Saddle Hunting For Those Who Say They Never Will
Saddle Hunting For Those Who Say They Never Will
“I’m all about mobile hunting, but I ain’t wearing a diaper.” This is a statement I once heard on a hunting podcast and the sentiment stuck with me as I watched other hunters on TV and YouTube channels who included saddles in their mobile hunting setup. The problem with this oversimplified dismissal of tree saddles was that it seemed that those who used them were having a lot of success. Here’s my journey as a saddle hunting convert.
In the summer of 2020, my friend Chris Dyer generously gifted me a hang-on treestand, an early staple for the mobile whitetail hunting community. After purchasing a set of complementary climbing sticks, I began my first year of hang and hunting. As revolutionary as this early equipment was, the weight of the stand, sticks and straps made hiking in and setting up a noisy strenuous chore.
Why I had to Change
Despite these challenges the evidence was still clear to me that mobile hunting was the most effective way to consistently get into bow range on deer. Over the next 3 deer seasons I began switching my strategy from mobile hunting to more permanent preset stand locations with permanent hang-ons and permanent climbing sticks. As the 2024 deer season approached, I was setting up one more permanent set of climbing sticks on the home farm where I do the majority of my hunting. Because this new set up didn’t have a safeline in the tree I opted to use a lineman’s belt to keep me secured to the tree while I strapped down the climbing sticks.
While I was working, I stood on the top of my second section of sticks and took a break by leaning back into the tension of my lineman’s belt and was amazed by how comfortable that positioning was, and how similar this posture was to the saddle hunters I had watched on YouTube. This revelation caused me for the first time to consider hunting with a diaper – er uh, I mean a saddle. With my newly opened mind I decided to consult with some experienced saddle hunters in hopes of gleaning some guidance on the necessary gear, and the pros and cons of hunting from a saddle. (You can hear that conversation with Jeremy Dinsmore and Alex Gruin for yourself on episode 258 of The First Gen Hunter Podcast.) After interviewing Jeremy and Alex my open mind became committed to giving saddle hunting a try.
Deciding to try a Saddle
Most experienced saddle hunters will advise a newbie to start out simple: choose a sturdy tree in your yard, set the platform a couple feet off of the ground, step up, tie off your tree tether, and practice sitting in your saddle until you feel confident in knowing what to do, and that your gear will keep you safe. This is great advice and spending some time watching a few how-to videos on YouTube prior to the backyard practice session will boost your confidence that this new method will be doable enough to get you into the woods with a saddle. That being said, I procrastinated doing this important step and the first time I used my saddle was on an early muzzleloader hunt in October.
Thankfully despite my procrastination, my experience with my Lone Wolf gear served me well and I was able to get my sticks and platform on the tree quickly. The next phase was to get myself in the tree and tied in with my tree tether. I was pleasantly surprised with how simple this was.
The security of having the lineman’s belt connecting me to the tree for the entire climb and while I connected my tree tether was reassuring, and allowed me to work quickly adjusting my saddle and bridge angle into a comfortable position. Within 15 minutes I was in the tree and even ended up passing on a small buck and doe in that first ever hunt from my saddle. The saddle had provided me with exactly what I had hoped: a quick, lightweight, safe, and quiet means for hunting the locations I thought would provide me with more shot opportunities.
After a season of extensive use, I compiled a list of pros and cons for hunting from a saddle:
Pros
- -Saddles are significantly lighter and easier to handle than even the lightest hang on stands.
- -Although the platform and climbing sticks can still clang and creak during set up, a saddle hunting setup is quieter overall.
- -Saddle hunting allows for far more tree options. As long as the diameter of a tree is big enough to support your weight and the tree isn’t dead, it can be hunted with a saddle. This simply isn’t the case with any other mobile setup.
- -The bridge of the saddle provides a very sturdy and convenient gun rest.
- -Saddle hunting requires much less exertion than other mobile hunting methods.
- -Saddle hunting set up takes less time than other mobile hunting methods.
- -Saddle hunting is safer than all other methods of hunting from a tree. The combination of the lineman’s belt and tree tether keep you connected to the tree at all times.
- -Saddle hunting will encourage you to hunt better spots, and is better for making necessary adjustments during a hunt leading to better hunting opportunities.
Cons
- -Saddles are not near as comfortable for all day hunts as my Lone Wolf hang on is.
- -Saddles have the tendency to pinch your hips after sitting for extended periods of time.
- -The platforms used for saddle hunting are typically much smaller than an ultralight hang on stand which limits mobility in the tree.
- -The platforms have a tendency to tip and slip on the tree, but this can be fixed with the addition of another ratchet strap. I have also heard that Lone Wolf has a few saddle platforms that alleviate this problem.
- -The saddle, bridge, and tether block off access to pants and jacket pockets.
- -Tree saddles are made of fabric, and require a lot of rope. All of these materials are prone to soaking up unwanted human scents making them more detectable by a buck’s nose.
Summary
Beyond just analyzing the pros and cons of using a saddle I think the best data I can offer is how using a tree saddle affected my hunting behavior. By the completion of my 2024 deer season, I ended up using my saddle far more than I ever used my mobile hang on stand in previous hunting seasons. I also hunted two new farms that I previously avoided because I didn’t want to carry in my mobile hang on stand and try and find a suitable tree to set up, and both farms offered me shot opportunities that I passed on. My saddle also helped me hunt new regions of my primary hunting areas during the 2024 deer season which yielded me some very close encounters and ultimately allowed me to get into the perfect tree to fill my archery buck tag on November 9th.
As I continue to stack up years of hunting experience, I have noticed a trend that has proven to be true: success rewards effort. This effort can be as simple as waking up earlier, or staying on stand longer, but it also can be found in trying new strategies and tactics. Saddle hunting might just be that new method you need to consider. I know that after the 2024 deer season I saw enough data to keep me hunting in a diaper, oops I mean saddle for as many seasons as I can going forward.
By Kent Boucher
August 2025
Here are our other businesses check them out
Also check out this Article from the August 2025 issue as well
