Do you Stand or Sit

[Jennifer]

If you sit (on the ground), breaking your outline up is very beneficial. Sitting against a tree, or a deadfall... even a root snarl really works wonders to help visually hide you. I took my last buck while I was sitting against a weird lumpy tree. The animals were used to the odd shapes there and my outline was broken up.

 

My dad used to take deer from the same rootball every year before we had to leave that property.

[CuseHunter]

By any chance is it similar to ] this one?

If so, I have one like it. Mine's just green plastic but the same design. Storing and removing the legs from the base is a pita. Even with the legs stowed, it's a pita to carry. I suppose if you put it inside a backpack it may be ok but I don't use a backpack. It does swivel but it's far from silent when it does. I'm happier leaning against a tree or sitting on a log/stump with my flat foam pad. YMMV

it is actually this one. Definitely a great deal!

[bluecoupe]

no experience with that one - good luck and report back on it.

[BackWoods Hunter]

I was pretty comfortable in that thing this evening. My only complaint is that my butt kept sliding off. I was on a little bit of an incline where I was seated. The one thing that I was impressed with is how easy it was to carry. I strapped it around my waist and never thought about it again until I went to sit down. It didn't get in the way or anything.

[bkln]

Tree hunter here while I'm on my land, state land or a road-trip and I walk and stalk... Actually I got more deer from the ground when I think about it....I sit most of the time unless I get sick of it then stand until you get tired, rinse and repeat...

[A Sportsman]

As has been stated by a few here, I also opt to still hunt/stalk.  The only time i will put any appreciable time in sitting is when the woods are too cruchy to walk.  When it comes to the big woods, I have so much more success still hunting.  Also, for what its worth, I usually don't still hunt "all the woods".  I usually do some fast walking just to get to the spots that I want to still hunt.  A lot of the terrain in the big woods can be rather void of deer. Still hunting through these areas is more or less a waste of time in my opinion.

 

What doc said about using the binoculars to scan the woods in front of you is gold.  I just started using binocs in this fashion this year.  I can't even believe that all these years I've been still hunting without them.  NIght and day difference.  I won't enter woods without them ever again.

 

Last week was pretty good for us in the catskills.  Conditions were pretty good for walking.  As a group of 6 we killed 3.  two 8 ptrs and a 7ptr,  All good deer dressing from 140 to 152.  We also were 1 for 1 on Bobs.  Long story short, a guy named bob got lost in the woods and had to spend the night out there.  The next day we volunteered with the Forest Rangers to go look for him.  And we found him at about 10am.  So three bucks, and a bob for us.
 

[DanceswithSkunks]

I have a stool that Cusehunter pictured. It does squeak when you swivel. I put vegetable oil on it, give it a spin and wipe off the excess. The leg adjustments can be a bit tough to get the locking pins pushed in for adjustment. I use a small pocket knife in the closed position and place the hinge end of the knife on the pin and push it in. Beats the hell out of victimizing your fingers.  I always have one leg longer than the rest as I tend to sit on sloping ground. Folded up it's less than 18" and fits in/on my backpack nice. The stool, a section of camo material 56" x 12' with grommets or holes to snake the rope through and 50' of 3/16" braided camo rope and I can setup anywhere I choose. 

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hunter-s-Specialties-Leaf-Blind-Material-56-x-12/26464510

[BackWoods Hunter]

Both. I don't hunt from trees, period. I prefer to stand and lean against a tree. It's much easier to scan 360 while standing. But I do tire and need to take a load off periodically. That's why I have one of these clipped to my belt. Any fallen log or stump will do, which is great as I like to still hunt when conditions permit.

Portable Seat

I just like to thank you one last time before the season ends. That Little cushion is awesome. It's easy to carry and has kept my butt warm and up out of the snow. It makes still hunting more fun. The benefits far outweigh the costs.

Edited December 1, 2013 by BackWoods Hunter

[bluecoupe]

Most welcome Backwoods. It's served me well.  Glad you like it.

[upstate]

It depends where I am. On my property on the tug hill I still hunt and have killed every deer from the ground. 

 

In southern tier I stand hunt mostly. 

 

 

It mainly has to do with how much land I have to hunt. On the tug hill I have almost 400 acres of our own land and its surrounded by 30,000 acres of state land. Down south, I have 60 acres and am not comfortable still hunting state land, for two reasons, I don't want to piss off some guy in a stand and lastly, I prefer to hunt with people I know are safe. I have no idea who is who on state land 

[Fletch]

It depends on where I am hunting, what season and the ground noise conditions. Bow I am 95% up a tree. Gun opening 2 days up a tree. Rest of gun I will sit on watch in my close to home small spots because they are small and any still hunting would be done in short order and bust up any good future hunting. In the big woods I will sit first and last watch and still hunt or drive.

 

Also on some days potato chip leaves or crunchy ice/snow there is no way you can still hunt

Edited December 2, 2013 by Fletch

[one3]

Since I got older ( 67 ) I  have had to hunt from the ground. I have tried many differnt seats, but they all semed ocward to carry. I thought there has to be a better way to sit. so, after some trial and error I came up with a seat I  like. Every one that sees it says, I should patent it.  I some how would like petent it. Can not afford a patent lawyer. The process of doing it my self is mind boggling. It would be nice if I had some one walk me through the process. I am kind of afrade to show it to, to many people. any way it works for me really well.

[nyslowhand]

Isn't this more of a survey topic rather than one where there is a "best practice"? Answer is, it depends..! Where, how or when you hunt. The habits or travel patterns of the deer in your hunting area will affect how you hunt. Certainly your weapon of choice &/or which season you're hunting comes into play also. Almost hate to mention it, but the....maturity issue also has to be taken into consideration.

[First-light]

Both. Mostly in ladder stands but we have a few ground blinds set up.

[Doc]

Is there really anything more exciting than standing on the ground, eyeball to eyeball with a deer (any deer), knowing that the slightest screw-up will lose the opportunity for you? I have had deer so close on the ground that I could have reached out and touch them. Now that is some exciting stuff that will get that old heart racing ..... lol. And then there is the fact that you have to get the bow up, drawn and sighted all of this without him seeing you or any o that movement .... right there on his level. Man it doesn't get much more intense than that. And that all sums up the very reason I am out there with the stupid bow. There are no guarantees right up to the point where you roll him over to star the gutting. "Intense" .... Yeah, that's the right word.

[Rebel Darling]

Is there really anything more exciting than standing on the ground, eyeball to eyeball with a deer (any deer), knowing that the slightest screw-up will lose the opportunity for you? I have had deer so close on the ground that I could have reached out and touch them. Now that is some exciting stuff that will get that old heart racing ..... lol. And then there is the fact that you have to get the bow up, drawn and sighted all of this without him seeing you or any o that movement .... right there on his level. Man it doesn't get much more intense than that. And that all sums up the very reason I am out there with the stupid bow. There are no guarantees right up to the point where you roll him over to star the gutting. "Intense" .... Yeah, that's the right word.

 

I had three experiences just like that this year.  I screwed each one up.  The one I had with a buck at 10 yards, I thought the sound of my heart pounding against my rib cage spooked him.

[Doc]

I had three experiences just like that this year.  I screwed each one up.  The one I had with a buck at 10 yards, I thought the sound of my heart pounding against my rib cage spooked him.

It can be a real cardiac test.

[GreeneHunter]

I have a ladder stand which I've been using for the past 7-8 years - bolted to the same tree for this timeframe - and its productive every year .  I've set up a couple of natural ground blinds when I have a buddy or two show up to hunt , I have a couple of 5 gal old plastic paint buckets to sit on and leave them in the woods all the time . I figure if some fool trespasses and steals the buckets he/she is in pretty bad shape as far as being a hunter !