Tree saddles have been available to hunters for ages. I remember seeing adds for them in old outdoor publications as a kid. I’m going to go out on a limb and say they haven’t seen much success until recently. So why are they so popular now and gaining a cult like following much like the 6.5 Creedmoor experienced in recent years?
The tree saddle uses a different concept of hunting from an elevated position in a tree. It is better than a traditional tree stand if you are hunting in a specialized manner. This does not mean that the tree stand is an antiquated tool. It is comparatively similar to a 30-30 Winchester and 375 Cheytac.
The above statement is a bold one. One that is surely going to receive scoffs from from both tee saddle and tree stand diehards. This article is by someone that still uses both depending on a particular type of hunting. Before we compare the two lets take a quick look at what a basic tree saddle consists of.
What is a tree saddle
The tree saddle is little more than a harness for your body. At the mention of harness you wouldn’t be wrong to think of a chest or upper body harness. A tree saddle as the name implies attaches to your bodies mid-section. The Saddle by itself is nothing more than cloth like material cut and stitched together to create a harness that resembles a seat that secures to your upper legs and lower waist creating a seat.
Components of a basic Hunting Saddle set-up
Now the saddle by itself is useless. It is a single component of a kit. When all components are used properly together it is very very effective as much if not more so than a tree stand.
Saddle
This is the meat and potatoes of the harness as its namesake implies. But no more important than any other of the following minimum pieces that are often offered together as kit. This is what secures your body to the contraption of ropes, knots and tree climbing kit. The saddle can be manufactured from mesh, strapping and/or durable cloth. Then it is sewn into a configuration to create a seat for you to sit in. Some are bare bones created for a lightweight minimalist hunter. Others are more like a Lazy Boy recliner and marketed for ultimate comfort. Most come with lots of attachment points to add even more goodies. In most cases they all have a securing strap for both legs and one for your waste. At a minimum the waste strap is adjustable and sometimes the legs are as well for best safety.
Bridge
The bridge is sometimes permanently attached to the saddle or is removable. In most cases it is adjustable and has two connecting points to the saddle. It is attached or sewn on both sides of the saddle on the front upper portion in the area of your hips. It allows the single tether line coming from the tree to distribute your weight to both sides of harness. The adjustable length of the bridge allows a user to control the amount of pressure of the seat on the hips as well as the rotation point to turn and take shots behind you.
Tether
The tether is typically of a heavy duty abrasion resistant climbing rope. It is often sewn back onto itself on one end to create a loop for running the tag end through when securing to the tree. Most basic kits have another piece of lighter weight rope attached to the tag end by way of a pruisick knot. This smaller rope is what is used in conjunction with a carabiner to attach the tether to the bridge.
Lineman’s Rope
This can again be made of a number of climbing material. If purchased from the same company and the same kit it’s usually the rope as the tether. The lineman’s rope is usually sewn back onto itself to create a loop much like that of the tether line. The loops on the lineman’s rope are typically a bit larger than the tether. They are connected to the same contact points on the saddle as that of the bridge. Carabiners are the most common method of connecting this rope to the saddle. This aids in being able to quickly remove one end to move past limbs and obstructions when ascending a tree.
So this is what you need to begin your saddle hunting adventure this fall. But as with everything there are other tools that can boost the effectiveness of your hunting saddle. I’ll cover those items below, but after we look at where this piece of kit excels past the limitations of a tree stand.
When does a Tree Saddle out perform a Tree Stand
I love tree stands, they can improve your odds of success greatly when pursuing the whitetail deer. They are so handy that you will rarely come across a bow hunter from the Midwest to the east coast that doesn’t own and use one. In many situations are used almost exclusively when bow hunting. Many folks have a handful if not more than a dozen. Types vary from Hang On stands, Ladder Stand and Climbing Stands.
What seems to be the norm is to scout and hang all your stands in the August per-season. If you don’t have enough stands to cover all your locations you move your stands as the season changes. When early season hunting gives way to fall you will move stands your identified rut honey holes. Then move them again as you change tactics again going into the late season.
Many of use hunt the same properties year after year and know the deer movements during each of the seasons. Barring any major change to that property or its neighbors you will have those stands pre hung and know well when to hunt those stands. I hang my most comfortable stands in locations that will good places for extended sits. My less comfortable ones go into spots where a quick sit after work if the weather provides opportunity. This is a strategy that can produce year after year on a well known property. But what if you often hunt public land, picked up a new property during season or you like to to scout and hunt that based of that reconnaissance the same day. Having done this type of hunting a lot I used to choose smaller hang on stand. These stands are marketed for that niche of “hang and hunt” and they work very well. For me I didn’t like having a large platform on my back that would create noise when moving through new areas. Often times this kind of hunting you don’t have the ability to clear out large shooting lanes. Or since it’s a new location you find that the deer move by at an angle or location that is just not quite attainable from your little platform.
These are a few situations where the hunting saddle pulls ahead of the tree stand. Most of them you can stow in your pocket or small back pack. You can move swiftly and quietly in thick brush with this set up. Depending on your ascending equipment you can get into trees that wouldn’t work if using a stand. once in a tree you have to ability to fine tune your location by moving up, down, or spinning around the tree very easily and quickly. You can do all of this much safer as well because of the design of the harness compared to a traditional tree stand safety harness.
With the saddle placement the tree in front of you instead of the other way around I feel that your outline is better broken up and concealed. As well as allowing the tree to conceal small movements as you prepare for your shot.
Additional Equipment
We have covered the individual components of a basic hunting tree saddle. In that section I wanted to keep it as simple as possible for newcomers to the niche. I chose to go through only the pieces that you will need in order to have a huntalble kit. Here I am going to show you some additional pieces that can aid in comfort and efficiency.
I know by now some of you are saying how the heck am I supposed to get into the tree. If you already have hang on stands and are on a budget you can use your sticks or pegs. If you are looking to have a complete new setup I have a few options to look into. The most popular at the moment are lightweight and collapsible sticks that use rope or straps to attach to the tree. Another option that is becoming more prevalent are individual steps that use rope and leverage to lock to the tree.
A very common item to reduce weight for both methods is to use an aider. Aider is a french verb and means, to help. And that is exactly what an aider does. Simply put they add more steps to your climbing tool of choice. It can be as simple as single piece of rope or strap tied into a loop of a specific length. They can also be an extravagant multiple step contraption. These will attach to your steps or sticks. They with your sticks or steps it allows you to climb higher with less hardware thereby lessening your kit weight.
Some companies refer to it as a recliner others a backrest. It will add comfort to your longer sits by allowing you to relax your core a bit. I have sat for hours in a saddle without one so it is possible, but why be uncomfortable right! Basically its padded strap that goes around your upper back allowing you to lean back.
In some situations you are lucky enough to find your final firing position (FFP) where you have limbs to use to put your feet. In situations that I don’t i use the top of my last step. If you find that you prefer something more traditional you can purchase a small platform that will attach to the top of your climbing stick or strap to the tree. Other model include a set tree steps on a single strap that circle the tree. This type of platform allows you more maneuverability around the trunk of the tree.
For the most part this the majority of the items on the market specifically for tree saddle hunting. There are other items pulled from the climbing community that are useful. Items like ascenders special carabiners, safety locks, specialty ropes, storage pouches and apparel are all great and fill a need. A lot of these things depends on your specific tastes and budget. As you can see you see a decked out kit can quickly cast as much a couple tree stands. At some point you can get enough stuff that you surpass the reason you chose to go with a saddle to begin with… weight and profile.
For me when I’m using a hunting saddle set-up it’s for a specific purpose. For that type of hunting I find that a basic kit along with a set of knee pads and light weight climbing sticks work great. For early season I use a tactical style pants that have pockets sewn into them to use insert knee pads.
All in all this can be a very useful piece of kit. For whatever reasons you add a tree saddle to your backpack this fall be safe, good luck and enjoy your time in the woods!