What's a Good Mobile Tree Stand Setup?

[VTJ]

^^ .. it is 1.25 mile hike to get in to that location, some locations are closer, my shortest is about .3 mile to get to, most are .5 to a full mile walk in ... I like what I have, with it I can set up where I need to be, rather than have a climber and be forced to a location I dont want to be in or bypass a location completely ..

 

[Whitetailkiller80]

I use lone wolf to bow hunt . It’s lite strong dependable however the Seat/platforms small but it works

 

[trdonahue7]

I have always bought the cheapest stands I could find since I am mostly hunting over heavy trails/bait. I have decided I want to buy a setup for going deep into areas and do more of a run and gun approach. What do most of you use for your mobile stand setup? Been looking at Lone Wolf but there has to be some less expensive options for a lightweight/climbing stand + sticks.

I have many kinds. My XOP is by far the best set up I have. Their sticks really seal the deal but there stand (max XL) is so nice. I went big because I rarely have to hike more than 1 mile in Missouri for access and my west bag gets up to 60lbs without meat so weight isn't a huge deal. The stand is great and I highly recommend xop. Millenium is another AWESOME stand set up for mobile hunting. Their bucket seat can literally be sat in for hours upon hours without adjusting. only problem with it when wearing heavy clothes in cold weather and a harness is the straps often get in the way making lateral movements (archery) much harder. Always sacrificing comfort for function but that's the name of the game. With that being said, my millenium is by far the most comfortable stand I own... mobile or not. My most favorite company and best mobile set up, especially their sticks is by far the XOP. They have it all. use their new bracket system and everthing already latches to itself. It is perfect. my recommendations is XOP. Customer support rocks and they will help you with everthing or guide you to the right purchase. Will be buying more xop in the near future.

 

[MN_Condor]

I had the same question as you this year. I now have a Lone Wolf Alpha II, after some research I decided this was the way to go. But I also picked up a sit drag for saddle hunting, since I already have the sticks with the stand. Now I can try both styles, for very little extra cash. DIY Sportsman, and Greg from G2 Outdoors, both on YouTube, have some great videos on lightweight run-and-gun setups for hunting.

 

[cjthomas2]

I run both XOP and Lone Wolf stands with Hawk Helium Sticks and it is a great set up.

 

[Rich M]

I have a couple of the original "lock-on" stands. The one with the plastic floor weighs 6#.

Got a lone wolf climber when a coworker knew someone who's lock-on failed and sent him tot he hospital - guy put it on and then jumped up and down without a harness, broke a link in the chain... Anyway, coworker & her hubby sold all their lockons and climbers, sticking with shooting houses and ladders from there on out.

The LW climber is nice - very quiet, a little narrow for my chubby butt but easy enough to use and fall alseep in.

 

[IFD324]

Man, you gotta go the tree saddle route. I thought they looked goofy too. So light weight and can get into any tree. Concealment is great

I have a Tethrd mantis and predator platform with Hawk Helium sticks. With a 5-step aider, I can get about 20 fit up. Since you can virtually get in any tree with a saddle, I've found myself only going up around 15 feet with good cover.

Good to know, thanks

 

[Mackerel]

I just started saddle hunting last year and I’ll never haul a stand on deep woods hikes again. I wear my saddle in and carry 3 sticks and a 3 step aided for extra height. Other than that, I carry a bow and pack. It’s hard to beat for long hikes and thick terrain.

 

[Felix40]

I tried a saddle for all my bear hunts last season. I am going back to a stand now. Things I didn’t like are:

You need more accessories and stuff to make it work. You HAVE to have a hook to hang your bow and backpack. It takes a little more time to put all that up and down in the tree. I can hang a lightweight stand faster than a saddle platform etc.

You can’t leave stuff in your pockets or it eventually will pinch you while in the stand. Phone, wallet, knife, wind checker, all need to go in the backpack. This can be a pain when you are eating a snack or something and need to stash it quickly.

Its harder to put on rain pants. This caused me to get soaked on one sit last season.

You need a little more open tree unless you set up to shoot directly behind you (which is less than ideal). The saddle relies on swinging around the tree to be able to “shoot 360 degrees” which requires a pretty open tree. Even to shoot just on your strong side you need to have no limbs on that side of the tree. With a stand you can set up to shoot straight out away from the tree and you naturally have better clearance not trying to shoot across limbs.

Its not as comfortable after 3 hours for me. I ended up adjusting and moving around a ton trying to stay comfortable.

Its not that much lighter unless you don’t use a platform. My saddle platform was 3lbs and my millennium m7 stand is 8.5lbs. I will carry the extra 5.5lbs for the extra convenience any day.


The positives of the saddle:
Its more compact and easier to carry through brush.

Without the platform you could get it down fairly light for backcountry hunts. Its less comfortable this way but for an elk/bear wallow 5 miles deep it might be worth a try.

 

[ConcreteManUp]

I know the reservations of switching from a tree stand to a saddle setup and I was skeptical at first. As a very mobile hunter on public land chasing whitetails i have found it to be the most versatile and lightweight option for my style of hunting. I actually find it much more comfortable than a tree stand because I can go from standing to sitting very easily with little movement. For a lightweight, mobile setup it’s sure hard to beat.

 

[Shupe88]

Novix is releasing some stands July 1st. It actually lone wolf portable. Gonna be 100% American made.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LostArra]

I tried a saddle for all my bear hunts last season. I am going back to a stand now. Things I didn’t like are:

You need more accessories and stuff to make it work. You HAVE to have a hook to hang your bow and backpack. It takes a little more time to put all that up and down in the tree. I can hang a lightweight stand faster than a saddle platform etc.

You can’t leave stuff in your pockets or it eventually will pinch you while in the stand. Phone, wallet, knife, wind checker, all need to go in the backpack. This can be a pain when you are eating a snack or something and need to stash it quickly.

Its harder to put on rain pants. This caused me to get soaked on one sit last season.

You need a little more open tree unless you set up to shoot directly behind you (which is less than ideal). The saddle relies on swinging around the tree to be able to “shoot 360 degrees” which requires a pretty open tree. Even to shoot just on your strong side you need to have no limbs on that side of the tree. With a stand you can set up to shoot straight out away from the tree and you naturally have better clearance not trying to shoot across limbs.

Its not as comfortable after 3 hours for me. I ended up adjusting and moving around a ton trying to stay comfortable.

Its not that much lighter unless you don’t use a platform. My saddle platform was 3lbs and my millennium m7 stand is 8.5lbs. I will carry the extra 5.5lbs for the extra convenience any day.


The positives of the saddle:
Its more compact and easier to carry through brush.

Without the platform you could get it down fairly light for backcountry hunts. Its less comfortable this way but for an elk/bear wallow 5 miles deep it might be worth a try.

My experience is very similar. I really wanted to like the saddle but just finally went back to the hang-on. I attributed it to being an old Boomer with too many years using a stand and sticks.

 

[Felix40]

My experience is very similar. I really wanted to like the saddle but just finally went back to the hang-on. I attributed it to being an old Boomer with too many years using a stand and sticks.

I certainly don’t fall into that category but I am a little hard headed about doing things my way.


Another huge downside I forgot to mention is that you can’t carry a handgun on your belt in a saddle. That’s a big deal for me because I was having to take my belt/gun off every time I went hunting.

 

[Justin.Medcalf]

I am a convert to the saddle system. I use an Aero kite and a DIY lonewolf seat platform. I also use SRT rope techniques to gain access. Total weight is 11 lbs for everything and I can get into any tree I want. Love it, super light weight and highly mobile.

 

[pirogue]

Another huge downside I forgot to mention is that you can’t carry a handgun on your belt in a saddle. That’s a big deal for me because I was having to take my belt/gun off every time I went hunting.

And I was convinced on no saddle for the PIA of putting on/taking off rain pants? I ain’t going into the woods without a handgun. I’m happy with my LW hand climber, Millenium (great seats) lock ons, LW sticks, and Klein gaffs.

 

[Mackerel]

I certainly don’t fall into that category but I am a little hard headed about doing things my way.


Another huge downside I forgot to mention is that you can’t carry a handgun on your belt in a saddle. That’s a big deal for me because I was having to take my

I attached clips from an inside the waistband holster to a kydex holster I wasn’t using and it clips in pretty tight to my saddle webbing. I wear it at about 7-8oclock (I’m a lefty). I covered the holster in stealth strips to keep noise down and it stays out of the way of my gear.

 

[archer85]

I have always had a bunch of pre-hung sets, but find myself getting stuck in a rut and always going back to the easy stands. I have 2 different early Muddy stands that are nice for mobility. The Vantage and Bloodsport are both good options. The Vantage has male-female post and base configuration that allows you to have the bases pre-hung in the tree and then you can use one stand for multiple sets. This isn't really a "mobile" option, but we used it a lot when we wanted double sets for filming but wanted to save stands. We could set the bases and carry the extra stand in with us wherever we happened to be hunting that day.

The Bloodsport has the rope and cam attachment which allows for silent and quick setup. I moved away from using a climbing stand after getting this Muddy stand because I could easily hunt from a tree that had more cover rather than climbing up a telephone pole.

New to the arsenal is the tree saddle. I borrowed one from a buddy toward the end of hunting season last year and really liked the weight and bulk savings over a stand. I ended up buying one myself and look forward to using it more this fall.

My mobile climbing option has always been the older muddy sticks. Rope and cam attachment with double fold out steps. I have really liked these over the years, but have recently been eyeing up a set of the Hawk steps for nothing more than a little weight savings.

 

[AFenny11]

I've been running the XOP vanish with Hawk Helium sticks plus an aider on the bottom step. I'd like to give the tethrd saddles a try

 

[CP6]

another vote for xop/Lone Wolf. It took me forever to spend the money; used nearly every brand from the cheap Academy, Summit, Etc etc. For me, they’re just easier to set up, lighter in most cases, and very well made. Only other is a Millenium with the comfy lounge chair. They’re heavy as crap compared to the LW, but I can sit in it all day a lot easier (read it’s super easy to fall asleep in one).

 

[Bighunt531]

Ive got an xop evo like new id sell for 150