|
The Ambush Saddle is the SAFEST (you are always attached to the tree), LIGHTEST (weighs about 2 pounds), QUIETEST (made from webbing, not creeky aluminum or steel), MOST MOBILE (fits in your backpack), MOST COMFORTABLE (you sit in a hammock like seat), MOST VERSATILE (you can shoot 360 degrees around most trees), MOST INNOVATIVE hunting system there is in todays market, PERIOD! John has been using this type of hunting system for over 25 years and Chris for nearly 20 years, and we would not even consider hunting from conventional hang-ons or climbers.
It is safe to say that at least half of John's 22 Michigan book bucks would not have been taken
had he not been using the Ambush style hunting system. Many of the trees from which the bucks were taken could not have been hunted from without a saddle style system. The saddle allows us to hunt from just about any tree, including trees with crooked trunks, and trees that are too small in diameter for conventional stands. The 360 degree mobility in the tree also allowed us to get off shots that would be impossible with any other type of system.
Tips on How to Set up in an Ambush Saddle
You have just purchased an item that
will change the way you hunt. This one tool will open up an entire new chapter
to your hunting mobility and therefore success, especially in pressured areas
where you must take advantage of every potential opportunity.
Here is what I suggest for first time saddle users. Watch the instructional DVD
several times with your saddle in front of or on you so that you become
comfortable and familiar with the straps.
1. Pick
out a tree in your yard (or telephone pole) and place steps around the tree
about 14 inches apart and all at the same level on the tree about 18 inches from
the ground. This is where you will practice shooting prior to season from ground
level so that you get used to and become comfortable with the concept of facing
the tree while being attached to a lead.
2. While
standing on the ground at the base of the tree, step into the saddle as shown on
the DVD. When putting on the saddle try to keep the top of the saddle (hammock
like seat) at waist level, do not allow it to climb or ride up your lower back
above your waist. If the saddle is allowed to climb farther up into your lower
back it will slightly confine your waist mobility when shooting behind you or
leaning back away from the lead strap for a shot.
Keep the bottom or lower portion of
the seat or saddle from going below the bottom crease of your butt cheeks.
Basically all you want the saddle to do is cradle just your butt. When it rides
below your butt cheeks and down onto your upper thighs it can possibly cut off
some of the circulation in your legs and possibly cause your legs to temporarily
fall asleep.
Once the saddle is on tighten the front cinch strap attached to the two sides of
the saddle until the saddle is tight around your waist. This will allow you to
climb without the saddle sliding down. Wrap the safety strap around the tree and
adjust it as needed for the diameter of the tree and climbing comfort. The
safety strap is also a nice feature because you can use the saddle for preparing
trees while scouting, keeping both hands free for screwing in steps, attaching
climbing sticks, or cutting branches.
Once you step up onto the steps you will be shooting or hunting from, adjust the
safety strap so that you can lean back a little and be comfortable while
attaching the lead strap, then (I know this will be tough for first time users,
but) let go of the tree. You should now have each foot on its own step, your
legs should be nearly straight (not bent at the knees), you should be leaning
back just a little, and both of your hands should be free to hook up the lead
strap.
Hook up the lead strap as shown in
the instructional DVD. Personally, I like to attach the lead strap a little
lower than advised in the DVD. I like the hook on the end of the lead to be no
higher than eye level once the lead is tied off. The instructions show it being
well above head level. With the hook at eye level the angle of the lead strap
coming off the tree is less severe (comes straighter off the tree) and when you
draw your bow with a shot 90 degrees directly to your left (if right handed),
your right elbow will easily go over the lead strap. When the hook of the lead
strap is tied high the angle of the lead strap is nearly straight down from the
tree and in the way with a 90 degrees shot to your left (if right handed). I
suggest trying both ways (per instructional DVD and my way) and use what is most
comfortable for you.
Always set up the saddle just as you would a tree stand with your
expected shot opportunity
being 90 degrees directly to your side (left if right handed and vise versa if
left handed). Yes you will be able to shoot all 360 degrees around most trees,
but you still want to make as little movement as possible when deer are close.
No matter what type of system you hunt from, you always want to keep movements
to an absolute minimum at crunch time.
3. Once the lead is hooked up to the saddle let the slack (loosen) totally back
out of the cinch strap and adjust your drape (how you sit or hang) with the lead
adjustment strap in front of you until you feel comfortable with the way you are
sitting. Loosening the cinch strap will allow the lead to slide along it when
you twist at the waist for shot opportunities behind you. Once connected to the
lead and comfortable in the saddle undo the safety belt and store it in its
respective pouch.
Pull up your bow and hang it on a
screw in bow hanger approximately 90 degrees to your left (if right handed), now
it is in a place close to your bow hand for easy access. I also put a bow hanger
on the opposite side of the tree so that if I need to swing around the tree for
a shot, I can move the bow to that hanger so it is ready.
If you carry a pack screw in another
bow hanger approximately 120 degrees to your right (if right handed) and hang it
on it, this will put it out of the way for any shot opportunity yet make it
accessible for taking calls, rangefinder, or anything else you may need out of
it. No matter what type of system you use, being familiar with it and being able
to easily perform every function automatically makes you a much more dangerous
hunter.
If you are practicing in the yard I
recommend setting up just as you would when hunting and practice every
application as if hunting.
Now, if you are in the yard you are
ready to practice and if you are in the field you are ready to do business.
4. When practicing, put targets in different directions and distances around the
tree and
practice moving slowly around the tree on the other steps you placed for
shooting in
all directions (there are no dead areas with the saddle). If moving around the
tree requires to much effort, place the steps closer together (less than the 14
inches apart that was earlier described), if it is easy to move around the tree
you may want to consider placing the steps a little farther apart when preparing
trees for hunting.
While hunting when you see a shot opportunity starting to present itself slowly
and methodically move into the correct position. I tend to hunt about 25 feet
high or higher depending on the type of tree and the available cover in it
because the foliage is generally gone in most trees by the rut phases when I do
most of my hunting. This added height also makes it easier to move without
getting picked off. Just like hunting at anytime and from any type of stand,
movements are always a judgement call as far as when and how you perform them.
You should, from your original position on the steps, without moving your feet,
be able to shoot nearly 180 degrees from 90 degrees directly to your left and 90
degrees directly to your right. When the saddle is put on in the proper manner
your waist movement should not be confined and you should be able to twist at
the waist and spin your upper body around to shoot the 90 degrees directly to
your right (if right handed). The cinch strap connecting the two sides of the
saddle will slide quietly through the loop in the lead as you spin around
allowing you to make this shot. For shots other than those you will be required
to move around the tree on the other steps you placed.
At any time during a hunt if you feel uncomfortable you can stand up to take the
pressure off the lead and adjust your drape (the angle you are hanging at) by
simply letting out or taking in some of the lead strap with the quick adjust
right in front of you (only an inch or two of adjustment will make a big
difference in your drape). I find myself doing this very so often when sitting
for long periods. My favorite position is to have my knees bent about 45% or so,
that way most of my weight is distributed into the saddle and not on my legs.
5. To get down re-attach the safety strap around the tree in the same position
you had it when you initially tied off the lead strap during set-up. Then unhook
the lead strap and place it back in its pouch. Now you can descend the tree
using the safety strap, adjusting it as you go down for the tree diameter.
When you prepare a tree for hunting,
do it just like you would a tree stand. Use whatever you normally use for
ascending the tree (I use screw-in tree steps simply because they take up less
space in my pack). When hunting I carry my saddle in my backpack along with my
other hunting gear and get into the saddle at the base of the tree. James Green,
the creator of the saddle concept wears his saddle around his waist from the
vehicle to the tree, try both and do whatever feels best for you.
I think it is very important that
once you are comfortable practicing from just off the ground that
you set up in a tree at a similar height to what you hunt from and get used to
that as well.
The saddle set-up is going to be
different than what you are used to and may take a little getting used to. That
is why I suggest practicing from it prior to season. Whatever you do, do not get
in it and give up on the concept because it is different. Stick with it, it is
much more comfortable that any stand once you get used to it, and the advantages
of it over conventional stands are huge and can not be disputed.
 Benefits of a saddle over any other types of stands!!!!
-The concept is simple, you hang in the Saddle from the trunk of the tree to
which you are securely fastened.
-You sit facing the tree with your legs somewhat straddling the trunk or your
knees into the trunk.
-Your feet rest on tree-steps placed around the tree, and they are used for
leverage while maneuvering, and as footrests while sitting.
-Once properly adjusted the saddle is very comfortable, and acts as its own
safety belt, and is almost impossible to fall out of once properly fastened to
the tree.
-To shoot, you stand up or lean back (straighten your legs) in the saddle away
from the tree.
-There is no platform to stand on and nothing to encumber movement around the
tree or make noise
-Bowhunting for mature bucks is all about being able to adapt to their
ever-changing movements.
-The more adept, and expedient you are at responding to changing deer movements,
the better your chances will be at tagging a trophy.
-Not only can you adjust to ever changing sign during the season, you can also
prepare as many trees prior to the season as you consider necessary, because you
only need one Saddle to hunt from all of your trees.
-Having many trees ready to hunt is a huge advantage from a surprise standpoint.
-You can clear out trees for every potential situation, you do not have to limit
yourself to a handful of spots. I have over fifty trees ready to hunt prior to
each season. Many have been in place for years and require some periodic
cleaning up and some are in new locations every year.
-Having so many trees ready for the season also allows you to rotate sites,
which increases your element of surprise and reduces both scent contamination
and general human presence in a hunting area.
-As you know pressured mature bucks do not tolerate known hunter presence.
-The saddles "specific" mobility, makes it possible to shoot a full 360 degrees
around most trees.
-Considering that mature bucks often come from unexpected directions during the
rut phases this is an important advantage.
-As you can see you have to make your sparse opportunities count and the
mobility and
shooting range advantages of the saddle will do that.
-Another major advantage is general mobility, or the ability to hunt almost any
tree in the woods. It is no longer a question of finding a tree to hunt out of,
but finding the right spot and making a tree work.
-With a saddle there are few limitations to tree diameters, branches, or
straightness. Trees leaning more than fifteen degrees will not give you the full
360 degree shooting circumference, but they are trees you couldn't even hunt
without the saddle.
-Another form of mobility is the ability to adjust to circumstances. If you
find a hot scrape area or fresh rub line it is no problem to quietly set up and
hunt in a matter of minutes if you take a set of steps with you.
-Weight and bulky treestand frames are also factors when reacting to fresh sign.
The Ambush, our lightest saddle weighs less than three pounds and can be carried
in your backpack. This eases opportunities to scout in heavy cover and set up on
the spur of the moment.
-Another major advantage is the fact that you can be sure your stand will be
there when you arrive because it is always with you.
-No more concern about other hunters hunting you location when you are not
there.
-Stolen tree stands are unfortunately a sad fact of life for anyone hunting
state land, or even private property in states with heavy hunting pressure. Not
any more, because your saddle is always with you.
-Yet another big plus is that you can keep the trunk of the tree that you are in
between you and the deer. As a non-targeted deer approach you slowly ease your
way around the trunk, out of sight of the deer. This keeps your silhouette from
sticking out from the tree. This is especially important in pressured areas
where deer tend to look for hunters in trees.
-Height is another big advantage, especially once the hunting gets good and the
foliage is gone from the trees. With a Saddle the only height constraint is your
ability to get up the tree. There should never be a fear of height because you
at all times have a safety system attached to the tree.
-Because saddles are all made from fabric there is no noise concerns with the
set-up. This is very important when setting up near where deer feed or bed.
-The mobility of the saddle makes it awesome for freelance hunting or on trips
to unknown properties.
-As with everything that has to do with hunting, the type of hunting system you
use is ultimately based on your own hunting situation, goals, and personal
preference. The Saddle is a tool that can be added to your hunting arsenal to
increase your element of surprise and success rate.
-It has completely changed the way I
hunt, providing unsurpassed ease of use and mobility. When used properly the
advantages it offers will without question increase the number of opportunities
you receive and the likelihood of success dramatically.
GOOD HUNTING
John Eberhart
The ability to comfortably freelance hunt through brush without a cumbersome stand on your back is a huge advantage in heavily hunted areas. Not having to worry about someone else hunting your stand when you are not there, or stealing it, because you always have it with you, is also mentally comforting. The Ambush Saddle has also passed all stringent TMA (Treestand Manufacturers Association) safety testing procedures, to make you the hunter, feel more comfortable and safe while hunting. The bottom line is that we use the Ambush Saddle because it is simply gives us an additional EDGE, and it can do the same for you!
The Ambush Saddle by Trophyline comes in four sizes: S-M-L-XL.
When ordering please choose your size by clicking on
the drop down menu below:
|
John has begun working together with Trophyline. He believes in the ultimate bowhunting mobility. The Ambush Saddle is now available. The Ambush Saddle is approved by the Treestand Manufacturers Association. (TMA) Order your own Ambush Saddle Today!
