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Opinions sought- climbers, saddles or ground blinds - best for public land hunt?

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Pso94

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Curious about your opinions and experience- positive or negative- with saddles, climbers or ground blinds for public land hunts. Any pros/cons to these you've experienced? Thx
 
KP Outdoors said:
Saddle was a game changer for me. The mobility and lightweight to carry around really can't be beat in my opinion.
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My oldest son loves his. And it is relatively fast to set up. Not for me but I'm old. I like ladder stands and tree seats. I used climbers for years but too much to pack in IMO. Only used ladder stands on my private property.
 
KP Outdoors said:
Saddle was a game changer for me. The mobility and lightweight to carry around really can't be beat in my opinion.
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Never tried saddle hunting but in regards to comfort it's tough to beat a good Summit. I have the Summit Goliath and it is plenty roomy comfortable enough to nap in, and to me it's not to heavy. Granted on public ground I like to stay out and let the other Elmers push deer around. Just my preference on how I hunt.
 
Maybe if they were around 30 years ago I'd be a saddle hunter but it's just to involved, too many steps, too many parts for me. I was trying it the other day and thought a climber and a little folding saw would be a lot faster easier and quieter but I'm old.
 
How about still hunting? I don't see many people doing it these days but I've always found it to be effective, especially on large public tracts where sometimes you need to cover ground to find deer. I often brush myself into a fallen tree to sit awhile, then move on to another spot for awhile. About half of my bucks are killed that way. Don't fall into the thought that you need a stand or blind. They each have their place but not having them also has a place.
 
Really depends on the terrain. Alot of factors all together. Myself I could see where a saddle would be probably the best all around pick. But at my age I don't think I could put in the hours on stand in a saddle as I can my climber. I don't like to hunt out of a loc on much anymore but I have couple areas that I don't have much of a choice.
 
Used a climber and been able to get the job done, don't really hunt areas where I can't find a tree to set up in that d be the major decision to switch to a saddle. I can pack out a whole deer on the back of the climber pretty easily, not sure how I d do that on a saddle set up.. I use it 90% on public hunting old fields and some big river bottoms.
 
Saddle only for me, can climb any tree in the woods as high as i want with under 8lbs of equipment and be hunting height in 10 minutes and as quiet as a mouse in the middle of the night
 
Most of our Tennessee public is WAY to thick on the ground with underbrush for a ground blind and most trees have way too many branches for a climber. Public around here has almost no "pretty woods" and if there is a small spread out group of oaks, that area will be loaded with hunters. The saddle is the clear winner. My go to is to only climb one stick height and hang my saddle. It just enough to be able to shoot over the thick underbrush and get out of the direct line of site of the deer, but not so high that you have to risk making a lot noise.

Edit: this advice applies to bow season. As others have said, im usually on the ground once gun hits.
 
I'm just getting back into hunting after 20 years out of state but I always ground hunted and will continue but man is it more uncomfortable than it used to be. Currently I'm researching seats for ground hunting. I've seen a lot about the millennium tree seat but not a lot about other seats that don't necessarily require a tree to use. I like the mobility of not having to setup since I do a lot of still hunting.
 
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lol said:
I'm just getting back into hunting after 20 years out of state but I always ground hunted and will continue but many is it more uncomfortable than it used to be. Currently I'm researching seats for ground hunting. I've seen a lot about the millennium tree seat but not a lot about other seats that don't necessarily require a tree to use. I like the mobility of not having to setup since I do a lot of still hunting.
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Ive killed a bunch of deer out of a 25 dollar turkey seat in the past
 
Ski said:
How about still hunting? I don't see many people doing it these days but I've always found it to be effective, especially on large public tracts where sometimes you need to cover ground to find deer. I often brush myself into a fallen tree to sit awhile, then move on to another spot for awhile. About half of my bucks are killed that way. Don't fall into the thought that you need a stand or blind. They each have their place but not having them also has a place.
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You do that with a bow or rifle?
 
lol said:
I'm just getting back into hunting after 20 years out of state but I always ground hunted and will continue but man is it more uncomfortable than it used to be. Currently I'm researching seats for ground hunting. I've seen a lot about the millennium tree seat but not a lot about other seats that don't necessarily require a tree to use. I like the mobility of not having to setup since I do a lot of still hunting.
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I use a gobbler lounger type of chair that sits off the ground 4-5". It is perfect for gun hunting.
 
Bagg-it Tag-it said:
I use a gobbler lounger type of chair that sits off the ground 4-5". It is perfect for gun hunting.
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I have a couple of those that are extremely comfortable but lean too far back for using a scope. Probably ordered the wrong brand. I've got a millenium run and gun on the way that doesn't have any back rest that I want to try out.
 

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