Over the past few seasons, the saddle hunting craze has swept the hunting world. Initially tree saddles were only used by a small group of dedicated hunters. Now, tons of people looking for a viable mobile solution had flocked to saddle hunting, finding it easy, safe and comfortable.

I first heard of saddle hunting in college. From what I could tell at the time, saddle hunting didn’t make any sense. Straps hung everywhere, one wrong move and you’d fall out of the tree and there was no way hanging in what looked to be a tree diaper could be comfortable at all. I decided to stick with my 20lb steel climber. Sure I couldn’t use it on a ton of trees and yes it was loud. But it was safe.

Like thousands of other hunters in Michigan (and around the country), I was able to hit the woods for the first time this past weekend. I picked an area that I had lightly hunted over the past few years and decided to jump right into an area I believed would be great during the early season. I hiked back in a mile and slowly crept into my spot - a location I believed to be situated right outside of a bedding area on public land. As I began to get set up, I heard crashing through the swamp… and coughing… and metal clanking. Someone had blown up my area and walked right through the bedding area.

I spent the majority of my early years uncomfortable while I was out hunting. My clothing “system” was made up of assorted gear from the Army surplus store, a sweat suit and hand-me-downs. As the temps would drop, I’d add another layer of cotton clothing (in no particular order) and sweat my butt off as I walked out to my stand. Within an hour, I’d be slightly damp and freezing.

It goes without saying that COVID-19 has significantly influenced our lives this year. From shutdowns to mandatory masks, we’ve all felt the weight brought on by the virus. However, it’s a bit short sighted to say all of its effects have been bad; right now we’re seeing a mass movement back towards the outdoors.

Imagine this: you're nestled in your hunting spot on opening day, waiting for a big buck to come through the thicket on the edge of a swamp. The more you think about the possibility of a bruiser breaking through that small patch of woods, the more you concentrate on it. Suddenly you hear it - leaves crunching. It sounds like a big boy's headed your way and you feel the blood drain from your legs as your grip your bow.

Why do you hunt? Maybe you’ve never taken the time to think through the question. I know I haven’t until relatively recently. In my younger days I would have answered with something like "because it's awesome" (as Kid Rock once said, at that time my thoughts were short and my hair was long).

Much attention is given to perfect tree stand setups, placement, or even height in hunting magazines, blogs and forums. While these are all certainly important, one of the most important aspects of hunting is often overlooked. Determining the best entry and exit route is as important, if not more important, to your success in the deer woods this fall. A truly great stand is made by your ability to get into and out of it without alerting deer. So here are a few tactics we use to get in and out of our hunting locations clean and effective.