see some pictures of it in use. These have caught my attention as of late and I am looking for more info on it. Thanks Mike

[Jack Shanks]

hardwaymike,

This might help.

http://www.trophylineusa.com/videos_photos.php  

I have had one for a couple years but I have never gotten out of the back yard with it.

[kbetts]

I use mine all the time.  I no longer own a climber.  I'm dropping down to a 50# bow for the next couple of weeks to increase my ease of drawing.
Knee pads are necessary for comfort.  Over time you become much more accustomed to it.  It took  a little while to grow on me.

[DannyBows]

Check out this guy's videos on the Tree Saddle. His videos will give you about all you need to know about using one. He gets around like a Monkey in one, and gives shooting position demos on shooting a longbow too. I wouldn't want to be a big Buck in his hunting area!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1hPTQkmgOc&feature=related

Also, I just got "Climb Paws" to use with my Tree Suit or Anderson Tree Sling, and am quite impressed with them in practice, though I won't use them for actual hunting til next week. I hunt public land and can't use steps. They even sell a pair, called "Top Paws" which are angled for the top row for use with Tree Saddles etc. They definitely feel as though they will be much easier on the feet than steps when hunting for hours. I want to get just high enough to clear heavy brush, 15' or so. I've read that with the Tree Saddle type set-ups you can get away with more than regular stands so hunting lower is easier. I have a Tree Suit and an Anderson Tree Sling to use them with. The Anderson Tree Sling is not much bigger than a softball when balled-up. It, and the Climb Paws fit in a medium size pack, and are light weight, making for a very mobile set-up, and a handy tool to have when hunting unfamiliar areas. I hate to carry a ton of gear and mostly hunt the ground, but this will make it easy to get up in a tree for that last couple hours of light if the right situation presents itself. If I plan to hunt one spot all day or for a long sit, from a tree, as in the Rut, I'll use the Paws with a Hang-On or the Tree Suit. As in that guys videos it appears easy to shoot, with practice, with longer bows from one, but I've practiced using my new 50" Ambush Bow from Two Tracks and it's a match made in Bowhunter's Heaven! I still can't get around a tree well enough to hunt 360", but I can't shoot 360" in any other type either.
Do a Google search for "Climb Paws". They aren't sponsors here so I won't post a direct link. Good videos on their use on the site.

I'll have actual hunting experience with this gear soon, but from practice it surely seems to have all the essentials for working out great.

[BCD]

I used one almost exclusively 2 years ago. I really wanted to give the thing a chance and I did, but in the end, I absolutely hated it. You really do not have 360 degree shooting and it is very difficult to shoot to the right without excessive movement. I also found it fairly uncomfortable and it is actually heavier than my lone wolf assault when you factor in the complete system.

I did buy a treesuit after I sold my saddle and it's a little better IMO, but still difficult to shoot to the right.