When dove hunting, you’re going to be doing some sitting around, so it’s good to have something to sit on. This sitting (as opposed to walking around) is one way dove hunting differs from upland bird hunting. In upland hunting, you are often following bird dogs while they flush birds. In dove hunting, you are usually sitting still in one place hidden along a fence row, a tree edge, behind a hay bale, or by a power line. Trust me, you are going to want to sit.
What you sit on is a matter of personal preference, but you want something relatively comfortable, easy to carry, and easy to either shoot from or quickly get up from. If you’re going to stand to shoot, you don’t want something too low or hard to get out of that makes standing quickly difficult. If you’re shooting while sitting, you may not want arms on your chair that restrict your movement. Personally, I like sitting on something that is armless and relatively tall so I am not restricted and can pop-up quickly to shoot if necessary.
When choosing your seating preferences, some thought should also be given to how far you may have to lug your gear. Often, you’ll be able to drive right up to your spot to drop your gear or even to park close by. My warning with that is to be careful where you park, particularly if you take your new truck, because you may get some shotgun pellets hitting your vehicle. With those considerations, here are some good seating options that are commonly seen in the dove field.
1. A Bucket
For years, a common site in a dove field was a 5-gallon bucket with a padded seat on the lid. In the early days, guys made homemade seats on the lids, but some enterprising folks began to make special bucket seats – some even swivel!
The lids can be purchased separately and put on any 5-gallon bucket, or the bucket and lid can be bought together. Some of the buckets made especially for dove hunting are camp and even have styrofoam in them to serve as a cooler. They also make cloth pieces that fit around the bucket. They have side compartments to hold things like food, drinks, or shells.
The positives of a bucket are that it is a good sturdy seat at about the correct height to quickly stand. There are no arms to restrict your motion, and the swivel seat is great for tracking flying birds. I don’t particularly care for them if I have to walk any real distance. These dove buckets are classics, but they can be clunky and difficult to carry for any distance, particularly if they are filled with shells, snacks, or drinks.
2. Fold-up Chair
These days, there are numerous kinds of fold-up chairs that are good options for the dove field. The benefits of these chairs is that many are small and light. They are fairly inexpensive. They are easier to carry than a bucket and often have shoulder carry straps.
Some of the stools even have zippered storage compartments underneath. These are good places to store live or spent shells, snacks or drinks, or even downed birds.
3. 3-Legged Stool
Another dove seating option is a small, folding three-legged stool. With these, you definitely compromise comfort for portability, but it can be a good option if you plan to do a lot of walking.
There are many styles and varieties out there. Some are made of hand-tooled leather and can get quite fancy (and expensive). Again, while they are not very comfortable for long periods of sitting, if you are moving around a lot, they are fairly practical.
4. Cooler
Yet another option for spending the day in a dove field is a cooler that has a sturdy lid for sitting. There are many different options in a variety of price ranges. But if you want to ensure the lid doesn’t collapse, you should go with a Rotomolded cooler and not the cheaper ones. Not all coolers are made to sit on, but the Rotomolded ones are.
The obvious benefit here is that you can keep your drinks and snacks cool and handy right beneath you. Please just save any alcoholic beverages for after the shoot!
The negatives of some of the sturdy Rotomolded coolers are that they can be pretty heavy. However, the weight can be off-set by getting one of the options that has wheels and can be rolled to your spot. If you’re able to drive right up to your spot, they can be off-loaded easily, with the only heft having to be out of the back of your truck.
At the end of the day, what you sit on is largely a matter of personal preference, and you can’t really go wrong with any of the options listed here. Happy hunting!