High seat hunting is a great management tool and helps achieve good shot placement and allows us to observe undisturbed nature.

High seat hunting requires nothing more that the ability to sit still and shoot a scoped rifle. It requires double the patience and half the skill of actively stalking the same beast.

DISCUSS...

A bit simplistic I think. I do not enjoy sitting in high seats, but they are a productive management tool. I would'nt go as far as to say there is no skill or ability involved. Being a short ass, I find some seats very difficult to shoot from!

Gabe, I think both statements are largely true.

I much prefer to actively stalk on foot. However, sitting tight, whether in a high seat or on the ground can be more effective, particularly for Sika in the evenings.

Taking a bunch of guest stalkers and putting them in highseats is certainly a safer and more effective way of achieving a cull than having guys of unknown skill levels wandering you ground.

The Teutonic Management Tool is "Selective Culling" and High Seats play a larger role in this.

As mentioned; they affords a number of advantages:

Wind & scent, a reasonable level above ground.

Undisturbed game animals, if you blow it on a stalk the disturbance tends to have an additional impact in the immmediate area.

Stable shooting & veiwing platform.

The animals are used the them being there.

Normally placed in ares travelled by game and play to the prevailing wind(s).

Great for confined areas or small clearings that would otherwise restrict a successful stalk although on the edge of large open fields can afford a vantage point from which to conduct a stalk.

They are a distinct advantage when dry (leaf bed) condtions preclude successful stalking in the summer & fall or frozen conditions in winter.

You can even "Picnic" it - I know of some who drag alot of support for those long-g-g tedious sits; heaters, food, drink, books, and the I-Phone with movies, etc. only the limits of your imagination can help reduce the boredom - you be the judge of that .....

Personally I'm an "active" hunter and even when sitting am glassing constantly and attempting to "make" something happen - even on those long-g-g winter nights when nothing is moving. If I relax in the comfy High Seats the edge goes and then I often get caught unaware.

I'll do a long sit if I the hunt requires it but much prefer to be stalking (when conditions are right), so normally I start with a hour around sunrise and then do a walk-about to complete the morning.

In the evenings I tend to stay seated until visibility (shooting light) ends then pack it in. Only time I'll do a walk about at nightitme is when moonlight & wind affords a reasonable attempt at success.

Like Brian mentions, when you've got a group of unknown ability; sitting them all with the Command "Stay" is a wise strategy.

Bog I have high seats on some of my flatter grounds and use them as vantage point but most times will stalk when the Deer has been identified.

There is definitely an art or skill in correctly placing a high seat in order to maximise its productivity.Some people have that skill some don't. A well placed high seat shouldn't require the sitter to then go off stalking, having glass their deer. Flat ground and its lack of back stops makes shooting from high seats all the more imperative.

I always make a log of high seat locations,activity observed and also record details of the time , weather, direction of the shot taken from each high seat. Its surprising how a little analysis then shows whether you need to move the seat slightly. I've moved some as little as 50m and doubled their productivity.

Interesting views, I agree they are indispensable on certain land and especially in group scenarios. We have certain German style high seats on the estate that have accounted for several hundred deer over the years.

Doesn't change the fact I feel I learn much more and work harder for every fallow doe I stalk up to, rather than the times I manage to sit still for long enough to snipe one from a high seat.

It also depends on the personality of the individual in question.

Some are better suited to high seats, whether by temperament or philosophy, and those better suited to stalking.

I prefer stalking but it all beats watching TV.

quote:

Doesn't change the fact I feel I learn much more and work harder for every fallow doe I stalk up to, rather than the times I manage to sit still for long enough to snipe one from a high seat.

With highseats learning experience is more down to the individual and the hard work comes in the preparation. Once its done all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the results.

quote:

Originally posted by Ghubert:
It also depends on the personality of the individual in question.

Some are better suited to high seats, whether by temperament or philosophy, and those better suited to stalking.

I prefer stalking but it all beats watching TV.

Some are just fidget arses, and some are more in tune to the rhythms and habits of their chosen quarry.

I'd rather sit and wait than cover 200m in hour. That's not stalking that's just blonking yourselves in the habitat. If the situation demands that you go that slow I find there is less movement and you are more likely to draw a bead on a suitable animal if you get yourself up a well positioned high seat.