Tree saddles can be seen as being just as safe as a classic treestand, if not even safer, as a saddle hunter will always be connected to the tree thanks to the lineman’s belt. This makes it a popular option among many people since it comes with various benefits, plus a new experience that not many people know about.

Some interesting benefits

• If you’ve ever been on a typical stand, you know how high the chance of you falling is. A saddle offers you the benefit of safety as you are always fastened to the tree. This lowers the risk of you falling close to 0, thus making it an option that is of high interest for everybody who values their safety.
• Saddles are created using fabrics, so you won’t make any noise when you are using them, regardless if you are pulling up the stands or going up a tree using a climber stand. As no metal joints or bolts were used in making them, these products are not likely to make any noise, so your position won’t be found out by the animals you’re watching.
• Hunting equipment can be quite heavy to carry, but not in this case, as these products are lightweight and they can fit with ease in your backpack, making your trip more fun as you don’t have to put in as much effort. Instead of wasting your energy on carrying these products, you can put that energy into the hunt.
• A classic stand has very little shooting mobility when it comes to the backside of trees that have over 16 inches in diameter. When it comes to a saddle, this is changed completely, as you now have a shooting mobility of 360 degrees so you won’t miss any opportunity. This is, understandably, quite a game-changer.
• A conventional stand lets your body hang from the side of the tree and you have a higher chance of being seen. Instead, with this product, you keep the tree trunk between you and the deer so you can make the move when it is the best possible moment. The fact that the saddle is mobile lets you do that with no problem.
• If you used a typical hang on and climber stand, you’ve learned that trees must have a certain size for you to be able to do any work with them. This all changes when it comes to saddle hunting as you have the possibility of using large and small diameter trees as well, regardless of their diameter.
• On top of this, compared to a climber, you don’t have to pick a tree with no branches for you to be able to hunt or waste time debranching a tree. On the contrary, branches can prove to be really helpful as you can use them as steps or as extra concealment cover. You can also hunt from trees that lean up to 15 degrees.
• The importance of good stability cannot be understated, and while a conventional stand only lets you use your feet for this, if you choose to use a saddle, on top of your feet, you also have the upper body weight supported by the seat. As your body has three points of contact, your stability and accuracy will be greatly improved.
• You have the possibility of using more than one pre-set location even if you only own one saddle. As you can imagine, if you have more than one pre-set location option and you choose to rotate them, you’ll have a bigger element of surprise and you won’t contaminate the sites as much.

Why not a typical stand?

• Using a conventional stand means you have to use one for all pre-set locations or just carry the rather heavy stand with you to all locations and then start the setup process. With saddle hunting, you are not only cutting down on time but also on cost, as you only need one such product.
• Tree stand theft is a huge problem if you are hunting on public lands, but that is a thing of the past with a saddle, as this product is always kept with you. Wherever you are, the saddle is too. This also lets you have your own area, in which other hunters won’t come to, as you’ve already established yourself as the one using that terrain.
• Comfort is also important, as hunting all day can be tiresome. You will enjoy much more comfort with a saddle as you can adjust the seating position in only a matter of seconds, anytime. Furthermore, more than half of the bucks are hunted during the short rut phase period, so enjoying comfort will let you stay prepared for a longer period of time.
• Hunting from a conventional stand makes your body more constricted, especially at the shoulder, compared to hunting from Kestrel or Mantis saddles. If you use a tethered saddle, the upper part of your body is freer which also means that, in case the weather changes and you need to change your clothes as well, you can do it in seconds.
• You can use a saddle as a hands-free safety harness system that will let you prepare for every new location. This also makes them great for freelance hunting since you already have the saddle with you in the backpack. Freelance hunting is not as easy as seen on TV, which is why this part is also so very important to know!
• The saddle can also be used as a climbing harness, which is a huge advantage! If you were to use a classic hang-on stand, you’d also need to have with you additional climbing harnesses so you’ll place sticks or steps where you need them, plus the stand, for which you always need two free hands.
• As the saddle is more versatile, you can use it for trees that have various diameters. This means you can find a great location and make a tree your own for a while. As a result, you’ll find yourself in a perfect shooting distance from the bucks and does that roam around you. Say goodbye to having to waste time looking for the perfect tree.
• We can’t skip the fact that a saddle is going to let you spend time in an area in which deer usually gather to eat (some fruit trees are indicative of this) while you can stay hidden and stuck to the other side of the tree trunk. This means your presence is less likely to be discovered, as the deer won’t be able to see you.
• A conventional stand doesn’t give you many options as you can only put it on a side of the tree, making you more visible. This also doesn’t let you aim at the opposite side of the tree from your position. As a result, this option is less viable, as you can get seen faster and you have a limited aim.

Basically, what we are trying to say is that hunting using a saddle is going to lead to a growth in your killing opportunities, especially compared to the other, so-called classical methods, which aren’t always as efficient, now even more so, since we’ve discovered the many benefits of the saddles.