SCENTLOK: With Expert Saddle-Hunting Input
Category: article
Sep 8th, 2022 by Keith Worrall
Modified Sep 8th, 2022 at 10:12 PM
Made for Success at Your Favorite Bowhunting Hangouts
Designed with input from saddle-hunting pioneer and expert, John Eberhart, the new ScentLok Saddle Hunter Jacket and Pant are optimized to give saddle hunters every advantage
Renowned Michigan bowhunter, John Eberhart, has harvested a remarkable 52 record-book bucks over the course of 55 seasons. What makes this incredible accomplishment even more remarkable is the fact that John has never owned or leased a hunting property, hunted a managed property, hunted a relative’s property, paid a dime to hunt anywhere, and doesn’t hunt over bait, mineral licks or food plots. All of his whitetail hunting has been exclusively done on public, free walk-on, cold-calling-for-free permission, and knock-on-doors-for-free permission properties.
How does he do it? What is John Eberhart’s secret?
The truth is, Eberhart doesn’t have just one secret. Like other seasoned hunters, he’s earned the benefits of his many years of experience, and you can certainly learn a lot of lessons in 55 years of hunting. Eberhart is always happy to share those lessons with fellow hunters in his many written articles, Eberhart Outdoors YouTube videos, his books, podcasts, instructional DVDs, and whitetail workshops.
Put simply, Eberhart is a self-taught hunter who has figured out what works and what doesn’t through trial and error. In fact, Eberhart says a lot of what he has read in magazine articles, books and seen on TV and in videos rarely works for him at all – at least not in the heavily pressured public-hunting areas he so often hunts. That said, there are a couple noteworthy constants to which some of his success might be attributed. Namely, Eberhart has consistently made ScentLok apparel the core of his scent-control regimen, and he has exclusively hunted from a tree saddle for the past 40+ years.
“I’ve worn properly-cared-for-and-stored ScentLok clothing for the past two decades and am 100% positive it has worked for me,” says Eberhart, who has never officially endorsed ScentLok’s products and has never accepted any monetary compensation from the brand. “But I guess part of that changed last summer when I teamed up with them to start collaborating on and designing the best new bowhunting apparel available for saddle hunters.”
The new ScentLok Saddle Hunter Jacket and Pant leverage ScentLok’s 30+ years of apparel knowledge and John Eberhart’s 40+ years of saddle-hunting experience to produce garments that are purpose-engineered and crafted to deliver new levels of saddle-hunting comfort and performance.
Eberhart designed the new ScentLok Saddle Hunter Jacket and Pant specifically for hunting the all-important three-to-four-week rut phase periods when temperatures are typically between 20 and 45 degrees in Northern Michigan. Statistically, Eberhart’s own research suggests 55% to 65% of record-book bucks are taken during these rut phases.
With respect to sizing, Eberhart’s observation is that most hunting outerwear is designed from the outside in, meaning hunters need a larger size if they want to wear additional layers beneath it. John deliberately designed the Saddle Hunter Jacket and Pant from the inside out to facilitate room for layering garments underneath for additional warmth when needed, with no need to go up in size.
Outside, a deadly-quiet, soft and deep fleece exterior fabric works with a WindBrake® windproof membrane and thermal-mapped Thinsulate™ insulation to deliver ample warmth, comfort, and silent performance. Inside, a wicking treatment and soft fleece lining provide additional comfort. In-between, proven deadly Carbon Alloy™ technology helps trap and adsorb odors so saddle hunters can worry less about the wind while earning more shot opportunities.
Eberhart dives deeper into the unique design features of the Saddle Hunter Jacket and Pant.
“If you’re using a tree saddle correctly, you aren’t sitting and you’re not standing; you’re somewhere in between,” he says. “That means a lot of times your knee are making contact with the tree, and it also means standard pocket placements and designs aren’t ideal for hand warming or for storing and accessing your critical gear.
“The Tree Saddle Pant has permanent, built-in knee pads that remain soft and quiet while protecting your knees when they are against the tree, along with protecting the fabric of the pants themselves from abrasion and premature wear,” Eberhart continues. “They did this while still managing to allow for full articulation in the knees to minimize any discomfort from binding. Four front pockets are spaced and located to make it easy to access gear in the positions saddle hunters most often find themselves in.”
Eberhart also says maintaining coverage is important for both comfort and scent control. “If you can feel that cold wind on your back between the waist of your pants and the bottom of your jacket, you’re probably not comfortable, but it also means you’ve got no carbon layer to help contain your scent,” says Eberhart. “The Saddle Hunter Pant has a slightly taller waist to help with that, along with a strong, built-in strap with a cinch buckle that really helps keep them secure and in place while you move around the tree. The Pant also has a two-way fly zipper, so it can be zipped from the bottom up, or top down.”
The Saddle Hunter Jacket is equally specialized, featuring a generous waist hem length in the back for maximum coverage and scent containment, along with three, saddle-hunting-optimized pockets. “There’s a zippered pocket on the chest with a zipper garage, and the two slash pockets are placed higher than normal to make it easy to access them while hunting,” says Eberhart, who mentions that significant consideration was given to the jacket’s collar as well. “Bowhunters like a tall collar for warmth and scent-containment, but I want that coverage and protection primarily on the back,” he says. “By gradually tapering the three-inch collar height in the back down to a one-inch height at the front, the collar passes comfortably beneath the ears while also eliminating that binding you sometimes get when you are layered up, wearing a facemask, and try to turn your head. This design is just very comfortable, yet blocks the wind from your neck.” Other bowhunter-friendly touches that will be appreciated by saddle hunters are the Saddle Hunter Jacket’s trim wrists and stretch-fit cuffs that work together to afford an unencumbered draw and release.
ScentLok Saddle Hunter Jacket Features
• Carbon Alloy™ technology for maximum odor adsorption & scent control
• WindBrake™ windproof design protects against harsh winds
• Thermal mapped Thinsulate™ insulation for warmth (100g body/80g sleeves)
• Wicking treated lining for moisture management
• Deadly-quiet 180g fleece outer shell
• 180g fleece lining for warmth
• High-rise tapered collar keeps back of neck protected while increasing comfort
• Three pockets (1 chest, 2 waist) for accessible gear storage and hand warming
• Higher positioned waist pockets for easy access above the bridge of your tree saddle
• Stretch cuffs for a secure fit
• Rear access opening facilitates use of a traditional treestand harness
• Available size SM – 3X in Mossy Oak Country DNA (238)
• Item No: 1023010
• MSRP: $199.99
ScentLok Saddle Hunter Pant Features
• Carbon Alloy™ technology for maximum odor adsorption & scent control
• WindBrake™ windproof design protects against harsh winds
• Thermal mapped Thinsulate™ insulation for warmth (100g body/80g sleeves)
• Wicking treated lining for moisture management
• Deadly-quiet 180g fleece outer shell
• 180g fleece lining for warmth
• Four front-facing pockets for easy access in the tree saddle
• Internal webbed belt with ladder lock buckle for a secure fit
• Built-in EVA foam knee pads for comfort and protection against abrasion
• High-rise on back side of waist for additional coverage when saddle hunting
• Articulated knees for mobility
• Available size SM – 3X in Mossy Oak Country DNA (238)
• Item No: 1023020
• MSRP: $199.99
Purpose engineered with insights and input from John Eberhart and built by ScentLok, the all-new Saddle Hunter Jacket and Pant exist to enhance the mobile, elevated tactics employed by saddle hunters while helping them earn more opportunities. They’ll be available at ScentLok dealers and at scentlok.com later this summer.
ABOUT NEXUS OUTDOORS
Nexus Outdoors, headquartered in Muskegon, MI, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of performance, hunting and casual odor-controlling apparel, footwear and equipment under the ScentLok Technologies®, OZ®, Blocker Outdoors®, Whitewater Outdoors® Hard Core® Waterfowl Hunting Apparel and Tree Spider® brands. It also owns American Range Systems, manufacturer and distributor of the world’s strongest and safest bullet traps. Nexus Outdoors is the only company with access to all scent-controlling technologies, including their patented Carbon AlloyTM and Cold Fusion CarbonTM technologies, which provide superior success in the field. ScentLok and Blocker Outdoors are pioneers in the hunting industry, which many credit with creating a market focused on superior scent control to get closer to big game.