The early success high seat conundrum

[muddy42]

Sitting in a high seat on a fine early morning is to me one of the least boring things to do.
I have watched nature's glory hudreds of times. From a family of stoats acting like a brown snake to long tailed tits chittering in the vegetation round my head as they constantly move on in search of insects. All these things connect me with the atmosphere that takes me into that purpose for which.I am there. There are plain shooters and there are those interested in the whole of the natural world. I know which I am, do you?

I don't think its as black and white and I don't need to sit in a seat to appreciate what you describe. I do walk pretty slowly and stop regularly.

Its just I sit on my arse behind a desk a lot of the time and I like a bit of exercise. Plus I like to see whats going on around and about - tour of the patch so to speak - what trees are in leaf or have blown over, are there ducks on the pond, is the braken smothering those trees, picking litter, have the sheep escaped and one million other management tasks.

 

[Ratel]

I don't think its as black and white and I don't need to sit in a seat to appreciate what you describe. I do walk pretty slowly and stop regularly.

Its just I sit on my arse behind a desk a lot of the time and I like a bit of exercise. Plus I like to see whats going on around and about - tour of the patch so to speak - what trees are in leaf or have blown over, are there ducks on the pond, is the braken smothering those trees, picking litter, have the sheep escaped and one million other management tasks.

Didn't realise you were desk bound, could try running to work for exercise. We all tour our patch to take note of things and sometimes we do the tasks but generally on separate visits. Over a very long period I have stalked on foot, on the hill, on open farmland and in various types of woodland. When doing that I have never been bored and have noticed many things whilst doing it. However sitting in a high seat with a fixed area of land to view, you tend to notice a lot more detail. The flick of an ear which you may miss while walking, but then whatever floats your particular boat. Try to enjoy the odd bit of boredom it does bring it's benefits.

 

[sh1kar]

So you are on a Munty mission for a friend, local farmer, lovely organic beaf herd, wants them kept in check (TB etc)

Nice high seat in but on the edge if the wood.

Sat for 18:00 , Munty doe shot at 19:00, plenty of time left and vehicle not far away.

What next ?

Leave seat, gralloch, return to vehicle , job done.

As above then return to seat hope for another.

As above but have a wander through the wood, hoping for another.

Stay in seat leave deer on ground, its not hot and you shot it high shoulder, hope another comes along.

Or has the shot sent them all packing.

Over to SD

Go home and have a massive gin and tonic and a Hoyo do Monterey in the sunshine on your patio

 

[Mr. Gain]

I don't think there's a genuine high-seat/stalk dichotomy when it comes to seeing interesting things - one just tends to see different things.

Also, all high seats are not the same from a nature-watcher's point of view.

I have a couple that are excellent for catching deer crossing between woods, but until the deer turn up there is really nothing to see except grass/crops and sky.

Other seats, especially ones in old woodland or overlooking ponds, give you so much to see that it's almost difficult to remember to look out for the odd deer wandering by.

 

[Mr. Gain]

I sat still for three hours in a bluebell wood yesterday afternoon, bathed in fragrance, and serenaded by woodpeckers, wood pigeons, robins blackbirds and song thrushes, with the occasional hoot of a tawny owl and crowing of a cock pheasant thrown in for good measure.

I wasn't too fussed about shooting deer, and I had the little rifle, so I popped off any grey squirrel I saw (4. It should have been 5, but I mistimed a shot and sent the bullet over its head). Then along came a muntjac doe, followed a couple of minutes later by a buck. A good result for a bit of sitting still, but I think I still prefer stalking.

 

[VSS]

Sitting in a high seat on a fine early morning is to me one of the least boring things to do.
I have watched nature's glory hudreds of times. From a family of stoats acting like a brown snake to long tailed tits chittering in the vegetation round my head as they constantly move on in search of insects. All these things connect me with the atmosphere that takes me into that purpose for which.I am there. There are plain shooters and there are those interested in the whole of the natural world. I know which I am, do you?

Absolutely this ^^^

 

[Ratel]

I sat still for three hours in a bluebell wood yesterday afternoon, bathed in fragrance, and serenaded by woodpeckers, wood pigeons, robins blackbirds and song thrushes, with the occasional hoot of a tawny owl and crowing of a cock pheasant thrown in for good measure.

I wasn't too fussed about shooting deer, and I had the little rifle, so I popped off any grey squirrel I saw (4. It should have been 5, but I mistimed a shot and sent the bullet over its head). Then along came a muntjac doe, followed a couple of minutes later by a buck. A good result for a bit of sitting still, but I think I still prefer stalking.

W

 

[Ratel]

I sat still for three hours in a bluebell wood yesterday afternoon, bathed in fragrance, and serenaded by woodpeckers, wood pigeons, robins blackbirds and song thrushes, with the occasional hoot of a tawny owl and crowing of a cock pheasant thrown in for good measure.

Funnily enough you have just brought a similar experience back to me. Thank you.
I was in a small bluebell filled mature coppice at the end of a deep wooded valley.newly planted and called the Target ground. This because it was a sniper training ground WW2. The air was filled with those sounds you mention plus a myriad of blackcaps and whitethroats.
My wife was further down the valley in a high seat as Lord D who I stalked for was concerned with Roe damage in this area. I saw one buck but not a chance, my wife shot two and I was loathe to move from such a spot, but duty called and spoiled the moment.

 

[Nimrod1960]

Advice taken and put into practice.

Worth the 03:30 alarm.View attachment 472240

View attachment 472241View attachment 472242

And here he is

 

[Nimrod1960]

And the last word:

 

[Leec6.5]

So you are on a Munty mission for a friend, local farmer, lovely organic beaf herd, wants them kept in check (TB etc)

Nice high seat in but on the edge if the wood.

Sat for 18:00 , Munty doe shot at 19:00, plenty of time left and vehicle not far away.

What next ?

Leave seat, gralloch, return to vehicle , job done.

As above then return to seat hope for another.

As above but have a wander through the wood, hoping for another.

Stay in seat leave deer on ground, its not hot and you shot it high shoulder, hope another comes along.

Or has the shot sent them all packing.

Over to SD

Out of seat, collect and stick it, then back in seat and gralloch when session is over.

Then get back in the seat, whether there is one there’s usually another not too far away!

If the wind isn’t not in your favour to collect, leave it where is is and pick up after the session.

That’s the way I’ve always done it.

 

[Leec6.5]

And here he is
View attachment 472782

2 Cracking key rings and a pointless bit of tin sprayed gold and £40 worse off!

Just my opinion.

 

[Tim.243]

And the last word:

View attachment 478149

Last word from the 45gallon drum

@Leec6.5

 

[jall55]

Pair of cracking heads - well done Nimrod

Then a couple of trolls

 

[Bowland blades]

TB my arse in all my years of stalking I am yet to hear of see a muntjac with TB

Nice buck but it will eat like big old bucks always do, tough as old boot

Hopefully , you still check - It will happen just really a case of when

 

[tgb]

Never leave your post! I’d stay put!

 

[Heym SR20]

There are high seats and high seats. The school chair on a ladder type I just think are a disaster waiting to happen. They are cold, uncomfortable and you can never properly relax.

A proper high seat, as in a hut on legs that is comfortable, weather proof is another thing entirely. Make sure you are comfortable and have a rug / blanket/ sleeping bag / ansitz sac to wrap around you. Have a flask and water plus something to eat and a good book. And settle in. Don’t expect anything in the first hour. Switch the brain off and have a snooze. Once nature has accepted that you are there just stay there.

If you shoot something, reload and wait. If you can see it and its clearly dead. Fantastic. If its not then the highseat is probably the best place from which to shoot it again. If its not then has run out of sight, waiting will do no harm at all. It will probably have run, run out of blood pressure and is dead. If its not dead it will have almost certainly couched up in the first bit of decent cover. Leave it for a good time it will die in peace. Or really stiffen up and thus unable to do very or go far. Go after it too quickly it will run on adrenaline into the next county.

After the shot, provided you don’t go blundering about, chances are other animals will come out quite quickly.

But there is always - what’s happening around the corner temptation.

I think the best way with highseat shooting is for a few to be out at the same time all in different highseats. You can all keep in contact and at the end of the session all help each other on the recovery.

 

[Chris Richardson]

There are high seats and high seats. The school chair on a ladder type I just think are a disaster waiting to happen. They are cold, uncomfortable and you can never properly relax.

A proper high seat, as in a hut on legs that is comfortable, weather proof is another thing entirely. Make sure you are comfortable and have a rug / blanket/ sleeping bag / ansitz sac to wrap around you. Have a flask and water plus something to eat and a good book. And settle in. Don’t expect anything in the first hour. Switch the brain off and have a snooze. Once nature has accepted that you are there just stay there.

If you shoot something, reload and wait. If you can see it and its clearly dead. Fantastic. If its not then the highseat is probably the best place from which to shoot it again. If its not then has run out of sight, waiting will do no harm at all. It will probably have run, run out of blood pressure and is dead. If its not dead it will have almost certainly couched up in the first bit of decent cover. Leave it for a good time it will die in peace. Or really stiffen up and thus unable to do very or go far. Go after it too quickly it will run on adrenaline into the next county.

After the shot, provided you don’t go blundering about, chances are other animals will come out quite quickly.

But there is always - what’s happening around the corner temptation.

I think the best way with highseat shooting is for a few to be out at the same time all in different highseats. You can all keep in contact and at the end of the session all help each other on the recovery.

Not true really I’ve been in highseats plenty of times and shot a deer or fox within 10 minutes of being there

 

[Tim.243]

There are high seats and high seats. The school chair on a ladder type I just think are a disaster waiting to happen. They are cold, uncomfortable and you can never properly relax.

A proper high seat, as in a hut on legs that is comfortable, weather proof is another thing entirely. Make sure you are comfortable and have a rug / blanket/ sleeping bag / ansitz sac to wrap around you. Have a flask and water plus something to eat and a good book. And settle in. Don’t expect anything in the first hour. Switch the brain off and have a snooze. Once nature has accepted that you are there just stay there.

If you shoot something, reload and wait. If you can see it and its clearly dead. Fantastic. If its not then the highseat is probably the best place from which to shoot it again. If its not then has run out of sight, waiting will do no harm at all. It will probably have run, run out of blood pressure and is dead. If its not dead it will have almost certainly couched up in the first bit of decent cover. Leave it for a good time it will die in peace. Or really stiffen up and thus unable to do very or go far. Go after it too quickly it will run on adrenaline into the next county.

After the shot, provided you don’t go blundering about, chances are other animals will come out quite quickly.

But there is always - what’s happening around the corner temptation.

I think the best way with highseat shooting is for a few to be out at the same time all in different highseats. You can all keep in contact and at the end of the session all help each other on the recovery.

If you do you homework correctly then you don't need a book/flask


Arrived at 7.25pm

 

[Sol]

Muntjac Is a muntjac they've got too be shot, but can we appreciate just how young of an animal that big stonker is? the length of the pedical, for the mass and length of the antler is nuts, must be some fairly good feed or genetics in that area.