Is your high seat camouflaged?

[John Gryphon]

Quite a few years ago I went Hog Deer 'hunting' A high seat was offered and as soon as I looked at the "open sided 4m high chair with ladder" I thought "NAH" as I would stick out like dogs nuts to any deer that ventured into my zone. 30-45 minutes later a woven array of leafy fronds decorated my seat rendering me basically invisible to any animals. Additional fronds were deliberately placed high without support so they moved with the breeze and I had cut an opening for the seat to sit back almost inside the best located bush.
It worked a treat as I took a stag and passed up a hind at extremely close range.
Question I ask is that besides the obvious fully enclosed seats do you blokes with open seats camo them in a similar manner. I read where a member announced that he gets spotted in a seat by game.
The thought also is to head off to the fake fern/plastic plants suppliers for some more permanent decorations.

Yeah yeah yeah to the blokes that have shot 100`s of deer from open seats lol....how many more would you have taken IF!

 

[NoIDeer]

My experience is if it doesn't move the deer get used to it. Had two deer walk past my car at last light tonight. If I'd been awake I might have got one!

 

[John Gryphon]

My experience is if it doesn't move the deer get used to it. Had two deer walk past my car at last light tonight. If I'd been awake I might have got one!

Not my point re the chair itself,its the hunter in the chair that benefits from being able to move unseen somewhat..lift rifle/pick nose etc

 

[willowbank]

Apart from some Brown/Black/Green woodstain to blend the woodwork in I don’t bother, just be sure to sit still and keep hand movements below the ‘parapet’

Willowbank

 

[Hayduke]

Agree John. I don't use high seats much, not the way I prefer to hunt, would rather rely on fieldcraft, what iv learnt, and luck to get onto them. However on the rare occasion I fancied a wee sit down in a high seat, I have had the odd deer spot me and bolt. Goodness knows how/why, maybe I had too much skin showing, my pearly whites , optical brighteners in laundry detergent, or I was simply an out of place feature on the deers regular run or territory.

 

[John Gryphon]

Apart from some Brown/Black/Green woodstain to blend the woodwork in I don’t bother, just be sure to sit still and keep hand movements below the ‘parapet’

Willowbank

My post is not about camouflaging the seat but the area that the occupant sits in so as to further hide him/her/them/us/they. Movement above the box in your photos could be spotted,this is where a foliage screen to me is of importance.

 

[The Singing Stalker]

Not had an issue myself. It is important to sit still and try to move when the deer is looking away. But I spose if there is a lot of pressure in that area they may be very wary.

 

[Cris]

No, never bothered with netting or other camo stuff. Had deer walking right under them regularly with me sat there. Movement is the key and if you stay still and make slow movements if you need, then all good. Deer will get used to things in their home range and ignor them if they present no threat like an empty high seat.

I even use a portable seat and move it around, putting it up for evening I want to use it in an area I have no other seats, and that just gets ignored and it is a very minimal design as a portable seat.

People do say you need to camouflage them and install them days / weeks before you use them but in 30 plus years its not been my experiance in the UK at least.

Cris

 

[NoIDeer]

Not my point re the chair itself,its the hunter in the chair that benefits from being able to move unseen somewhat..lift rifle/pick nose etc

If you want to build a hide in the sky...
My experience is birds and other creatures sh1t all over the place help themselve to anything loose and take up residence anywhere there's shelter. I climbed into a wasps nest one time!
I don't like the things btw.

 

[Erik Hamburger]

Yes some of my high seats have some camo netting on it, and/or are pained NATO green (Some high seat manufacturers offer this choice - highly recommended).
Some galvanised seats that aren't painted green when purchased will get a few licks of dark green pain here and there to break up the outline from a distance.
Primary purpose of all this is to hide the high seat from other humans, not from deer.
Where a seat is quite close to the expected culling zone I agree that some netting over the shooting bar could help to hide your movements from deer.

 

[Andy seatrout]

I camouflage mine - only a bit of netting just to break up the outline when you’re sat in the seat.

I used to do a lot of pigeon decoying, where hide prep is worth the effort, as prey species pigeons are pretty switched on…

I’ve not yet asked a deer if they can see me or not but I know that it makes a difference when you’re fox shooting….. so it gives me confidence….

Here’s a picture of a high seat I installed on Saturday - it was galv and the paint wore off the rungs so I put some tape on it so it didn’t shine ( it’ll dull down in time)

 

[hunta]

I camouflage mine - only a bit of netting just to break up the outline when you’re sat in the seat.

I used to do a lot of pigeon decoying, where hide prep is worth the effort, as prey species pigeons are pretty switched on…

I’ve not yet asked a deer if they can see me or not but I know that it makes a difference when you’re fox shooting….. so it gives me confidence….

Here’s a picture of a high seat I installed on Saturday - it was galv and the paint wore off the rungs so I put some tape on it so it didn’t shine ( it’ll dull down in time)

I agree with Andy. Helps conceal movement. Saying that the majority of seats that I sit in have no netting and provided you're quiet and still the deer don't appear to see you.

 

[Milligan]

my tuppence is it really depends what is behind you/seat. if nothing but sky then I think it will be more likely to spook, if a tree, then likely less to worry about.

 

[John Gryphon]

just be sure to sit still and keep hand movements below the ‘parapet’

That is the point imo,its whats sticking out above the 'box walls' that warrants a screen so as to conceal movement...some like to have a thermos of Bovril lol and that all equates to movement to be seen by game.

 

[Andy seatrout]

Whilst the level of camo I put up is not a great deal, and designed to allow you to move freely to take a shot from a good wide angle, it goes hand in hand with reducing any shine - I wear hat, gloves and one of those deerhunter face/ neck masks with the netting in the front ( stops my specs steaming up…..)

It just makes you not obviously ‘man shaped’ but it’s not a panacea just a bit of additional help, breaks up the outline, reduces the chance of deer seeing you before you see them, I still move and mount the gun fairly slowly…. Might just improve your chances 10%

 

[John Gryphon]

Might just improve your chances 10%

I believe it is a far higher chance rate than 10% Andy.

 

[NewForester]

Quite a few years ago I went Hog Deer 'hunting' A high seat was offered and as soon as I looked at the "open sided 4m high chair with ladder" I thought "NAH" as I would stick out like dogs nuts to any deer that ventured into my zone. 30-45 minutes later a woven array of leafy fronds decorated my seat rendering me basically invisible to any animals. Additional fronds were deliberately placed high without support so they moved with the breeze and I had cut an opening for the seat to sit back almost inside the best located bush.
It worked a treat as I took a stag and passed up a hind at extremely close range.
Question I ask is that besides the obvious fully enclosed seats do you blokes with open seats camo them in a similar manner. I read where a member announced that he gets spotted in a seat by game.
The thought also is to head off to the fake fern/plastic plants suppliers for some more permanent decorations.

Yeah yeah yeah to the blokes that have shot 100`s of deer from open seats lol....how many more would you have taken IF!

I have camp netting around mine. Hard to sit motionless for hours.

Sitting in open highseats that I didn't own, and taking a leaf out of your book, I used to sit in a Ghillie Suit.

 

[willowbank]

That is the point imo,its whats sticking out above the 'box walls' that warrants a screen so as to conceal movement...some like to have a thermos of Bovril lol and that all equates to movement to be seen by game.

I put shelves in my seats, again well below the ‘parapet’, so that lads can set out all their bits n pieces and get comfortable. All the seats have big solid tree trunks as visual back stops, but they are also sheeted completely at the back to weather/wind proof them.

WB

 

[Rizla_green]

Me standing up and waving at them.
And then 10 seconds later going on with there business

 

[Rizla_green]

Mind you the roe haven’t been shot over that land for 20 years.