HAZCON7

Think about the 9 months you don't get to hunt and the other 11 1/2 months outside the peak rut. What more inspiration do you need?

NY Bowhunter

Ditto.

I count how many squirells I can see in one day [:-] My record so far is 7,312.

Seriously though like anything else that requires dedication and will power you just have to set your mind to it. Try to stay alert and always KNOW there is a deer close by and coming out in your shooting lane any minute. I won't lie to ya it's hard to sit all day. Just get mentally in the right frame of mind and stick it out. The reward is so much worth it.
Remember that golf shot I told ya about in off season? 225 yard par 3 with 20mph winds and rain going sideways with a wind chill of about 25 degrees and you need to pure one to make the cut? GET R DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

livbucks

Above all else.. Get plenty of sleep the two days before the hunt. Nothing else will bother me more than being tired and fatigued while trying to sit all day. The exhaustion will work on you until you are convinced that no deer are coming and it is worthless to stay. As soon as you get home you regret leaving and your mind starts to convince you that a monster just walked under your tree. AAHHHH, SILLY TORTUOUS GAMES!
Try to take a BIG crap before you go, that's a good tip.

badshotbob

That's what is driving me. You hit that one on the head.

badshotbob

Yeah, I remember that. Sounds like you have more brass than I NY.

I hear ya though, it can be done. I guess that's what keeps me in the stand for three hours - every leaf crackle is a deer until proven otherwise. Keeps your mind in the game.

Thanks for all the advice.

archer125

I am leaving for Illinois on Friday to hunt 9 days. I always sit daylight till dark in Illinois. There are a lot of people that just cant sit that long. My hunting partner included. No matter how ideal the conditions are he just cant sit that long. My outfitter told me that only about 25% of his hunters sit all day. I dont do anything special to sit all day. I live in eastern Michigan and just dont see mature bucks, and just the opportunity to see some of those huge Illinois bucks is enough to keep me going when I feel like getting down out of the stand.
My Summit Goliath sure does make the comfort part of it not an issue. I can easily sit in comfort in that stand. I think you can take books, games and some other things but I think you truly have to be committed to doing it. The first time will be the hardest, after that it gets easier. After you see a couple bucks mid day you, it will give you motivation. Just my 2 cents.

droptinewv

I take three motrin in the morning and if I stay longer than four hours I take two more. This helps keep the back and butt pain to a minimum. Oh yea, the padded seat helps too.

SCRIDER1

badshotbob... I know your pain. But I've done it plenty of times and I can share a few of my "tricks" with you. A few years ago my buddy killed the nicest buck either of us had ever gotten, putting him way ahead of me in bragging rights. So I spent the next THREE SEASONS staying on stand all day, every day. It was truly awful. Thank the Lord its over now, after I finally "caught up" to him. Here's my routine for all day stays.... 1) Dont drink more than half a cup of coffee or whatever before leaving camp. Take just one bottle of water to the stand and only take small sips throughout the day. By doing this, I have managed to go all day without having to pee (but I was pretty dang thirsty). 2) Use the bathroom before going to the stand 3)Take some good high energy, high calorie snacks..I prefer a ziplock bag full of trail mix (nuts, raisins, M&Ms, etc). 4) On the stand, I occupy my mind for as long as possible by glassing everything and also looking for every sound I hear until I identify what is making it...even if I know its a squirrill or a bird. I've been suprised a few times to see a flash of deer hide through the brush. 5) When I cant take looking at leaves any more (usually about noon or so) I pull out a good paperback (there is a fantastic series of Civil War mystery novels by Owen Parry that I strongly recommend, by the way. I have read these all afternoon and then hurried back to camp so I could read some more!). I make it a point to stop and glass the area every 4 or 5 pages. I have not had reading cause me to lose a chance at a deer yet...even thought I know it will probably happen someday. The way I see it, I still have a better chance with the book in my hand on my stand than I do back at camp. Based on my experience, once I make it past 3:00 I'm fine...because then I know that with every passing minute, the odds are improving for deer movement. Cat naps are OK too, if you have a safe place to do it.
Good luck!

JRStrangfeld

The books are a good idea but I got caught once by a deer. Seeing the white pages up in the tree from a distance away didn't help me out any

kevin1

Keeping your mind occupied is the big trick ,
I don't take books because it distracts me from watching for the deer . Ditto on video games , too distracting . I focus on the world around me trying to identify each sound and guess it's distance . I watch squirrels and other game as they go by oblivious to my presence , and make a mental note to return when they've fattened a little more and deer seaosn is ended . I scout the terrain around me to memorize every rock and patch of cover . While this is going on I try to tap into the vibe of the woods around me and meditate until I feel like I'm one with it . Time goes by fairly easily when I can do this .