Overrated or Underrated: Saddle Hunting

2. Versatility

Relating to being a profitable bowhunter, being versatile is a necessity. Having the ability to adapt to altering situations and transfer on to contemporary signal could make or break a hunt. Versatile gear permits you to be extra adaptable.

My good buddy Erik Barber, Content material Supervisor at Vortex Optics, is a Wisconsin Native who’s well-known for being a public land tag puncher. When requested about the good thing about saddle setups, here’s what he needed to say.

“There’s no such factor because the “good instrument” for each state of affairs,” Erik acknowledged. “Nonetheless, typically talking, saddle gear is extra versatile than a treestand – particularly for public land hunters.”

Tyler added, “A saddle’s versatility permits you to adapt to altering situations, various winds, and looking strain shortly and effectively, which may imply the distinction in getting that buck you’re after. I’m personally far more more likely to make a fast transfer if I’m utilizing the saddle vs. knocking down a extra everlasting treestand.”

On November 2, 2021, I did simply that. With a flexible saddle setup I used to be in a position to adapt to a wind shift the morning of my hunt and efficiently punch a tag at first gentle. Once I arrived that morning to hunt a pre-hung stand overlooking a mock scrape with a north wind, I used to be upset to discover a west wind blowing strongly alongside the ridgeline. 

I shortly shifted gears, gathered my saddle setup and moved over to a small hickory 30 yards from my pre-hung set. No sooner did I stand up the tree, than I heard a deep grunt adopted by an aggressive snort wheeze simply over the ridge. 

After tossing a number of grunts in return, I used to be head to head with a 150 inch, 6 yr outdated bruiser who would have most positively smelled me had I been sitting in my pre-hung set. A properly positioned arrow and brief blood monitor later supplied me with an excellent trophy and all of the proof I wanted to see the benefit of a saddle setup’s versatility.