A Tree Saddle Review

by Mark Buckley

Product:

Tree Saddle, Stealth Model

Manufacturer:

Trophyline, LLC
866-444-HUNT(4868)
http://www.trophylineusa.com

Price:

Approximately $210

Description:

From the Website:

COMFORT

Comfort is of Paramount importance to the hunter. 
The whole key to staying comfortable is having the ability to safely, easily and quietly change positions.

The Tree Saddle™ allows you to do just that!   In the Tree Saddle™,  you can go from an upright to a seated position (and vice versa) quietly and easily while maintaining control of your movement and never compromising safety!

SAFETY

The Tree Saddle™ is manufactured entirely with military-spec. materials.  It has a 5000-pound snap-on with a 2500-pound adjuster buckle.  The webbing is 9600-pound nylon spec. material.

"... once properly hooked up, it's impossible to fall out."
( International Hunter Education Association . Winter 2003 )

EASE OF USE

The Tree Saddle™ is light-weight (weighing less than 6 lbs.) and can be worn around the waist.  In it's pouch, you can easily store everything you would normally take in your backpack.

360 DEGREES OF MOTION

Positioned in the Tree Saddle™, you can easily rotate to aim in any direction ... and at any angle!  Missing the shot on deer approaching from the rear of your position is a "thing of the past!"

The Tree Saddle™ give you an advantage that simply doesn't exist in traditional tree stands!

Field Notes:

I don’t mind prefacing this review by stating that the Tree Saddle is the single best equipment purchase I’ve made in years. It has truly changed the way in which I’m able to hunt, allowing me more versatility in my hunts than I’ve ever had in the past.

You’ll need a way to get into trees. If you’re hunting on public land, or want to be able move quickly, you’ll need a portable climbing system. I like the Ameristep Rapid Rails – there’s a review of them here as well. If you’re hunting in the same location often, where you can use more permanent climbing methods such as screw-in tree steps, you’ll save some time at the base of the tree when setting up, and save a little energy by leaving the extra gear at home.

There are three major areas which make the Tree Saddle superior to other stands.

• Safety
• Flexibility
• Portability

Safety:

The Tree Saddle is inherently safe when used properly. While ascending the tree, you can fasten a safety strap around the tree. Fitted loosely, it allows you to climb the tree while remaining tied to it. Should you get tired on the way up, or need to place another tree step, etc, you can simply lean back, drawing the safety strap tight around the tree. Additionally, should you slip, the safety strap will keep you close to the tree, allowing you to grip the tree to stop the fall, and likely, it will catch on a tree limb or whatever climbing mechanism you’re using. Since the saddle distributes your weight around the waist and legs, you don’t have the worries that shoulder harnesses impose. Once you’ve reached you’re hunting height, you then tie you’re self into the tree using another tether strap. Tied correctly, it’s virtually impossible to fall out. At this point, you can unhook the safety strap and freely rotate around the tree. (One of my few suggestions for improvements would be to have a second safety strap so that when ascending/descending the tree, you could unhook one safety strap to get around a limb. Once it was fastened above/below the limb, you could move the second. This would allow you to remain tied to the tree at all times.)

Flexibility:

As alluded to previously, the Tree Saddle allows you to move completely around the tree. You can shoot at virtually any angle, from over your shoulder, to straight down, etc. To move around the tree, you will need a “platform” to put your feet on. The platform can consist of 3-4 tree steps screwed around the trunk of the tree while climbing up. I prefer to use the Ameristep strap-on steps. I cut the supplied straps off from four of them, and put them on a 1” ratchet strap. When I’m nearly at my hunting height, I put the ratchet strap on the tree, and space the steps around the tree. Climb a little higher, and tie myself in. Now I have a means to propel myself around the tree, as well as a place to rest my feet when killing time. A couple of notes here – I find it best to tie the tether strap near head height on the tree. Any higher, and the strap begins to get in the way while you’re drawing your bow. Any shorter, and it holds you too close to the tree, not allowing you to move around the tree. Furthermore, when resting in the stand, I hang in nearly a sitting position, with my knees together, against the tree trunk. If the tether strap is too short, there will be too much weight on your knees pressing against the trunk of the tree. Tied in properly, I’ve actually taken cat naps while waiting for the sun to come up.

Portability:

I wear the tree saddle out to my hunting spot! It’s four pounds. Trophyline also makes a “ambush” saddle that weighs only a pound. With all my other gear, I’m packing around 25 pounds of gear into the woods. That’s as much as many of the conventional climbers weigh. For state land hunts it’s imperative – I leave nothing in the woods to be stolen or used by other hunters. Nor do I leave a marker for other hunters to let them know where my prime spots are. If I notice another spot that looks good, I can be hunting there in minutes.

You should plan on taking an additional ten minutes to get into the tree. The minimal additional time is well worth it. I spent some time practicing on the telephone pole in my yard prior to heading into the woods with it.

This product gets a “highly recommended” from me.