Contributors to this thread:
Well I took the plunge and ordered up a Tree Saddle. I archery hunt in Utah and love the fact that you can roll this thing up and throw it in your pack. We hunt elk out of some water holes that are 4-5 miles in. This product is so light it makes it easy to pack far distances. I also love all the shot versatility that is offered by this. It is also so much more comfortable than my old tree stand. I think everyone that archery hunts out of a tree stand should be hunting out of the Tree Saddle.
Any of you guys have things to say about this product? Good or Bad?
Thanks Guys
))--SLIVER-->
I waiting to try mine out this year too!
will be useing mine for the first time this year and am pretty pumped!!
Which one did you guys buy? Mesh, leather, neoprene?
what do use to get up the tree?
Neoprene.
Lone wolf sticks or pre-placed screw in steps or a combination of both.
They're more comfortable than a normal treestand? I've never used one but they sure don't look like they would be in the ads.
Very comfortable! It's all I use, but I can see that it's not for everyone. Personally I don't see a regular treestand in my future ever.
Best way to hunt out of a tree IMO. Lone Wolf's are now collecting dust in the garage.
like bluegrass said my lone wolf just sits in the garage also.
Lone Wolf Climbers collecting dust? I could prolly knock the dust off them for you if you want!
just got mine a couple of days ago. So did you guys find them easy to use the first time? My Dvd was broken when it arrived, They were so helpful when i contacted them, they had me a replacement one out the next day. Can't wait to try it out.
WTF??? That thing looks like a freakin diaper! lol
Just say no bro, i dont need a snuggy when im hunting in diryt shorts! lol
michael
I wouldn't hunt out of anything else, have been hunting out of this style system for over twenty years. Once you figure it out, you will sell your treestands at a garage sale.
You guys who say how comfortable it is, are you using the leather back model or mesh? I have the mesh model and it's fairly comfortable for sits of a few hours but I can't sit in it all day. That's why I won't get rid of my stands. I didn't buy the saddle with intentions to use it on all day sits anyway, so I still really like it.
I'm using a strap on tree step w/ 3 total steps on it as my platform. What is everyone else using?
I get up the tree with my LW sticks (or I have steps pre-installed) then use three screw ins around the tree to move. I have the Neoprene model and it is real comfortable. I've heard the leather one is even better, but I liked the compromise of weight with the neoprene model.
CAS_HNTR, honestly, I have two LW climbers and a hang on that never left my garage last year. Not saying I want to get rid of them, as they still have their place. But 99% of my tree sits are out of the Saddle.
I have the leather model and the mesh and the leather is my favourite however I use the mesh on my warm season hunts and it's never let me down but I've never tried being in it all day.
There's no question that a treesaddle is more comfortable than most other treestands. I even started using my treesaddle right beside some hangon stands that we've had in place for a few years because it's that much more comfortable.
vtbowhunter - not a problem. Swing yourself around to the side of the tree and that's all.
The only thing that is challenging is when I'm on stand and I get cold, it's tough to put on an extra jacket.
Be using mine for the first time this year as well....can't wait. Have already pegged four trees with a few others in mind this spring. Good luck.
I to was skeptical, but once I got the hang of it, I love mine. I use it almost exclusively now. The only time I find myself in a fixed position stand now is when I already have one setup and ready to go. It does take some getting used to. I would suggest picking one up early and practicing with it well before season. That way you are 100% comfortable before you start hunting with it. I do have a review on my website, but it's on the subscribers side.
If your hanging that far away from the tree how does the tree help conceal you? And do you hold your bow the whole time you are in that "thing"??
Where do you guys hang our backpack?
Google, "tree saddle" and see the set up and how to hang your equipment.
I am considering one, but the part I don't get is how you save any weight if you put the saddle in your pack, but have to carry climbing sticks. I get it if you set them up in a tree ahead of time, but then you would have to have tree sticks set up at all your tree-spots and left there. It seems like that would be almost as much trouble as hanging lock ons or climbers. If you use screw in steps, seems like you would be sweating too much by the time you got to your perch?
Feedback from tree saddle owners is appreciated.
I hunt in utah and have a couple of water holes for elk that i plan on using the tree saddle on. I am going to go in and set up the screw in steps a couple of days before the hunt opens, then simply climb up and set. I don't plan on using the sticks because the waterholes are 2-3 miles away from any roads and I don't want to pack the sticks in that far. My normal stand is 21 lbs, the tree saddle is 4 lbs with about 5 lbs of steps. I'll take 9 lbs over 21 any day.
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Bullshooter -
My Ambush model saddle is advertised at something like 1.5 lbs but it is MUCH more than that when you include the strap that goes around the tree. However, it does not weigh much more (if at all)than the safety harness I use with all of my hang ons. So when using a hang on I have my 8 lb stand, probably a 4 lb safety harness, and 7 lbs of climbing sticks for a total of 19 lbs. With the saddle it's just the 7 lbs of sticks and then approx a 4 lb saddle.
What I like best though is it is so much quicker to set the saddle up than hang a stand and there is absolutely NO NOISE.
Never tried one,,, but the thought of spending even a few hours in one, makes me feel uncomfotable.
When your close to a whitetail, how do you move quietly? There are times when your next to a whitetail that if you swallow they would hear you.
Sounds uncomfortable and noisey.
I bought one and can see the benefits. My only question is where do you hang your backpack so as not to impede your ability to swing around the tree 360 degrees?
How good are they for people with back problems? Do they provide any lumbar support or are you slouching?
HCA, the top strap hits me right at my lower back and therefore doesn't really allow me to slouch. I don't have back problems, however in my Summit stand my back does get sore because I tend to slouch down. The Tree Saddle should be much more helpful to me in that respect.
seaofglass: This is much more quiet than my Summit stand. 1. Metal hang on or climbing stands are noisy while setting them up. 2. My Summit creaks if I move around, and if I hit it with anything ie calls, bow, whatever.. It is noisy.
There is no need to worry about noise with the tree saddle, much more quiet than your stand now.
I hunt mostly out of aspen trees here in UT, instead of hanging my backpack on a hook or something, I strap mine to the tree above me. My buddy does this same thing and he says with the saddle it works well to strap the backpcak on the opposite side of the tree that your facing, but below the anchor strap. This gives you unlimited range of motion and easy access to your pack. Just simply rotate around and get whatever you need, then rotate back and your pack is out of the way.
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SeaofGlass, they are essentially NOISELESS. The only metal parts are your carabiner and "hook-thingy". It is the most silent stand you'll ever use. I climbed (the screw in pegs were already in place) and set myself up in the treesaddle with a doe feeding 80 yards away in a field on a calm day. There's no noise!
As for comfort, no one will believe it until they try it. They are very comfortable. I have a problem with chronic lower back pain and I am more comfortable in my treesaddle than any other stand I've tried. This is mostly because of the range of motion I can get allowing me to find the sweet spot and when I get tired of it, I have a lot of other positions to switch to.
I've had deer come in on me in a zig zag pattern through a dense double fenceline and I switched sides of the tree 3 times before the deer finally popped out at 8 yards. The deer never had a clue I was there and because I kept the tree between me and it, my movement was obscured.
Hanging your backpack will depend on the situation, if you know the deer aren't going to come from your back, then hang your pack in front of you. If you're really concerned about 360 degree shooting, then I hang my pack right at foot level.
Goosie & Sliver
What do you do when you are ascending a tree trunk that "y"s. Would you need to detach yourself from the tree to switch to the section you wish to continue on? Also, my association does not allow screw tree steps, so I plan using strap on ladders steps. Any recommendations, brand-wise? Thanks, Richard
Rich, the climbing belt easily de-attaches on one side from the treesaddle. You could then chose your trunk and re-attach the climbing belt and continue on. As for the strap on steps, I like the Gorilla strap on sticks.
))--SLIVER-->
I never used a tree saddle before however I've used a tree sling for over twenty years and agree their the best when it comes to versatility and light weight. I've tried many stands over the years and always find myself going back to my sling and loving it! The last five years or so I've used a sling almost exclusively. About ten years ago I got to thinnin...... there's has to be a better way to climb tree's. Thought some might be interested in seeing what I came up with? They might look awkward but I've spent 5 to six hrs in these things .....no problem. Set-up time and climbing takes minutes and there quiet to climb in. I can climb around limbs and knots etc without any problem as well as work my way around a tree to shoot almost 360 degrees's if need be. The pic was taken in 2006 during a moose hunting trip when I was seeing if I could get cell service......
Another to give a better perspective to how high I am in the pic...(not that I hunt that high up however.... which is usually about twenty to twenty five feet)
What if your just about to release the string/pull the trigger on any animal you've been waiting for all day/season and a gust of wind blows and you move?
Everything fits in this handy pack and weights approx. 12 lbs. I've hiked in over ten miles sometimes when hunting moose or elk and although tired I wasn't beat.
I know there's been plenty of days when I questioned my sanity for staying up when it's been windy......just haven't had an animal come by when it been to windy to shoot! I'd probably let him walk if I couldn't settle my pin with confidence....I'd say a treestand would pose the same problem???
Do you have a close-up? I can't see what you are using to climb the tree. Thanks.
Whump sez: I can see now why you don't worry about a deer seeing your outline---you are hunting 30ft up. I can see where it would be attractive to someone climbing mountains to hunt elk as you have a light weight system and the cover of a spruce tree. I would have problems with it as low as I hunt and have had deer see me flat against the tree. The main thing is that you fellows are comfortable with it and it works for you. No question of sanity as far as wind goes--- I have seen and taken the biggest bucks of my hunting history when you could barely stay in the stand. Hunt safe.
can somebody show a picture of how they use the strap on steps on one strap. I'm thinking about doing this too. thanks...eric
A closer pic of the steps I use.
elkaholic........ That foot climber sounds and looks cool. Did u make those or is there a web site on those?
Thanks PM sent Bluegillman
me too elkoholic i wanna know where you got them i was pondering a treesaddle but where i hunt we have to much hardwood and those damn steps need a drill to get them in
P.M. sent Longshot8541...
Elkaholic I also like you climber idea. I remember a treestand a few years back that was something like that. It worked just like yours and it could be joined together once you were up the tree. I dont remember the name of it. Could you please tell us more about yours? Do you have any plans you would give out?
Elkaholic I also like you climber idea. I remember a treestand a few years back that was something like that. It worked just like yours and it could be joined together once you were up the tree. I dont remember the name of it. Could you please tell us more about yours? Do you have any plans you would give out? How big a tree will they work on?
I just bought a tree saddle with some Christmas gift certificates. I have had back problems since a highschool football injury about 11 years ago. I had a big flareup with my back in 2007, and was diagnosed with old stress fractured vertabrae from the football injury, majorly deteriorating discs (two vertabrea are dang near bone on bone), and 2 ruptured discs.
I have gotten to the point now where my back doesn't hurt all the time, but I can still have problems at times.
The longest I've sat in the saddle so far has been 2 1/2 hours, and I haven't had a problem with my back yet. Usually in a regular treestand I have to constantly rotate between sitting and standing because my back starts to get sore.
I really like mine
Bake
Thought I would update from my above post and comment on the Saddle's handiness when prepping trees. . .
Yesterday I prepped some trees for the saddle, and wore the saddle while climbing and installing steps. It was extremely handy. First of all, I used the safety strap while in the tree.
Second of all, the little bag that attaches to the saddle that came with my Road trips version was really handy for holding my treesteps as I climbed and installed
Third. . .the loops on the side of the saddle were perfect for hanging my Hitachi 12 volt cordless drill with belt hanger.
Bake
KGhunter are u still there? I sent a PM.......
I just bought a tree saddle. I've tried a few practice climbs but need to do a little shooting from it as well.
Just tried my tree saddle for the first time with my lone wolf climbing sticks. I’ve had 2 back surgeries and comfort is my main concern. I’ll write back after using it this season but here is my first impression of my gear.
Pros:
360 shot potential
Can setup at any height you can climb to
Can setup on several tree diameters
Light weight setup particularly if your ladder or steps are setup already
Coolness factor: Even though this is not a new idea it is not mainstream and most are unaware of the advantages. I’ll take any edge over the competition.
Cons:
I’m a little concerned that I won’t be able to spend long periods of time in it with my back. Hopefully as I get more skilled with position switching that will improve. But I can’t yet agree with some other posters who would have you think it’s more comfortable than their bed. Note tree stands are not that comfortable for me either.
If you weapon is hanging you need time to get it and aim unnoticed. This means you need to setup in positions where you see the animal coming for some distance. In a tree stand you can be pretty much aimed down your primary trail all day. This is not an issue but something to be aware of while choosing trees. Then again it seems the deer always show up “the wrong way” anyway.
I’m not yet silent setting up the lone wolf sticks. The buckle hits the sticks during setup. And they are not cheap enough to leave in the woods. I coated the buckle with electrical tape and will be careful during setup but the clang potential is there.
Overall my first impression is that the tree saddle is an excellent product that's worth a try. The benefits are undenyable. The lone wolf climbing sticks are the lightest out there but be ware of noise.
Good luck!
I like the foot climbers,can anyone tell me where I can purchase a pair?
I tried one but found it very uncomfortable. After just a few minutes it felt like my hips were in a vice grip. Maybe I had the wrong size; anyway I returned it to Cabellas for refund.
I to would like to know where I can get the foot climbers. Please advise.
I've used my ambush saddle (the mesh one) for 2 seasons now - I like it a lot but agree that it's not for everyone. I have done several 4 to 5 hour sits without a problem, but never tried to go all day. I, too, use LW climbing sticks and 2 or 3 screw-ins or strap-on steps to get up the tree.
I also put 4 ameristep strap-on steps on 1 strap to use as my platform. I have had problems however, with the strap slipping down the tree because I can't get it tight enough by just pulling it through the buckle. To help prevent this from happening, I put a single screw-in step in first at the height of my "platform", then put the straps with 4 steps on over this - the screw-in step makes sure the strap won't slip down too far. The other solution I have rigged up but haven't tried yet is to use a ratcheting strap with 4 steps on it so that I can get it nice and tight. I have a buddy who said this works great.
One last note - standing with even just some of your weight on those small screw-in steps hurts my feet after a while. The strap-on steps have a bigger area to stand on so they don't seem to hurt as much...
Hope that helps.
can anyone tell me where I can find more info on those foot climbers elkaholic is using in his pics
I have a tree saddle for a couple of reasons, if you walk thru a new area and find a location you have it your stand (saddle) with you. If you do not like or find a tree that will work you can sit on the ground and not have a stand next to you. One of the main reasons I bought it was due to many people hunting my 80 acres and having them always steal my stands; even when chained. This gets rid of all the stress of someone stealing my stand when I leave it.
I love them. I have the Team Realtree Saddle and it's pretty sweet. I don't use stands anymore at all. Sometimes i think about buying some but then when i'm in my saddle i know why i don't. Not for everyone but for the ones that like it they are friggen sweet to have.
Only one issue with my tree saddle.
Tender feet!
The tree screw in tree steps make my feet hurt after about 4 hours.
If you are considering a "Tree Saddle" make sure of the size you order.
They seem to run on the large size.
I hang my gear on one screw in step and my bow on another one.
What about the foot climbers any info. they are cooler than the tree saddle
I just posted a thread trying to get some hunter input on a tool i developed and patended for installing climbing pegs. seeing as how there mentioned here a few times as a tool for getting up the tree to hunt from your saddle, thought you guys might be interested in having a look. check out my web site at www.tree-hammer.com and let me know what you think. im trying to get this tool on the market and your input would be greatly apreciated.
tnick>>>. You dont want to use those foot climbers. When you get up and on your platform they seem to hit the steps and make noise. Get some Lone Wolf sticks(I use 5) they are the best thing since sliced bread. You can be off the ground and hunting in about 12 min MAX.. The Tree Saddle is the best. I did the same thing as ShortDraw. Dont use anything else but a lock On now.
@dave groundwater: I've got three comments. 1) Your videos didn't play for me (Windows 7, IE 8.0, Latest Adobe Flash). 2) To cover yourself, please have an attorney look at whatever instructions you include with the product. I could see somebody (foolish as it may seem) thinking that all they need to do is hammer the steps into the tree and not screw them in at all. 3) Again, to help protect yourself, you might want to look into testing and certification by the Treestand Manufacturer's Assocation (see link). I'm not sure if they cover steps, but I know they cover ladders and climbing sticks.
Your product looks like it would work well.
Not puttin the product down. My buddy uses one and has been tryin to get me to switch for years but always like my feet planted on something.This year he fell 20ft freefall backwards in the dark after he mistakenly put the belt together backwards in the dark.Two cracked verb. one broken rib. Was back huntin in one week.Very Very lucky man.Could have happened with a full harness also if not careful in the dark!But see why I like my feet planted on a platform now.
