So, you’ve heard about saddle hunting. Fans say it’s lighter, quieter, and more comfortable than a climber or hang-on stand, and now you’re ready to give it a try. But what do you really need for saddle hunting? If it is anything like regular hunting, you know that people often tell you that you need way more gear than you actually do in the woods. So which pieces of gear are absolutely necessary for saddle hunting? Let’s find out.
For a complete saddling hunting setup, you will need a saddle, lineman’s belt, tree tether, bridge, a platform to stand on, and some sort of tree climbing method. No two saddle hunting setups are the same, and there is no wrong way to do it. Your setup will take some trial and error.
Get set up with these pieces of gear, and you’ll have everything you need to start saddle hunting. One of the reasons saddle hunting has gotten so popular is because you don’t have to carry as many heavy, bulky items as you do when stand hunting. Lightweight, flexible webbing or rope will make up all your kit except for your foot support.
As the saddle hunting movement has gained popularity, so have the gear options. We’ll go through each piece of equipment, how to use it, and some popular choices. Let’s get started.
If you don’t want to bother clicking all the links in this post, just click this one to see a whole amazon list of everything you’ll need for saddle hunting!
The Saddle and Bridge
The saddle is where you’re going to be spending the majority of your time so choosing the right saddle for you is key. If you have the option, you should test out a couple of different saddles before buying. If you have any buddies that saddle hunt, ask them if you can try their setup.
Some saddles work much better than others. What you want is a comfortable saddle that doesn’t pinch you anywhere and that you can wear without really thinking about it. After all, your mind should be on the woods.
You also want to pick out a saddle that has a good bridge. The bridge is a length of rope that connects to each hip of your saddle. This rope is then going to connect to your tree tether with a carabiner, but more on that later.
Depending on the material, the bridge can be easy or difficult to move around. You can change out the bridge on most styles of saddles. Of course, we want things to be as easy as possible, so check out this video comparing some popular styles of bridges.
When you are buying a saddle, you can often get nearly a whole kit that will be enough to get you started. Like any piece of hunting gear, there is cheap gear and expensive gear. If you just want to get going with a saddle, I recommend checking out the XOP Xtreme saddle hunting system on amazon. It is $200, and comes with a saddle, ropes, and even a platform. You can’t beat that price.
If you are interested in a bit higher quality saddles like Tethrd, or Trophy Line, I suggest you read this article where I compare popular saddles and their price.
A Lineman’s Belt
There is always some inherent risk when climbing. Having safety equipment and knowing how to use it properly will make sure your hunts always end without injury. Your lineman’s belt is your main piece of safety equipment while climbing. If you aren’t familiar, a lineman’s belt clips into your harness on one side wraps around the tree, and hooks into your harness on the other side.
A lineman’s belt allows you to have your hands free while going up the tree. In the case of a fall, it will keep you close to the tree and slow you down but does not typically prevent a fall altogether.
A quick search on youtube, and you can find videos of people falling down poles while using lineman’s belts. A standard method to increase the friction in case of a fall is to put an X in the line by clipping the ends of the belt to opposite sides of your harness.
You can buy a lineman’s rope from a regular climbing equipment supplier or one specifically for tree hunting like this one from ZOOK on Amazon.
Your Tree Tether
After you reach hunting height, you’ll set up your tree tether to keep you attached to the tree for the duration of the hunt. The tether cinches around the tree and clips to your bridge with a carabiner to prevent you from falling. You can hang freely or pivot around the tree with the tether to get the perfect shot.
Your tree tether is going to be what holds you up in the tree. You will also have to learn how to maneuver around it for every shot angle, but once you do, there is no angle you can not shoot from. If you need to pick up a tree tether, ZOOK also makes a tree tether that matches their lineman’s belt that you can get on Amazon.Not sure how to set up a tree tether? Check out this quick video below.
Foot Support
While you can hang freely in the saddle and simply use your feet to keep you off the tree, having something to stand on can be nice if you don’t mind carrying it in. Platforms, like the Edge Tree Saddle Platform from XOP, are popular. There are plenty of platforms out there available at a range of prices, but they all work fairly well.
Some hunters prefer a ring of steps to a platform because they are lighter and take up less space in their kit. They also allow you to keep a smaller, more natural silhouette from the tree compared to a horizontal platform.
If you don’t want to spend the extra cash on a platform, and you are wondering “Can I saddle hunt without a platform?” you should read this article.
Climbing
There are many climbing methods out there, and a nice part of saddle hunting is that you can use whatever method you use for stand hunting. Most guys use climbing sticks or screw-in steps, but anything that screws into the tree typically can’t be used on public land.
Sticks
If you’re hunting on the fly, not using preset trees, or hunting on public lands, climbing sticks are probably the way to go. Lone Wolf’s tried and true sticks have been around for decades, but competitors have made a lot of advancements in the last five to ten years.
Hawk’s Helium Climbing Sticks are an affordable option that are durable and stack together, making them easy to carry on the walk in. If you have the money to spend, some of the best climbing sticks out right now are the C1 Carbon Fiber Sticks from TimberNinja. They’re more expensive but made of lightweight carbon fiber and have been engineered with a minimal number of parts to improve reliability.
Spurs
If you want to be minimalist, then climbing spurs will reduce a lot of weight. Be aware, though; spurs can cause a lot of damage to the tree and usually aren’t allowed on public land. If you’re hunting on someone else’s private land, you should also check with them first.
Extra Gear You May Need
With all of the gear above, you will have everything you NEED to go saddle hunting, but here are some extras that will make your hunts much smoother.
Gear Bags
The companies mentioned before, like Tethrd, make gear bags specifically for their saddles, but any standard MOLLE compatible dump bag or gear pouch should work with most saddles. Having the gear bags attached directly to the saddle makes getting to any of your small items, like your release or extra 550, really easy.
Ascender
The prusik knots that come on lineman’s belts and tethers work fine, but having an ascender is a cheap way to make adjusting in the tree a lot simpler. These neat pieces of gear make adjusting your ropes super easy. Buying an ascender is one of the first upgrades most saddle hunters opt for. Wild Country’s Ropeman is a popular budget choice, but the Kong Duck is preferred. Here is a quick video showing you how an ascender works.
Hauling Lines
Hauling lines are an optional piece of kit that really depends on personal preference. There is nothing saying you can’t climb with your gear on your back, but some people find it cumbersome. With a hauling line, you can hang your kit from your harness while you climb or pull it up to your hunt position once you get set in. Simple 550 paracord works great for this, so you don’t need to buy any dedicated gear to give this a try.
Backrest
Whether in a stand or saddle, those all-day sits can start to wear on you. Luckily, the saddle hunting community has already got an answer. Most big saddle companies like Cruzr and Tethrd make a back-band that attaches to your Tether. While not necessary, these make it feel more like you’re in a hammock than hanging off a tree.
Saw or Shears
It’s a pain when you find the perfect tree position but realize there are some troublesome branches in the way of your climb. Having a hand saw or reliable pruning shears can quickly clear the way for the little things.
You can also run into the same problem at your hunting position, where you need a small limb out of the way to line up the shot. Shears particularly will make clearing branches much quieter than sawing or snapping branches off the tree.
The caveat here is that you can only remove branches on private property. Most public lands have strict rules against anything that can cause permanent damage to trees.
Wrapping Up
Give saddle hunting a try, and you might be surprised by how comfortable you can be in a properly fitted saddle. A saddle setup is guaranteed to reduce the weight of your hunting kit. Plus, the edge you gain from concealing yourself behind the tree while still having the mobility to move around for the perfect position can make all the difference between just seeing that trophy deer and bagging it.