A Seat in the Canopy

[ElementOwl]

A blog post from earlier this week of a great little construction I found on the edge of my local woodland.

http://t.co/heIwUvz

[Skate]

I believe from your description that you found a high chair used for shooting animals from. These are common in many woods although mostly made from galvanised metal now. Have come across some home made wooden ones on several occasions. Often sit in them as enjoy the different perspective they offer. Apparently ground dwelling animals rarely look up!

[ElementOwl]

Thanks for that Skate, that is interesting. The woods are Forestry Commission owned and have been for many years, but the field is of course private agricultural land. Perhaps the field owners built it years ago borrowing a tree from the FC. There is shooting in this part of Nottinghamshire but they usually go for game birds and stay out in the privately owned fields but it could well have been built to deal with fox problems in the past, there are deer about so they could have been the target too. I will keep my eyes peeled to see if I spot any more on my wanders.

I resisted the temptation to climb it as I am heavy and it looks old, but I was itching to clamber up and sit for a while! Thanks for taking the time to enlighten me.

[Adam Savage]

Same as Skate, round here they are mostly square, steel section, painted black. Mostly used as shooting platforms at the edge of fields, sometimes during deer culls, usually as a raised firing position for rabbits (rabbits tend not to be bothered by their fellow bunnies dropping dead, as long as they don't hear or see the killer. Rabbits very rarely look up trees too, as they are normally hunted by ground predators.), but occasionally for game birds too.

[ElementOwl]

Thanks again for the feedback, this hunting platform does seem to be the only one I have come across around here. I have come across another construction hidden in the woods but I suspect that is an old raised platform for keeping an eye out for woodland fires. I will try to put together a sketch and blog post sometime in the future. I have also come across the remains of debris shelters, always a fine thing to see.

[Ashley Cawley]

Yeah these platforms are used to cull Deer from, not only do they get you out of their site somewhat but they give you a good angle to have a safe back-drop when shooting.

Beautiful sketch, thanks for sharing.

[ElementOwl]

Thanks for the comment Ashley, glad you enjoyed the sketch :o)

[Aaron Rushton]

great sketch mate! highseats put in place by shooters are great places to watch wildlife on, as they are often well thought out in placement over game trails.

[ElementOwl]

Thanks Aaron, I decided to see if the structure was still climbable. It was! (although the I wouldn't trust my weight in the centre of the thinner rungs and stood at the edge right by the fixings). Given that I am a heavy bloke at 240lbs I was impressed by how sturdy it was. Some of the screws look like they have been recently replaced so I guess it is still enjoyed by a few others too.

[Ashley Cawley]

Good view? :)

[ElementOwl]

Yes, a nice spot to sit and watch the sun setting over the field. If the grass was longer it would certainly give a better vantage point over any animals.