• Help Support TNDeer:

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.
 
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)
 
knightrider said:
Im not trying to feel my way down the tree in the dark on steps and aiders and risking a miss step or slip and fall. Repelling out of the tree is 100 times safer for an old fat man
Click to expand...
I can see your point. I'm so used to steps from all the stick ladders I have used, and still use here a there, I dont think anything of the sticks.
Biggest part anytime your feet leave the ground, relating this back to to the original post, is staying connected to the tree with that linemans belt. Dont rush, double check everything every time
 
I still have climbers but they basically don't get used. I will sometimes leave one for the season in a spot I hunt repeatedly. Saddle gets all the use when it's a hang and hunt type set up.
 
WTNBowHunter said:
curious...what is safer about one sticking compared to using three or four sticks?
Click to expand...

The majority of people who climb using sticks depend on a lineman's belt/rope to catch them if they fall or something breaks. This is honestly a bit of a false security. The lineman's rope is meant to steady you to be hands free in order to work. If you fall on a lineman's rope, at best it will slam you into the sticks below you, at worst you will skid down the tree past all of those sticks. Ask around and you will find plenty of testimonies of these scenarios happening. Granted that is better than simply falling directly down, but not a whole lot.

For those who one-stick climb we are climbing on a tether, It is certainly going to catch you if you were to slip and fall or something break. Many of us climb on a rappel rope so if something were to happen, it is a simple and quick thing to simply rappel down to the ground at any point during the climb or hunt.

Now I will say that you will see quite a few, including the so-called YouTube experts who use a one-stick in a dangerous method. They will set their tether above their head, then climb up their stick till they're standing on the top of it without moving their tether up as they go. This creates a very dangerous situation as their tether is now wrapped around the tree down at their shins so if they were to fall they would be falling roughly anywhere from 4-6 feet, which is a bad drop. The safest method is to move the tether up with each step up, that way the farthest you would drop would be the distance of one step, roughly 15-18" for most people. This method can be used with climbing sticks to increase the safety if something were to happen and there are a few who climb sticks with their rappel rope because it can definitely be safer to rappel down and collect your gear as you come down after dark than to try to step down in the dark.
 
WTNBowHunter said:
I can see your point. I'm so used to steps from all the stick ladders I have used, and still use here a there, I dont think anything of the sticks.
Biggest part anytime your feet leave the ground, relating this back to to the original post, is staying connected to the tree with that linemans belt. Dont rush, double check everything every time
Click to expand...
A linesmans belt isnt being hooked to the tree, yes it will steady you but you fall on just a linesman's belt its gonna be rough, always hooked to a tether from bottom to top!!
 
knightrider said:
A linesmans belt isnt being hooked to the tree, yes it will steady you but you fall on just a linesman's belt its gonna be rough, always hooked to a tether from bottom to top!!
Click to expand...
i'm gonna disagree on the fact the i am in fact hooked to the tree with by way of my linemans rope. yes i may slam into the tree, yes it prolly wont feel very good but better than falling to the ground which is what the goal is in this situation. i'm gonna keep going with what works for me and let ya'll rappel out of trees. the one thing i will agree with you on is your quote that Jesus is the only hope we have in life!
 
Linemen's rope will keep you from falling. It will swing you into the tree. Which I'm sure won't feel good. But also won't break your neck or back. You have to pay attention to your linemen's rope. It can't be down at your knees while trying to put up a stick. You have to make sure the rope is at an angle about chest height. Then if you slip and fall it will pull you into the tree. If it's down by you knees your going to fall. Some use tether and linemen's rope. Whatever works for you
 

Latest posts

Back
Top