Track Chair vs Action Track Chair for Hunting

Pick One Chair Based on How You Actually Hunt

If you hunt from the ground and you move even a little, I would buy the Action Track Chair.

If you mostly sit one spot for 3 to 6 hours and you just want quiet comfort, I would buy the Track Chair.

I have hunted 30 plus days a year for two decades, and I have learned chairs are not “comfort gear.”

A chair is a noise maker, a movement magnet, and a scent problem if you pick the wrong one.

My Quick Rule of Thumb

If I am still-hunting or bouncing between little ground setups, I take the Action Track Chair.

If I see fresh rubs and a tight trail crossing at 18 yards, I expect a buck to slip through with his nose low and I keep my chair height low.

If conditions change to wet leaves and swirling wind, I switch to a tighter spot with a back cover and I stop moving, even if that means sitting on the Track Chair and waiting them out.

Decide If You Are a “Move and Glass” Hunter or a “Sit and Kill” Hunter

This decision matters more than brand names.

I hunt a small 65-acre lease in Pike County, Illinois, but I still hunt public land in the Missouri Ozarks because I grew up poor and learned to make it work.

On my Pike County farm, I have set patterns and I can sit longer because I am not fighting five other guys.

In the Ozarks, a chair that lets me slide 60 yards and reset without sounding like a raccoon in a trash can is worth more than another gadget.

Here is what I do when I pick a ground chair for a season.

I decide if I am going to sit the same “kill bush” all month, or if I am going to rotate spots based on fresh sign and wind.

If you are hunting hill country like Buffalo County, Wisconsin public edges with pressure, forget about “soft and comfy” and focus on “quiet and fast to reset.”

If you are hunting a tucked-in corner of a field in Southern Iowa during the rut, forget about “fast” and focus on “sit still for four hours without fidgeting.”

My buddy swears by the lightest chair he can find, but I have found light chairs squeak and shift more when you lean for a shot.

I would rather carry two extra pounds than blow a 22-yard broadside because my seat popped.

Big Mistake To Avoid: Buying a Chair That Forces You To Stand Up To Shoot

I learned the hard way that “I can just stand up when one comes in” is a lie you tell yourself.

Deer catch that movement, and on pressured ground they are gone.

Back in 2007 when I was hunting the Missouri Ozarks, I gut shot a doe, pushed her too early, and never found her.

That has nothing to do with chairs, but it changed how I hunt forever.

Now I set up so I do not rush, I do not scramble, and I do not add panic movement right at the shot.

Here is what I do in a chair setup.

I set my shooting lane so my first shot is from the seated position, or from a slow rise that is already planned.

If you want help on the shot itself, this connects to what I wrote about where to shoot a deer to drop it in its tracks.

I am not saying you should try to spine every deer, but you need a plan that matches your seat height and your bow angle.

Track Chair vs Action Track Chair: The Real Tradeoff Is Stability vs Mobility

Most chair comparisons talk about padding and cup holders.

I care about two things first.

I care if it is quiet when I shift my hips, and I care if I can rotate without grinding on grit and leaves.

From my experience, the Track Chair style leans “stable sit” and the Action Track Chair style leans “move and adjust.”

If you are the guy who wants to post up on a trail and wait, stability wins.

If you are the guy who sees a hot scrape line 80 yards away and wants to slide over without standing up, mobility wins.

Back in November 2019 in Pike County, Illinois, I killed my biggest buck, a 156-inch typical, on a morning sit after a cold front.

I did not beat that deer by walking around all day.

I beat him by sitting still, having my lanes set, and not making noise when he checked the downwind side.

If you are trying to time sits like that, when I am trying to time deer movement, I check feeding times first.

It is not magic, but it helps me pick which two-hour window I will actually stay locked in.

Noise Is the Deal Breaker, So Decide What “Quiet” Means on Your Ground

A chair can be quiet in your basement and loud in the woods.

Leaves, grit, frozen mud, and wet grass change everything.

Here is what I do before season.

I set the chair in the yard, sit in it with my hunting jacket on, and I practice drawing my bow five times on each side.

Then I set it on gravel and do the same thing.

If it clicks on gravel, it will click on acorns.

If you hunt the Upper Peninsula Michigan big woods with snow, a chair that crunches when you rotate is a problem.

If you hunt the Missouri Ozarks in dry oak leaves, the chair feet sliding is the sound that gets you busted.

My buddy swears a little squeak does not matter, but I have found the squeak is not what gets you.

It is the head snap and stare that happens after the squeak, and then you freeze mid-draw like an idiot.

If you want to understand why deer catch tiny stuff, this connects to what I wrote about are deer smart.

They are not math geniuses, but they live and die by noticing patterns.

Height and Back Support: Choose Based on Your Weapon and Your Body

Bow hunting from a chair is different than rifle hunting from a chair.

I am primarily a bow hunter and I have shot a compound for 25 years, but I still rifle hunt during gun season.

With a bow, I want a seat height that lets my knees drop enough for a smooth draw.

With a rifle, I can get away with a little higher seat because I am not drawing 60 pounds of weight.

Here is what I do to check a chair at home.

I sit and put my bow on my knee like I will in the woods, then I draw slow and see if my elbow hits the chair back.

If the back forces your elbow out, you will short draw, and your arrow will hit back.

If you are new and trying to learn deer basics, start with my breakdown of deer species.

It sounds basic, but knowing what you are hunting changes where you sit, because mule deer country and whitetail cover are not the same game.

Also, deer size matters for shot window and chair height.

When I am thinking about how much punch I need, I check how much does a deer weigh to keep my expectations real.

Don’t Let a Chair Become Your Scent Sponge

Everybody obsesses over scent spray and ozone.

I wasted money on $400 ozone scent control that made zero difference.

I am not saying scent does not matter.

I am saying wind and access matter more than a gimmick.

This connects to what I wrote about do deer move in the wind.

If the wind is wrong, the chair you bought does not save you.

Here is what I do with chairs and scent.

I keep the chair in a plastic tote in the garage, not in the mudroom next to the dog bed and fryer grease.

I spray the chair down with plain unscented soap and water early season and let it dry outside.

I do not soak it in cover scent, because now it smells like a truck stop pine tree.

If you are hunting a rainy week, forget about “extra scent killer” and focus on “dry place to store the chair.”

When everything is wet, your chair turns into a sponge and you carry that smell in.

For rain tactics, when I am trying to decide if I even sit, I check where do deer go when it rains.

That helps me pick tighter cover instead of sitting an open edge and staring at nothing.

My Real-World Setup: How I Use a Ground Chair Without Getting Picked Off

I am not a professional guide or outfitter.

I am just a guy who has messed this up a lot and finally got consistent.

Here is what I do on public land in the Missouri Ozarks.

I tuck into a cedar or a blowdown so my outline is broken at shoulder level.

I clear exactly two shooting lanes with hand pruners, not a chainsaw job that screams “hunter was here.”

I set the chair so my knees point at the best lane, because twisting at the waist makes fabric noise.

I put my pack behind the chair to block my back and to stop me from leaning into open space.

I also set the chair so I can stand up straight behind cover if I need to stretch.

If I stand up in the open, deer see me from 80 yards.

If you are hunting tight brush like the Ozarks, forget about a big open lane and focus on a 12-inch window where you can slip an arrow.

If you are hunting ag edges in Pike County, Illinois, forget about tiny windows and focus on getting far enough back that your draw is hidden by shadows.

Gear I Trust More Than Fancy Chairs, And One Cheap Thing That Beat Them All

I have burned money on gear that did not work before I learned what matters.

The best cheap investment I ever made was $35 climbing sticks that I have used for 11 seasons.

That does not mean I never ground hunt.

It means I only ground hunt from a chair when the spot makes sense for it.

If I can get 12 feet up and break my outline, I will usually do that.

If the trees are junk or the wind is swirling, I will go to a chair and hide in ground cover.

If you are trying to learn deer family terms for tagging and talking with buddies, I have you covered.

When I am teaching my kids, I use what is a male deer called and what is a female deer called because kids remember “buck” and “doe” faster than a lecture.

Action Track Chair: Choose It If You Need To Adjust Mid-Sit

If you hunt like I do on pressured public, the ability to adjust without standing matters.

I have had deer come in from the wrong side and I had to rotate 30 degrees without sounding like Velcro.

That is where an Action Track Chair style shines.

Here is what I do if I run a more mobile chair.

I keep my feet flat, and I move in inches, not one big scoot.

I also pre-position my bow on the side I expect, so I am not swinging it across my lap at the last second.

The mistake to avoid is overusing the mobility.

If you are constantly shifting because “this chair lets me,” you will get busted faster.

I tell my kids this all the time.

Movement is movement, even if the chair is smooth.

Track Chair: Choose It If Your Problem Is Fidgeting, Not Angles

Some hunters miss deer because they cannot sit still.

They get cold, their back hurts, and they start messing around.

If that is you, a more stable, comfortable Track Chair style can keep you locked in.

Here is what I do on long sits.

I set the chair where I can see without craning my neck, and I bring a small closed-cell foam pad to block ground cold under my boots.

I also pick one “no movement” time window, usually the last 40 minutes of daylight, and I do not touch a thing during that window.

This is where I see more deer than people admit.

They move right at the edge, and you blow it by checking your phone or shifting your jacket.

One Product I Actually Like For Ground Sitting, And What Broke On Other Stuff

I have used a pile of cheap folding stools that lasted one season and started squeaking at the rivets.

I have also had a $19 camp chair snap a plastic hub when it was 28 degrees, and I went down hard.

I am careful with recommending exact models because brands change parts, but I do like the ALPS OutdoorZ Tri-Leg Stool for simple sits.

It is not luxury, but it is light, quiet if you keep dirt out of the hinge, and I have had one last multiple seasons for about $30 to $45.

If you are comparing Track Chair vs Action Track Chair, I want you thinking like this.

Do you want “simple and quiet,” or do you want “adjustable and heavier.”

Field Care Matters After The Shot, So Don’t Pick a Chair That Makes You Lazy

I process my own deer in the garage, and my uncle taught me like a butcher.

A chair can make you sit longer, and that can be good, but it can also make you ignore blood trailing discipline.

I learned the hard way that rushing a track job ruins deer recovery.

If I make a marginal hit, I sit down, calm down, and I do not go barging in just because I feel “comfortable” waiting.

If you want the basics laid out, after the shot I follow my own checklist from how to field dress a deer so I am ready when I recover it.

And if you are wondering what you actually get off a deer, this connects to how much meat from a deer.

FAQ

Which is better for bowhunting, a Track Chair or an Action Track Chair?

I would pick the Action Track Chair if you expect deer to come from weird angles and you need to rotate quietly.

I would pick the Track Chair if your problem is staying still for 3 to 5 hours and you want maximum comfort with less shifting.

How do I stop a ground chair from squeaking during the rut?

Here is what I do, and it is boring but it works.

I clean dirt out of hinges, tighten bolts, and I rub a tiny bit of bowstring wax on metal-to-metal contact points, then I wipe off the excess.

What chair setup helps most on public land with heavy pressure?

I hunt public a lot, and I hide my outline first, then worry about the chair.

I set the chair in cover, keep my back against something solid, and I only clear two small lanes so it does not look like a “new stand site.”

Is it better to sit low or high on the ground for whitetails?

I sit lower in the Missouri Ozarks because the brush is thick and deer are close, often inside 25 yards.

I sit a little higher on field edges in places like Southern Iowa so I can see over grass, but only if I can still draw without getting skylined.

What is the biggest mistake people make with ground chairs?

They set the chair where it feels good instead of where it hides movement.

Then they try to “stand up real quick” to shoot and the deer is already gone.

My Final Take After Carrying Too Much Junk Around the Woods

If you are the kind of hunter who keeps adjusting and bouncing spots, buy the Action Track Chair and accept the extra weight.

If you are the kind of hunter who can pick one spot and sit dead still for 3 to 6 hours, buy the Track Chair and let comfort keep you from fidgeting.

I have hunted 30 plus days a year for two decades, and I have lost deer I should have found and found deer I thought were gone.

A chair does not kill deer, but the wrong chair will cost you deer.

Here is what I do before I commit to a chair for a season.

I pick two setups I know I will actually hunt, then I practice a real shot from that chair with my coat on, my pack on, and my gloves on.

I learned the hard way that “it feels fine in the garage” means nothing at 42 degrees with wet leaves and adrenaline.

Back in November 1998 in Iron County, Missouri, I killed my first deer, an 8-point buck, with a borrowed rifle, and I still remember how loud my own breathing sounded in the moment.

If you are hunting pressured public in the Missouri Ozarks, forget about big cushy setups and focus on quiet feet placement and a chair that does not force you to stand.

If you are hunting a patterned buck on a Pike County, Illinois field edge, forget about constant adjusting and focus on staying locked in until the last 20 minutes of light.

My buddy swears by sitting on the ground with no chair at all, but I have found I move more when my back is screaming after 45 minutes.

I would rather control my posture on a chair than squirm on wet leaves like a kid in church.

The last thing I will tell you is this.

Spend your money on quiet, stability, and a setup you will actually use, not on “features” that look good in a catalog.