New to deer hunting and will be on public land. Best mobile stand set up to get up a tree

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Is there a consensus go to? Is saddle the only option?

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A saddle is I guess the newer thing in hunting right now, but it’s not the only option no. You can get a tree stand climber, but those are much more bulky and require more effort getting into and out of the woods.

I don’t personally saddle hunt, but everything I have heard and read says great things. There’s a lot of great youtube videos of how to start saddle hunting.

Other guys on here can give you recommendations for specific setup options.

On my public land, I’d recommend a saddle. I used climbers for the longest time, love them, but a saddle is lighter and more versatile.

I hunted a saddle for 8 years and in thr last two years I've switched to a light weight lock on set up, and I'm preferring it. I started with and XOP then went to the lone wolf .5. Not sure what type of terrain you hunt. Where I am, it's river bottom swamp, a lot of big timber but very low canopy. I'm gravitating towards hunting much lower in the tree with the mobile lock on. For the area I hunt, I just always had trouble finding a tree that I wasn't silhouetted in, or having to get too high where I was in thr canopy and loosing visibility. I find the better mobile lock on and the saddle to both be about the same as far as ease of set up. For me, I can remain more still and sit longer in the lock on vs the saddle.
This is all for bow season. When gun comes in, on thr public land I hunt I hunt from the ground. In my pack I carry just a folding type dove seat and some of the old army surplus type camo webbing and just make impromptu ground blinds in areas that I want to hunt. Can be more mobile than way, and in the area I hunt I can see farther from the ground vs a tree.
If your hunting plantation pines, I still think climbing stands have there place too.

Climber

Also live in BR and public land hunt.

I would recommend getting a light climber and starting there. You really get into hunting get a saddle. Summit makes climbers that are like 18lbs.

Tunica Hills WMA could offer ground hunting opportunities as well.

Scout A LOT and get OnX or something similar if you don’t already have it.

Squirrel hunt a lot to figure out the woods.

I use a summit viper climber, but it's the only kind I've tried. I could probably pull off saddle, but other than being easier to carry around, is it more parts/steps to get up? I should try it out I guess. I'm also open to a lighter climber, old man style but newer.

Either way, if the woods can support it, I recommend being up high. It makes all the difference in my experience, but on the woods-dependent angle - it also limits where you end up.

Also.

Always wear a harness or other safety line/saddle in the air!

I have the same tree seat. It's fantastic if you can get some cover.

I also have a summit viper sd. After I added all of the possible enhancements, it was too bulky. So i stripped it down and put the Hazemore basketball net seat and upgraded shoulder straps. It really makes a difference in weight and ease of use.

Like others have said, scout and if you see some nice pine trees that would be good for a climber, use a climber....if you dont, sit next to a tree that's wider than your shoulders and be very still

Early season I use a lone wolf sit and climb top at my climbing device and an arsenal saddle, 30ft of rope and a madrock safeguard. It’s my favorite way to climb because I despise sticks. Late season or places where there are no climb able trees, I hunt from the ground.