What is saddle hunting?

Besides being something I was passionate enough about to become an outdoor blogger, it is a minimalist, lightweight hunting method. 

In its simplest form, saddle hunting is simply being suspended from a tree wearing a climbing harness that has been modified to allow you to sit comfortably for long periods of time.  You are tied off at head height or above using climbing rated rope, have something under your feet (platform, top step on stick, or parts of the tree itself), that allows you to stand or “lean” out to take the shot, and a way up and down the tree.  

What do I need to start saddle hunting?

I approach saddle hunting by breaking down the system into four basic components, which I will touch on here, but will devote separate blogs to each component in the future.   

Climbing method.  You’ve got to get to hunting height somehow, and a huge benefit of saddle hunting is that you have great flexibility on height.  You’re not restricted to the length of the ladder of your stand, or a factory made ladder stick that is of a predetermined height.  The climbing methods out there vary widely, but in this post I will stick with the basics.  Probably the most popular method on the market today is using some type of lightweight mobile hunting stick (usually with step aiders tied onto it), setting them as you climb the tree and removing them on the way down.  Also gaining in popularity is using a single stick that you use to leapfrog up the tree with, moving it as you go; there will be a large section devoted to that in the future.   There are also many rope climbing methods stolen from our arborist counterparts where you set a climbing rope in a tree and ascend or descend that rope.  

Saddle:  believe it or not, this is the easy part!  This one is simple.  It’s simply a modified climbing harness or “tree saddle” along the lines of what arborists use.  But don’t overlook the key difference of the covered seat area that a tree saddle provides.  It’s this seat area that carries the majority of your weight and allows you to sit in relative comfort.  It will attach to your “tether”, which is a rope wrapped around the tree, via the “bridge”, a large loop of rope or webbing extending out from the saddle itself. 

Platform/Footrest:  the options here can be overwhelming, but don’t get bogged down by that.  This one is merely a platform that is attached to the tree and allows you to put your feet on it. This helps relieve some of the weight from the saddle itself and also gives you something to push off of when you take your shot.  These come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but I have found that the larger the platform, the more comfortable it typically is.  

I will break each of these methods down for you in great detail in the following articles, so don’t get overwhelmed.  It’s not that complex, I promise. 

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