How effective are high seats ?

[Lloyd90]

Been this week and bought a Summit Stalker High Seat from Sportsman Gun Centre. Will have it up in place on the weekend and should be sat up in it asap Just wondering how effective they actually are ?

I know from my game cam that deer frequent the spot I have picked, yet every time I go n sit out down there am failing to spot any

 

[Spix]

I've recently taken four Muntjac does within 30m of a high seat and in the Summer had a roe buck standing on the paving slab beneath it ; placement, timing, patience. S

 

[Eric the Red]

At the risk of sounding crass, it's your technique more than the tools you use that determines how successful you are. If you sit very very still they will come incredibly close. The benefit of a high seat is that it lifts you above the deers common line of sight and smell. I have regularly had deer and other animals move directly underneath the high seat I've been in - but if you move too quickly, they'll see for sure - so your fieldcraft has to remain good. If your game cam tells you they're there, sit still and at some point fate will bring you and the right animal together. Best of luck!

 

[willie_gunn]

Been this week and bought a Summit Stalker High Seat from Sportsman Gun Centre. Will have it up in place on the weekend and should be sat up in it asap Just wondering how effective they actually are ?

I know from my game cam that deer frequent the spot I have picked, yet every time I go n sit out down there am failing to spot any

I find them as effective as "walk and stalk", but just my personal experience.

That said, if you're only putting the seat up this weekend I would question whether the deer will be spooked by it. I always figure they look and think "what's wrong with this picture" when you first put up a high seat. I'd prefer to locate/re-locate a seat and then leave it a week or so for the deer to familiarise themselves to it.

Of course that wouldn't explain why portable high seats can be effective

willie_gunn

 

[Monkey Spanker]

Lots of things can affect mate. Does your route in disturb them? Does the seat face predominantly into wind - they can still wind you up in a seat! Is the seat skylined so that they can see you move? It is usually best to have a seat set back from a wood and not actually in it. Try and establish movement patterns with your trail cam and then be there at the right time. Good luck!
MS

 

[Lloyd90]

Cheers for the help guys, I haven't had the seat up before, just gone down and tucked away. When down there the woods are quite thick so I couldn't feel any wind, but they could be smelling me before I see them. I can often hear movement out of sight when sat there but they don't come into the openings.

When I'm not there they come out often in groups as I can see on my game camera.

Will put the seat up and leave it for a while and hopefully get out and use it when the does come in.

Any tips on stopping it getting nicked ?

 

[Eric the Red]

Any tips on stopping it getting nicked ?

Good chain and padlock - and an 'RSPB birdwatching' sign. Make sure it is as blended into the background as you can.

 

[willie_gunn]

Good chain and padlock - and an 'RSPB birdwatching' sign. Make sure it is as blended into the background as you can.

Sound advice.

Ours are secured to the tree using a ratchet strap, then a chain is passed round the trunk and then threaded to secure both the seat and the ladder. A "No Unauthorised Access" sign is then zip-tied to the rungs. Inspected regularly, at least one a year, and repaired as necessary. Moved about every two or three years, though some seem to have become embedded in the trees

Ideally we give the galvanised seats a lick of green/brown Hammerite beforehand but that doesn't always happen.

willie_gunn

 

[6.5rem700]

i mainly walk and stalk BUT when the ground is alive with pheasants
i tend to use the high seats [roughly same success rate as when stalking]
​good luck

 

[223]

At the risk of sounding crass, it's your technique more than the tools you use that determines how successful you are. If you sit very very still they will come incredibly close. The benefit of a high seat is that it lifts you above the deers common line of sight and smell. I have regularly had deer and other animals move directly underneath the high seat I've been in - but if you move too quickly, they'll see for sure - so your fieldcraft has to remain good. If your game cam tells you they're there, sit still and at some point fate will bring you and the right animal together. Best of luck!

+1 exactly what i was thinking

 

[Erik Hamburger]

You'll need more people to answer your question to make any sense out of the answers, but if it helps in my case I typically Stalk towards a high seat and spent the last 30-45Min of useful light in that seat. 75% of deer are shot Stalking and 25% are shot from the high seat. Most are shot in the 1 hour around sunrise and sunset, so dawn and dusk.
However when stalking I am quite convinced that I never even see most of the deer on my route, except for little white tails in the air and rump patches when they run away from you! When sitting (quietly!) in a high-seat you observe more of their natuaral behaviour and very often they will be under or very close to te high seat.
Use both methods and you'll develop a preference that works for you on your land.
Btw sitting in a high-seat in Winter is often not a lot of fun

To give you some encouragement (you are not alone!) have a look at this thread:
http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/showthread.php/72378-Longest-spell-of-blank-stalks

 

[6pointer]

High seats are extremely effective and like already said its where you put them that counts.

Is your wind blowing to the wood or area you expect the deer to come from. How quite is your approach and is it hidden. Getting in and out of a high seat can be a bit of a struggle make sure you can do it without clicking everything against the ladder. Leave the seat in the area for a week at least before you use it. Is the area farmed ploughing seeding and fertilizing all have negative effects on the ground and can see deer disappear for weeks.Thats a northstar mod in the forground lol so why is it still standing answers on a post card.


PS I SPEND AT LEAST 3 HOURS IN A SEAT IT WILL PRODUCE IF THERE ARE DEER IN THE AREA.

 

[Deerstalkermark]

I find them as effective as "walk and stalk", but just my personal experience.

That said, if you're only putting the seat up this weekend I would question whether the deer will be spooked by it. I always figure they look and think "what's wrong with this picture" when you first put up a high seat. I'd prefer to locate/re-locate a seat and then leave it a week or so for the deer to familiarise themselves to it.

Of course that wouldn't explain why portable high seats can be effective

willie_gunn

Interestingly I recently put a stealth cam up in a small area of clear fell larch to check out exactly who was visiting. Having got a number of Fallow and Roe on camera I put up a high seat and repositioned the Stealth Cam so the high seat was in frame. Just after dark a group of Fallow seemed to make a beeline for the highseat all of them checking it out. They certainly weren't spooked by it at all. Amazing!!

Mark

 

[howy308]

What happens if someone gets hurt due to it ? Who is responsible ?

 

[biffo]

If the deer gets hurt, then that's a result......sorry!

 

[howy308]

If the deer gets hurt, then that's a result......sorry!

​I walked right into that one

 

[robbie rowantree]

You do need to stalk into your seat, the deer may being lying up quite close and will wind and / or see you if you just blunder in. You're better with two or three and then you can stalk into the seat that is best for the wind/ weather on that morning or evening. In heavy commercial pine / spruce its not a bad idea to brash a couple of different paths to the seat through the thickest of the wood and arrive unseen.