Ive been a stand hunter since i started hunting almost 10 years ago. its getting about the time when im going to need to replace my harness, and ive been hearing more and more about saddles. i give a rundown of what my hunting scenarios and the land i hunt on 40 acre plot with a 10 acre hay field on one end, south neighbor is nothing but timber and the main road is the other side of them, north side is the school FFA property and nothing but ag land from there north, houses upon houses to the east, west is an easment for power lines that is really overgrown and after that is a 300 acre off road park that a friend of mine owns and i also have permission to hunt on. I wouldnt be hunting exclusively out of a saddle, but the research ive done it sounds good from a versatility standpoint. considering that i hunt private land exclusively, would getting a saddle set up be worth it? or would money be better spent getting stands set up everywhere instead of a few select places?
The way I see it, if you have a few proven spots that you know real well, then regardless put up a few affordable ladder stands to make your entry and exit quiet and quick. An entire saddle kit and platform will run you at least $500. So if it's just your 40 acres primarily, I would put up a few more stands. Not sure how good of hunting the off-road park is, but if a solid portion of that 300 acres is huntable than a saddle might be in order.
On a 40 acre piece of private, I'm hanging stands and leaving them all day long. Saddles are good for a specific purpose, which, to me, is being a light-weight mobile option allowing you to hang and hunt in different locations all the time. That includes either large pieces of private you can't cover with a few fixed-position stands or public land. I've hunted out of my saddle a few times and I'm getting the hang of it. But you'll never convince me it's better, quieter, or more comfortable than climbing into a pre-hung, pre-trimmed, ready-to-go fixed position stand.
In your scenario, the biggest advantage in using a saddle would be needing to adjust 10 or 20 yards if a deer busted you in a preset stand. Or, if you you were in the middle of hunt and needed to move 50 yards to be where the deer are passing through. Those are situations where the saddle would be better than a ladder stand or other preset. However, with only 40 acres, if the terrain forces deer to move through very specific, small areas, a preset would probably be the better bet.
We've covered a lot in this thread, even how to inform all that you are saddle hunting and how to take proper selfie pics. https://forums.bowhunting.com/threads/tree-saddle-hunting.62634/ With that said, it is a useful tool if you want to move around, if you have concrete spots you will not move from through the entire season, a lock on would work just the same; you just won't be as cool. Cantexian and Justin covered said that already, but sometimes the third time is a charm. Justin is not fully committed to the saddle lifestyle, so his opinion is null, bruh.
Bruh. Way harsh. Being a saddle hunter is kinda like being bi- if you do it sometimes then you are one. Doesn't mean you do it all the time. But you are open to it. So you are.
My Mtn Ops is on order. Once I get all jacked up on IGNITE (Cam Hanes ball sweat flavor) I'll be ready to rock and roll, baby!
Cam Hanes doesn't need a saddle- he just hooks some Amsteel to the carabiner hanging from his sack and rocks it.
Sounds like you know something of this from personal experience...don't pull a @Swamp Stalker, no pics please!
