Hunting from an elevated position is one of the best ways to get closer to game, because it tends to take you out of the animals' eyeline and helps disperse your scent. That said, falls from elevated treestands are the number one cause of hunting-related injury. They can also be challenging to install if you can't find the right kind of tree in your preferred shooting position. What's more, if you're hunting public lands, you have to pack that treestand in and out--you can't install it and leave it there for the duration of the season. So, is there a better way?
Our friends at the National Deer Association think there just might be. It's called "saddle hunting," and it employs equipment similar to the type that rock climbers use. It's much smaller than a treestand, more comfortable than you'd think, and permits you to settle into trees that have low-blooming branches. What's more, saddle hunting allows yourself to adjust your position "on the fly," so you aren't limited to a 180-degree plane.
Check out this great video for more information, and ask yourself whether this might just be "the new treestand."
