Saddle Hunting

[u/After-Economics-720]

I'm going into my 4th season of deer hunting in Southern/Central ON. I have only hunted from the ground with a 12g. For the last couple of years, I've been practicing trad archery and am getting comfortable with the idea of hunting with it.

I am also leaning into the idea of saddle hunting. For those of you who already have experience, what do you like/dislike about it? What gear/companies do you hold in good standing? What kind of things should I consider before purchasing any gear.

All advice is welcome. Thank you!

[u/Wonderful_Station180]

Completed my first year of saddle hunting last year. I am a big fan of you are a mobile hunter. While I am a big fan, at the end of the day it is another tool in your tool belt. There are positives and tradeoffs, but it is by no means the end all.

I am a fan of Latitude and Tethrd. The skeletor sticks seem to be very popular, as is the predator platform. Both are very user friendly. Latitude method 3 was my favorite of the actual saddles I tried on, but not everyone loves a 2 panel system.

Practice practice practice. You need to spend several hours just climbing different trees, then shoot from them. There are hours of YouTube videos about it. Hope this helps!

[u/After-Economics-720 → u/Wonderful_Station180]

I really appreciate the reply!

How long does it generally take you to set up/take down? I'm also curious how you get it in and out of your set-ups. Can everything stuff into a standard back pack, or did you have to get creative? Also as far as logistics go, could you see yourself lugging the gear around 3-5+ km into crown land, or would that seem like too much work? Just trying to get an idea of how mobile one can actually be.

[u/Wonderful_Station180 → u/After-Economics-720]

Depends on the tree, but 10 minutes to 15 minutes. I use a general hunting backpack from badlands.yes I can back in pretty far. Weight has never been an issue