I’m not a saddle hunter, but I do saddle hunt. I like to make this distinction because it seems like there are many hunters nowadays that put themselves into boxes for some reason and chase the latest fads. These hunters feel the need to identify themselves in one camp or another, with one group or another, thereby cutting themselves off from the benefits of an open mind or other types or styles of hunting (other examples of this are light vs. heavy arrow camps, and scent free vs. “playing the wind” camps). I’d like to think I’m more versatile than that. By doing so, it allows me to make choices based on hunting situations and what will help me accomplish my goals the best, which are hunting and taking a good deer. Using a saddle in certain circumstances can help me do that better than any other hunting system, but in other situations it’s not the best choice. I look at it as one of many tools I can pull from my toolbox for a specific purpose. A hammer doesn’t work well for screws, and a utility knife doesn’t cut a 2×4 in half very well, if you get my point. For hunters out there caught up in the saddle craze, or thinking about joining in, it may help to take an honest look at the real pros and cons of using a saddle for deer hunting.
Saddle Hunting PRO #1: Mobility
If you need to stay very mobile, and never hunt the same tree more than once, this may be your tool. With probably the easiest carry-in method (strapped around your waist), and numerous lightweight methods for climbing trees now, it’s a very practical setup. Public land hunters have largely moved to this method, and for good reason – you only need one setup and can hunt virtually anywhere. Also, it allows you to not advertise your exact hunting location to other hunters, and prevents theft since you are usually taking the entire setup with you each time you exit your hunt.
Saddle Hunting PRO #2: Concealment
Instead of being stuck on the front of a tree like a normal treestand, where any deer can pick you off (especially if there’s little branches or leaves to conceal you), a saddle allows you to hide behind the trunk itself. I’ve used this method many times with a climber – sitting on the guardrail and facing the tree to use it as a visual shield. It works well, and the added benefit here is also that you can (depending on your platform option) move around the tree to keep it between you and approaching deer. A big fat tree trunk is a time-tested, and most excellent form of camo.
Saddle Hunting PRO #3: 360 Degree Shooting
Depending on your chosen platform and tree you’re in, saddle hunting is advertised as a hunting system that allows you to shoot all the way around a tree. With regular tree stands this isn’t the case, as there’s always a blind spot behind the tree you can’t shoot to. A ring of steps works the best to allow this mobility, as you can literally walk all the way around the tree. This isn’t necessary however to accomplish this, as a platform can allow you to move and lean enough to get those shots, although not as easily. Problems arise, however, when tree limbs limit your movement and shooting capabilities, but these would also be in the way if using a tree stand. From my experience, even in tight quarters the ability to lean left and right definitely opens up holes and shots not possible for merely standing in a normal lock on stand.
Saddle Hunting PRO #4: Versatility
If you had to choose just one setup to use the rest of your life, and could not have any other, a saddle would probably be your best choice. It’s probably the most versatile setup out there in my opinion and one that allows you to hunt about most any tree. If a tree has a lean it actually helps, not hinders, as you can use it to stand more upright, unlike a lock on stand which would be impossible depending on the angle of tilt. It’s good for public land hunting, and also works well on private ground if needed, especially when fresh sign pops up overnight and you need a quick and easy way to hunt it.
When to use a saddle: when quickly changing locations are necessary, when you don’t have preset stands or ability to have these; situations where fresh, hot sign pops up overnight.
But, there are some definite cons to hunting with a saddle, and those that are trying to sell you one won’t tell you about these.
Saddle Hunting CON #1: Noise
If you’re trying to be the most stealthy hunter possible, you need to be as dead-silent as possible in your entry, setup, teardown, and exit. Since using a saddle usually means you’re setting up and tearing down every time you hunt, this means more noise compared to a pre-set stand where you can literally just climb up and hunt. Setting sticks on the tree, strapping and locking in your platform (most hunter’s preferred standing method), and unpacking your gear all makes extra noise, and you make this noise both setting up and tearing down every time you hunt. Unless you’re a “one and done” hunter in every spot, this adds more pressure than necessary to the area and it definitely can have a negative impact on your chances. Further, in an evening sit when deer are most likely to be moving (right at dark), you are making extra commotion taking down all your gear in the dark and this increases your chances of being caught at your tree, instead of just getting down and leaving like a pre-set lock on stand would allow.
Saddle Hunting CON #2: Time
As alluded to in con #1, having to set up and take down your sticks, platform, and pack this gear up adds extra time twice to each hunt. If going after work this eats into your hunting time and may push you a bit too far into times deer will begin moving, which could expose you to detection. Also, the longer you’re at your tree messing with gear, the more chance moving deer can catch you there, compromising this area and possibly ruining it for future hunts. There’s just more chance to mess up a spot when this is your method.
Saddle Hunting CON #3: Scent
Hauling this gear each time you hunt, and the physical effort to set up sticks, platform, and take this down all add to energy used and sweat given off by your body. This increases your sweating, scent production, and impact on the area. It may not get you in trouble every hunt, but it is a factor to consider. One method in particular I think should be avoided is the rope method for climbing – literally belaying yourself up the tree, which is physically very demanding. (See my NO SCENT Regimen HERE)
Saddle Hunting CON #4: Movement
Not everyone struggles with this but I think it is worth mentioning. When in a lock on tree stand, most people find it easy to sit or stand still. Typically, movement is how most people get visually busted by deer, and this is an important factor when considering a saddle. Many find that in saddle hunting, since you’re dangling from a rope, that it’s very easy to sway back and forth – adding increased movement. Further, depending on the tree, if a deer comes behind you many times you cannot shift to the other side of the tree (especially if limbs prevent this), and you can get caught dangling far from the tree with a large and very obvious profile.
Saddle Hunting CON #5: Burnout
When hunting public land there is an additional factor I’ve seen on the increase that no one has talked much about to my knowledge – increased burnout rate. What I mean by this is the mentality, whether intentional or not, to take more risks when hunting a location and not care if you ruin it after one hunt. Since its “mobile” hunting, many hunters have taken the attitude of hunting a different spot each time, paying little attention to the impact they make – not a good idea but something that naturally happens when you know you may not be back. If doing a DIY hunt where you go into an area with little knowledge, this also adds more impact as you won’t have carefully laid out entry and exit routes – always making more sound and commotion. Ultimately we all have only so many spots to hunt, and not taking great care to leave minimal impact is detrimental to chances in the long run, and to fellow hunters on public land, as well.
When NOT to use a saddle: when you can pre-set stands, if you want to hunt a historically good spot from year to year and can prepare permanent stands for various winds. (It should be noted that saddle setups with a climbing method in place and a platform or ring of steps can also be pre-set)
Saddle Summary & My Top Setups
Due to these factors, here are my top setups and when I try to use them to best accomplish my goals of taking a good deer. Again, I look at all gear, including saddles, as a tool used for a specific purpose – not just because everyone else is doing it. I’d encourage you to look at it in the same way to up your odds each time to hit the woods.
My #1 Setup: Pre-Set Stands for Certain Winds
Whether private or public, a tree stand set in place months in advance of hunting season is the least intrusive way to hunt. It eliminates all the cons of saddle hunting – increased time, noise, and scent produced in the setup and takedown process. It allows for the quickest, and most strategic hunt possible.
This year I used this exact strategy on public land to take my biggest Michigan buck to date. After watching a group of bucks all summer, I honed in on an area I could potentially take one of these brutes when daylight active. After hunting this spot in early October, I had to somehow exit an open field at dark without bumping a handful of does, bucks, and a great 10 point in the process. Having a lock on stand in place allowed me a quick exit, and with cover of wind and some rain, I was able to quickly hit a ditch and remain undetected most of my way out.
Two days later even more deer surrounded me as they had not been disturbed or had any idea they had been hunted, and I was able to make a lethal 25 yard shot on that same 10 point brute. I do not think I could have accomplished this with the added commotion of tearing down a saddle setup. This works best on private ground, but can also work on public land in some situations. If you have a good perennial spot for example, have several stands set to hunt it for any wind. For private, I’d say I use a pre-set lock-on stand for a majority of my hunts, unless necessity and current intel from scouting tells me otherwise. (Again it should be noted that saddle setups with a climbing method in place and a platform or ring of steps can also be pre-set, and this would be a good solution that would fit here.)
My #2 Setup: Saddle or Light Hang on Stand
If I need to quickly adapt, one of these two is my go to setup and I always have both in my truck (some trees just work better for a lock-on, and some are better for saddles, which I make note of when scouting locations off-season). I’d lean toward using a saddle versus a mobile lock-on stand simply for the reasons of ease of transport and ability to find open shooting lanes in the brush (due to the ability to lean and maneuver in the tree better).
Late October of 2021 I did a freelance hunt into an area I knew fairly well, but hadn’t scouted or hunted yet that year. With my lock-on stand and sticks on my back, I made my way toward a swampy area far off the beaten path. On my way I noticed two key things – lack of hunter sign, and big fresh rubs. Getting to the edge of the swamp I found a large fresh scrape and numerous trails leading from the nearby thick cover directly to it. This made a quick and easy decision of climbing a tree right there. Later that night a doe brought a 150+ class buck to the scrape and within range, but unfortunately I made an errant shot due to various factors – one being brush and minimal open shooting lanes. The ability to quickly scout fresh sign and hunt it immediately made for a chance I might not have had otherwise, but also a saddle may have helped open more potential shooting lanes that may have changed the outcome, which we’ll never know.
Saddle hunting – another good tool in the tool box if you understand the pros and cons of using it and can effectively judge the right time to pull it out of the gear bag.
HIGH IQ Takeaways & Challenges:
- Are you looking at your gear as tools to help you execute your goal of taking a deer or good buck, or have you let your focus drift to the gear itself? Take time to refocus on the proper goal – shooting a deer.
- List your gear setups and when you have the most encounters and least intrusion. What can you do to improve these even more, or change setups that have low success rates?
- Follow the Deer IQ podcast (HERE) on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts for more great deer hunting content!
