I've through about getting one of the folding backpack seats, but I don't stand in one place long enough. If I see a Chuck spook and go down it's burrow, no telling how long it will be down. I move on to search other areas and re-check that area later when I'm working my way back to the truck.
You can try using the bucket, but I think you'll find that there's one hand tied up carrying it while your stalking and trying to hold branches out of the way while you also carry a gun. And, all too often, you see a Chuck about the same time it sees you. Carrying the bucket, you'd have to place, or drop it to use both hands for the rifle. That much movement will most llikely spook the Chuck. You'll be lucky if just bringing the rifle up very slowly to a shooting position doesn't spook 'em.
For a steady rest, I made one of these ...
http://www.varmintal.com/abifu.htm ... but with extra pivot holes drilled in it at one inch intervals so I have more height adjustment depending on terrain and grass height. When stalking I open it out straight and use it like a monopode/ walking stick to steady my 12 power bino's, for pushing thorn branches aside, and I've also used it a few times for steadying off-hand shots. I find it more versitile for stalking type hunting than a bipod.
Other equipment.
Full camo including gloves. When I first started hunting Chucks I didn't have camo. With the camo I can get to within about half the distance I could before I had camo. Also, if I walk up on a Chuck and it sees me, they are less likely to spook. I've gotten several Chucks by very slowly bringing the gun up and shooting off hand as they sit there wondering what I am. When not in camo, they quickly know I'm not part of their neighborhood and they're gone before I can get the gun up.
I carry a small log book to write down the day, time, weather, where and what I saw, range to Chuck, male/female, how much it weighed, etc, A compact fish scale for weighing the Chucks. Also a topo map of that area, or copy of satilite photo of that farm, so I can mark where the burrows are and which are active. All part of keeping track of and knowing the hunting ground.
I also carry 12 power bino's- (good for seeing if that's a Chuck head sticking up way over there, or just a clump of dead grass), a small hand purner for cutting through thorn branches of hay field hedge rows and brush lines at edges of woods. A 3 inch Buck folding knife, a Swiss Army Knife, a head net for keeping flys out of my face during bug season, bug spray, a water bottle and some snack bars, hunting licence (required in NYS even for hunting non protected species if your not on your own land). A cell phone and walky-talky to call for help (both set on vibrate). Polorized sun glasses, reading glasses, and a digital camera.
Paul.
