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East TN Feedback - Saddle or Climber?

TomCatChatt

TomCatChatt

Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2022
Messages
7
Location
Chattanooga
Indiana born and raised whitetail hunter here now living in Chattanooga and hunting up and down East TN public and lottery draws.

I've used a lightweight climber for years, obviously a lot less of a hassle in the flat, corn-fed utopia of southern Indiana versus the steep, extremely limited access public land I've found (so far) in East TN.

I'm not in bad shape and don't mind hiking in a long way. A saddle setup with climbing sticks seems more efficient out here, especially with my preference for bow hunting. However, it also seems like a lot more pieces to go missing over the miles hiking in, hassle getting up a tree before sunrise, and less comfort for all-day sits. My climber can feel big and cumbersome getting in, but it's two easy pieces and quickly goes up and down.

I'd love some feedback from anyone who's done it both ways in this terrain before I change my whole setup. Any direction is appreciated!
 
Welcome!! You will get split opinions. I use a climber. I have no interest in a saddle with as many straight trees as we have in East Tennessee. I want to hunt Indiana. I hope to in the next couple years. Glad to have you in East Tennessee. If you don't mind, hit me up on private message let me know what part of East Tennessee you are in.
 
Ditch the sticks with the saddle and buy a one stick, much easier when you get used to it. I've got all i need to climb in my dump pouches and very small backpack. I could in fact ditch my pack and carry my one stick and rope in one hand and bow in the other if needed. The only time I get weight on my shoulders is when I carry a bigger pack to pack in extra layers to put on for cold weather.
 
I just switched over to a saddle about a month ago. I've talked myself out of it for a couple years even passed up a free one. It's not as bad as it seems. They have pouches to store your stuff so you shouldn't lose anything. After a few sits you'll get the hang of it and it won't take as long. I always like to be at my tree around an hour before light. That's enough time for things to cool down and you to be setup. As far as comfort you'll find the sweet spots. I've hunted at least 3 days a week so far and only got to do 1 all day sit and I couldn't complain.
 
If you are hiking a long ways in and out id go saddle and one stick all day long. I used a summit viper for 20 yrs and loved it but comfortability in the tree, weight while hiking in, and accessibility getting into virtually any tree made me switch to a saddle.
It took me awhile to get good at 1 sticking but once you figure out certain things and what works for you best it gets a heck of a lot easier, quicker, and quieter If you are in decent shape already. For me it was good knee pads, tubular webbing 3 step aider on a skeletor tethrd stick along with a harken 150 cam cleat and a 3/8in full buried amsteel rope mod for the stick, a madrock safeguard, a quick link, 35ft of sterling canyon elite 9mm rope for tether/repelling, and tether locker. These items make everything about one sticking way easier.
Also when I need to move my tether on the tree and/or go around a branch and I'm already up pretty high, I have 6ft of 11mm rope for linesman belt that I can throw around the tree, clip into my loop on saddle, cinch the slack out with a prusik knot and lean into it while I stand on top of my stick and it leaves my hands free to work with tether and gives me a feeling of safety.
All of these items along with a whole season of practicing I can now quickly(about 10mins) and quietly be set up 25ft up in a tree. I run a Cruzr saddle and a tethrd predator xl platform and hang the platform on a hook on back of my saddle while climbing. It's a lot of pieces and a lot of money to spend on it, but these items make it sooo much easier and to me are worth it if you are going to go this route. I feel like I am safer in a saddle and more efficient so it's all I do now. Eventually, I may replace the skeletor stick with a tethrd one stick or an ultimate one stick from eastern woods outdoors and have the stick and platform all in one but I'm really liking my current setup. At times last year I was ready to give it up but I made myself keep practicing and experimenting with new methods and now I won't go back to a climber. Everybody is different tho. Youtube is ur best friend for learning to one stick btw.Good luck and welcome to East TN!
 
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DMD said:
Welcome!! You will get split opinions. I use a climber. I have no interest in a saddle with as many straight trees as we have in East Tennessee. I want to hunt Indiana. I hope to in the next couple years. Glad to have you in East Tennessee. If you don't mind, hit me up on private message let me know what part of East Tennessee you are in.
Click to expand...

DMD said:
Welcome!! You will get split opinions. I use a climber. I have no interest in a saddle with as many straight trees as we have in East Tennessee. I want to hunt Indiana. I hope to in the next couple years. Glad to have you in East Tennessee. If you don't mind, hit me up on private message let me know what part of East Tennessee you are in.
Click to expand...
I can't figure out how to private message! 😅 would you mind to message me so I can figure it out?
 
grew up hunting out of a climber (ol man, summits, api's) and they are really good…have used a climber a crap ton, prolly 15-20 years worth of climbing. Only downside that i have with them after hunting with a saddle is you are limited to choosing the right tree to climb versus a saddle where you can get in almost any tree…and sometimes that 'right' tree will put you on them with a bow or just out of range. With a gun prolly doesn't matter, relatively speaking. Neither are bullet proof, but i prefer the saddle.
Get you three or four climbing sticks, a platform, a saddle, and practice with it some to get comfortable.
From a monetary standpoint, saddle hunting is more expensive than a climber if that's a factor in your decision making process. $400-$500 for a light climber and likely $600 or so for saddle/platform/sticks.

(Don't one stick)
 

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