Saddle Up

Lightweight, portable gear makes tree hunting easier

BY T. EDWARD NICKENS

If Spiderman was a deer hunter, this is how he’d roll: Shimmy up a tree, quiet as a caterpillar. He’d tether to a stout branch or bole and sit back in comfort, enveloped in the forest canopy. No clanky climbing stand. No bulky chain-on platform. Just melt away into the leaves, still, until it’s time to let the arrow y.

That describes a popular and fast-growing hunting tactic known as tree saddle hunting. It’s gained a serious following among archers, and it’s making its way into the gun-hunting ranks as well, thanks to an emphasis on light, strong and stealthy equipment that’s as easy to pack into the woods as a water bottle.

“What started this trend is that hunters wanted to be more mobile, especially when hunting public land,” says Jason Redd, a passionate North Carolina deer hunter and founder of Timber Ninja Outdoors, which makes the industry’s rst-ever carbon ber climbing sticks. “With a tree saddle system, you’re not tied to that one tree you’ve prepped for a stand, or limited to straight trees with no branches. You can put one of these up in the most crazy-limbed live oaks and hunt safely.”

A tree saddle is essentially a climbing harness ne-tuned for deer hunting. Instead of sitting or standing on a bulky, solid platform that has to be hoisted into the branches, hunters rest in a comfortable nylon and webbing saddle that is tethered to the tree trunk, and rest their feet on a small platform. The effect is like sitting in a hammock, with a safety line attached. The equipment is minimalistic: The saddle and its components, lightweight tree-climbing sticks, a lineman’s belt and the small foot platform. There are three primary reasons tree saddles have come on so strong, says Redd. >

“With a tree saddle system, you’re not ... limited to straight trees with no branches.”

— JASON REDD, FOUNDER, TIMBER NINJA OUTDOORS

» Safety. The beauty of a tree saddle, says Redd, is that the hunter is fully protected from falls at every step. The lineman’s belt used to ascend a tree prevents falling during the climb, and the tether used to hold the hunter aloft prevents a tumble of more than a few inches. Redd has worked as a fall protection specialist for industrial companies for two decades, and he’s sold on the saddle as a safety device. “Even if you do slip, the saddle holds you upright and facing the tree,” he says.

» Maximizing minimalism. Tree saddle components are far smaller and lighter than traditional tree stands. Redd’s entire saddle kit weighs less than 10 pounds. That not only makes it easier and quieter to move through the woods, but changing hunting locations is a snap. And that helps hunters keep up with deer whose movement patterns shift during the season due to changing food sources and hunting pressure.

» Vanishing act. Since the components are less bulky, the saddle allows hunters to get into trees that are twisted, forked and full of branches — just the kind of cover that helps hide a hunter’s silhouette. Climbing sticks have become increasingly low-pro le, too, for added concealment. And because hunters are tethered directly behind the tree trunk, it’s easy to use the trunk to hide your silhouette as you watch game approach and then draw a bow or lift a ri e.

Still, deer hunting Spidey-style takes some getting used to. Like rappelling, says Redd, those rst few times leaning back into the saddle can be unsettling. He suggests a few sessions at ground level rst, to gain comfort and con dence in the equipment.

“You don’t want to be messing with ropes and carabiners for the rst time in the dark,” he says. But it doesn’t take long to learn to trust the saddle system and move around the tree trunk with ease, and learn to lean out for shots at various angles.

A tree saddle may not lead you to give up your climbing or lock-on stand permanently — but you might have to dust it off the next time you use it. l

Gear Guide

TREE SADDLES ARE commonly sold in a bundle that includes the saddle, lineman’s rope, tether rope and the assorted carabiners and other mechanical parts that make it all work. You’ll need to add a platform and a means to actually climb the tree. Here are some of the finest components on the market today: TETHRD PHANTOM Even with an adjustable waist that goes from 28 to 40 inches, the Phantom tips the scales at a modest two pounds. The fit around your bottom can easily be modified for all-day comfort, and a new Amsteel bridge system offers nearly 30 inches of customizable length so hunters can fine-tune their position on the tree. $249.99, tethrdnation.com

TIMBER NINJA C1 CARBON FIBER STICKS The industry’s first carbon fiber climbing stick, these altitude aids come in 20- and 24-inch versions, and nestle quietly for maximum concealment while you’re hoofing it into the woods. Third-party tested with a 300-pound rating, they are crazy light. The 20-inch stick weighs a paltry 1.2 pounds, with the 24-incher just a couple ounces more. $120 for 20-inch; $140 for 24-inch, timberninjaoutdoors.com

OUT ON A LIMB RIDGE RUNNER XL While some hunters rest their feet on a device called a “ring of steps,” most choose a saddle platform. These function like a down-sized lockon stand, with a textured footbed for solid traction. The Ridge Runner XL is built with a large leveling knob that makes it easy to customize the platform’s angle on the fly. $179.99, outonalimbmfg.com