How-To
Technique guides for the climb, the wind, calling, scouting, and food plots, with sources for every claim.
These guides are about doing, not buying. Each one cites its sources, and where advice comes from research rather than first-hand use, it says so.
In the tree
Getting up quietly and staying hidden once you're there.
Climbing Stick Aiders: Do You Need One?
What an aider adds, how much height it buys with fewer sticks, where it belongs on your stick stack, and the tradeoff between cheap rope aiders and rigid steps.
Saddle Comfort on Long Sits: Knee Pads, Foot Position, and Small Height Changes
Where the pressure comes from on an all-day saddle sit, the adjustments that fix it, and whether knee pads are worth $75.
Shot Angles From a Saddle: What's Comfortable, What Takes Practice
How to set your platform for the shots you'll get, which angles feel easy from a saddle, and where to aim from above, backed by hunter education sources.
Saddle Hunting Tethers, Bridges and Lineman's Belts Explained
The three pieces that keep a saddle hunter on the tree, what each one does, and the connection order makers spell out, sourced from Tethrd's instructions and TMA.
How to Silence Climbing Sticks for Saddle Hunting: Cheap Fixes That Work
Bungee cord, Stealth Strips, hockey tape on the carabiners, an aider, and a lot of practice. Here is how I keep my climb quiet without spending much.
Wind, scent, and calling
Keeping deer from smelling you, and when a call helps or hurts.
Calling During the Rut: Pre-Rut, Peak and Post-Rut
What research says about how bucks answer calls and rattling through the rut, how calling changes from pre-rut to post-rut, and what to carry.
How to Hunt the Wind for Whitetails: Wind, Thermals, and Access
Reading the wind for whitetails in plain terms: how scent moves, what thermals do, how to plan your access, and how to check it all from the tree.
Scent Control on a Budget: A Bowhunter's Tote, Wash, and Wind Routine
My whole scent setup is a hardware store tote, a baking soda sachet, unscented soap and detergent, and a wind checker. Here is the routine, why each step matters, and what to skip.
When and How to Call Deer With a Grunt Call: A Bowhunter's Guide
When to grunt, when to stay quiet, and how loud to go through the season. Plus the adjustable call I carry and the podcast episodes worth your drive time.
Scouting and land
Finding the right tree before you walk in, and feeding deer on a small budget.
How to Use onX Hunt for Whitetail and Saddle Hunting
A practical walkthrough of onX Hunt for whitetail and saddle hunters: property lines, e-scouting terrain, waypoints and trail cams, wind, offline maps, recovery, and what each plan costs.
No-Till Food Plots on a Budget: Planting Domain No BS With Hand Tools
My go-to food plot seed is Domain's No BS no-till mix. Here is how to get a small plot in with a rake, a spreader, and good timing, plus what's worth spending on.
Permethrin for Hunting Clothes: Early Season Ticks and Chiggers
How to treat hunting clothes with permethrin for early season ticks and chiggers, how long it lasts, and the safety rules from the CDC, EPA and the label.
New to saddles? Start with the beginner path.