Saddle Hunting: Why We're All In
If you’ve spent any time in the bow hunting space (particularly whitetail) over the last five years, chances are you know what a hunting saddle is. Over the last several years, saddle hunting has soared in popularity, and for good reason. Saddle companies have separated themselves from the short-term “fashion” trends and gimmicks that litter the hunting space. Saddle hunting has become a staple in hunters’ lives all across our great nation. They have proven their utility in every huntable state and continue to gain popularity among every type of hunter.
Once only viewed as a “young man’s game,” saddles are now the strategy of choice for hunters everywhere - everyone from young teens hunting with their dad to the older crowd that can still draw their bows and refuse to retire to a box stand. But if you think saddle hunting is some new-age trend cooked up by social media influencers, you are mistaken.
A Little History
The mid-1900s birthed the earliest forms of hunting-tailored tree saddles. A small, creative community of hunters began experimenting with alternative ways to deer hunt and eventually pieced together the first forms of the tree saddle — lighter and more practical, modeled after the rigs used by tree climbers in the California redwood forests.
Then in 1961, the Green family became the first to commercialize this phenomenon when they created Trophyline Tree Saddles. Trophyline took the tree saddle from a very niche, somewhat alien piece of gear to a more mainstream product. However, tree saddles never quite gained enough momentum to fully shake the “niche” label, and for decades they lay dormant underneath the proven ladder stands and eventual climbing stands that dominated the market.
Here at Spotted Dog Sporting Goods, we actually have some of the original Trophyline Tree Saddles. When compared to the modern tree saddles, it’s no longer a mystery as to why they were so slow to take off. While fascinating to look at, they weigh several times more than anything on the market today and are nowhere near as comfortable or practical.
Then came the internet. Websites and forums specifically dedicated to saddle hunting slowly boosted the product into a slightly brighter light. It wasn’t until the late 2010s that companies and hunters began to see the real monetary value in promoting saddles. At that point, with the tailwind of social media behind them, saddle hunting was poised to be the next big thing. And it delivered.
Where We Are Today
Today, saddle hunting is one of our top growing sectors. For the past three years, saddle sales have nearly doubled year over year. As avid saddle hunters ourselves, that’s genuinely exciting. Every day we hear more stories about success in the woods because of saddles, and every day we learn new techniques from regular “weekend” hunters just like us. The growth isn’t just happening at the consumer level, either — our vendors are innovating at incredible levels. Each year we get our hands on new product that flat-out laps the year before.
A few brands in particular have led the charge:
The Best Part
Perhaps the most exciting thing to come from the sudden surge of saddle hunting is the community that has formed around it. Saddle hunters are now part of a very exclusive club, and — at least to us — we feel a genuine sense of pride to be associated with arguably the most resilient group of hunters anywhere.
The countless stories of public land hunters walking miles through the toughest terrain, day after day, for the slightest chance at connecting with a whitetail — that’s a testament to the same mindset that created the hunting saddle in the first place. And that type of hunter is what we idolize the most.
Spotted Dog Sporting Goods - Proud to be in the saddle.
