What I Wish I Knew Before I Started Saddle Hunting By Cory Gurman

It’s not as easy as YouTube makes it look, but it’s worth the work.

The summer after my senior year of high school, I was gearing up for a move to Tennessee for college and falling headfirst into the world of saddle hunting. I spent hours watching videos of guys swinging around in trees, making 360-degree shots on giant bucks look effortless. It felt like they had completely cracked the code. Mobile, lightweight, and able to hunt just about anywhere? I was all in. Everything I saw made saddle hunting seem like the ultimate tool for a serious bowhunter.

And in a lot of ways, it is. But there’s a lot those videos don’t show you.

Saddle hunting is not just a hang-and-hunt system. It’s not mindless. It’s not effortless. And while it can give you 360-degree shooting lanes and the ability to set up anywhere, that only happens when you put in hours of practice and learn the system from the ground up.

Looking back, there are a few key things I wish I had known before jumping in. They would’ve saved me a lot of frustration, missed opportunities, and busted hunts. If you’re new to the saddle game or just thinking about getting started, this one’s for you.

Those 360-Degree Shots? Not As Easy As They Look

One of the biggest selling points you’ll hear (and see) is how saddle hunters can shoot in any direction. In theory, that’s true. In practice? Those “hero shots” take a ton of reps, body control, and more than a little luck.

There’s nothing casual about swinging around the tree to draw your bow behind you. You’re dealing with awkward angles, uneven footing, and a target who can see a heck of a lot better than we can.  You can make those shots, but not without a serious amount of practice and, more importantly, realistic expectations.

I used to think saddle hunting would open up the whole forest for shot opportunities. Now I know: you need to plan for the shots that actually work best for your body and setup. For me, that’s mostly from my strong side, between 9 and 12 o’clock. I’ve practiced the tough ones, sure, but when a mature buck steps out, I’m not banking on a 270-degree lean-around-the-tree shot. I’m positioning myself beforehand to take the best shot available.

You’re Not Invisible—The Tree You Pick Matters

Here’s something else I learned the hard way: tree selection is everything. When I started, I was focused on finding trees close to fresh sign. I didn’t care much about the shape or cover—if it was tall and straight, I was in.

And deer busted me constantly.

A straight, leafless tree might look great to your climbing sticks, but to a whitetail? You’re basically a blinking neon sign. The moment you shift your weight or reach for your bow, it’s game over.

Now, I hunt the ugliest trees I can find. I look for trunks with splits, weird bends, branches at odd angles—anything to break up my outline. Bonus points if I can tuck into a fork or get just below a leafy section for cover.

And I’ll be honest: some of my best hunts have come in trees that most people would walk right past. A nasty tree with a split ten feet up will hide you a lot better than a straight one with your platform strapped in 30 feet off the ground. It’s not about comfort or height—it’s about concealment.

It Takes Time to Get Comfortable (And That’s Okay)

When I first got my setup, I thought I’d be hunting like a pro in a week. I couldn’t wait to get out there and start slinging arrows. But the truth is, saddle hunting has a real learning curve, and it’s different for everyone.

It took me about 10 hunts just to feel comfortable leaning back in my saddle. Getting quiet on the climb, dialing in my tether and platform angle, and learning how to move efficiently once I was set—all of that took even longer. Then came the real challenge: drawing my bow from different angles without making noise or losing balance. That took another few dozen hunts, at least. And even now, with over 130 hunts under my belt, I’m still fine-tuning my setup every single sit.

That process? It’s part of what makes saddle hunting so rewarding. You’re not just climbing a tree and sitting still. You’re constantly learning, adjusting, refining. It turns every hunt into a craft, and when it finally all clicks, it’s incredibly satisfying.

Saddle Hunting Isn’t for Everyone—And That’s Okay, Too

Don’t let the hype fool you. Saddle hunting is a fantastic tool, but it’s not a magic bullet. It takes patience, mobility, a decent level of fitness, and a willingness to tinker. You’re going to mess up early on. You’ll pick bad trees. You’ll botch shot opportunities. But if you stick with it, you’ll find that the system really starts to work with you.

I’ve learned which accessories actually help, how high I like to climb, and which shot angles are realistic for me. I’ve learned that comfort in the tree matters, but cover matters more. And I’ve learned that just because a system is “mobile” doesn’t mean it’s mindless.

Final Thoughts: Be Honest, Stay Patient, and Put in the Reps

If I could talk to myself back when I first bought my saddle setup, I’d say this: You’re going to love this system, but it’s going to take time. It’s going to challenge the way you think about hunting from a tree. It’ll force you to move better, plan smarter, and adapt more. But if you give it the time it deserves, it’s going to change the way you hunt forever.

So if you’re thinking about diving into saddle hunting, go for it, but go in with your eyes open. It’s not effortless. It’s not automatic. And those highlight-reel shots? They’re real—but they’re rare.

What’s not rare is the satisfaction of walking back to your truck, knowing you outsmarted a deer from a tree no one else would have picked. That part? That’s every bit as good as it looks online.