RE: how long should I hunt?
Hunt all day if you can. If you can't sit all day start out by hunting until 11:00 and then tell yourself to wait 30 more minutes. You will see more deer, and then you will be excited about hunting through the middle of the day into the evening. CHANCES ARE YOU WILL GET ONE BEFORE EVENING EVER COMES. Every minute you are on the stand is a minute closer to harvesting a good buck.
Many people tell me they only see deer early in the morning and late in the evening. That is because that is the only time they hunt. Other than daybreak and sunset, I see most of my deer after 10:00. That is when most hunters leave the woods. I sat in the rain this weekend and didn't see a deer until 11:00 and it was a buck just getting out of bed. The deer you do see in the middle of the day are usually good ones too.
Try it you won't be disappointed.