How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
11-08-2004, 04:34 PM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Martinsburg, WV
Posts: 3,215
RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
quote:
W/O the family jewls hurting
OH NO, they don't hurt at all, in fact you just plain can't feel them!! I have a couple of these stands and they do the same thing.
W/O the family jewls hurting
OH NO, they don't hurt at all, in fact you just plain can't feel them!! I have a couple of these stands and they do the same thing.
To help pass the time, when we hunt all day, I usually carry my cell phone and text message back and forth between the club members to pass the slow hours. Turn it on silent, and I can get online, check the weather, and play games if I get REALLY bored. But usually the anticipation that the buck of your dreams came pop out at any time is enough to keep me at least semi alert.
11-09-2004, 12:55 PM
#22
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,598
RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
To keep from going crazy in a tree all day, I follow a four-step plan which I took from one of my favorite hunting articles. Hopefully these ideas can help you stay in your stand longer.
Step #1: Confidence
The first step toward staying sane in a tree all day is having confidence in your location. I won't torture myself in just any old treestand for an entire day, but if I know the spot is capable of producing a big buck, the wait is doable. Does that location you have in mind have a history of producing big bucks? You must also have confidence in your specific stand site. Are the signs of buck activity present like scrapes, rubs, etc.? When so many things tell you that where you are hunting is a great spot, it keeps you from wondering, "Maybe I should have hunted that stand over by the corn field?" or "Maybe the stand up the hill would be better?" When you start second guessing your stand location, you get impatient and eventually you leave the stand early. Carefully pick your all-day stand, and be confident in your choice.
Step #2: Timing
The timing of an all-day effort is also important. Pre and peak rut are the best times to catch mature bucks moving at all hours of the day. Here in my part of the country these first two weeks of November look to be the "prime time" for an all day hunt. Another thing to note is to try to time your all-day sits not only for the rut, but also for the weather. If a front rolls in and the temps drop, try to stay in your stand all day long.
Step #3: Visibility
Visibility is one aspect of all-day hunting that many bowhunters overlook. If your chosen hotspot affords only an 18-yard view of one trail or one fresh scrape in front of you, it's easy to become frustrated by a lack of deer sightings. There might be a whole herd of shooter bucks chasing does 100 yards behind you, but if you can't see them, you'll never know what you missed. Lack of good visibility is certainly one of the reasons hunters get frustrated with staying on stand all day. Visibility is especially important during the pre and peak rut. Bucks that pass out of bow range are still potential targets. If you can just see the buck to know he's in the area, calling or rattling might pull him within range. By giving yourself a stand with good visibility, you can also track the buck's progress as he responds to your calls. This gives you time to prepare for the shot. Even if bucks do not respond to calls or rattling, just seeing deer throughout the day makes staying on stand more exciting.
Step #4: Comfort
Being uncomfortable is probably the main reason why hunters give up on an all-day effort. Being strapped to a tree in freezing weather is not going to be a dream experience no matter how deluxe your stand is, but with the right stand choice, long hours are manageable. For all-day clothing, you need to dress for the worst possible conditions. On cold-weather hunts, forget the cotton camo; fleece and wool are better materials for bitter weather.
Comfort obviously goes beyond your stand and clothing. I pack a full daypack with snacks, water, sports drinks, candy bars and sandwiches. I don't usually eat much when I'm on stand, but I like to know it's there if I want it. Oh yeah, and there's always the pee bottle. Binoculars, rattling horns and grunt calls are other extras I pack. As I mentioned earlier, bucks in the distance can often be coaxed within bowrange with a little calling. When you get bored at midday a little rattling and calling will help keep you alert and interested.
In Conclusion
Staying on stand all day requires discipline and careful preparation. It's not easy to do nothing in a tree all day, but the potential reward of a career-best buck is certainly worth a numb butt and cold fingers. The frenzied days of the rut are what I think about all year. It's the best chance to catch a mature buck in broad daylight. Working a 12-hour shift strapped to a tree is the best way to get a big buck in the rut.
Step #1: Confidence
The first step toward staying sane in a tree all day is having confidence in your location. I won't torture myself in just any old treestand for an entire day, but if I know the spot is capable of producing a big buck, the wait is doable. Does that location you have in mind have a history of producing big bucks? You must also have confidence in your specific stand site. Are the signs of buck activity present like scrapes, rubs, etc.? When so many things tell you that where you are hunting is a great spot, it keeps you from wondering, "Maybe I should have hunted that stand over by the corn field?" or "Maybe the stand up the hill would be better?" When you start second guessing your stand location, you get impatient and eventually you leave the stand early. Carefully pick your all-day stand, and be confident in your choice.
Step #2: Timing
The timing of an all-day effort is also important. Pre and peak rut are the best times to catch mature bucks moving at all hours of the day. Here in my part of the country these first two weeks of November look to be the "prime time" for an all day hunt. Another thing to note is to try to time your all-day sits not only for the rut, but also for the weather. If a front rolls in and the temps drop, try to stay in your stand all day long.
Step #3: Visibility
Visibility is one aspect of all-day hunting that many bowhunters overlook. If your chosen hotspot affords only an 18-yard view of one trail or one fresh scrape in front of you, it's easy to become frustrated by a lack of deer sightings. There might be a whole herd of shooter bucks chasing does 100 yards behind you, but if you can't see them, you'll never know what you missed. Lack of good visibility is certainly one of the reasons hunters get frustrated with staying on stand all day. Visibility is especially important during the pre and peak rut. Bucks that pass out of bow range are still potential targets. If you can just see the buck to know he's in the area, calling or rattling might pull him within range. By giving yourself a stand with good visibility, you can also track the buck's progress as he responds to your calls. This gives you time to prepare for the shot. Even if bucks do not respond to calls or rattling, just seeing deer throughout the day makes staying on stand more exciting.
Step #4: Comfort
Being uncomfortable is probably the main reason why hunters give up on an all-day effort. Being strapped to a tree in freezing weather is not going to be a dream experience no matter how deluxe your stand is, but with the right stand choice, long hours are manageable. For all-day clothing, you need to dress for the worst possible conditions. On cold-weather hunts, forget the cotton camo; fleece and wool are better materials for bitter weather.
Comfort obviously goes beyond your stand and clothing. I pack a full daypack with snacks, water, sports drinks, candy bars and sandwiches. I don't usually eat much when I'm on stand, but I like to know it's there if I want it. Oh yeah, and there's always the pee bottle. Binoculars, rattling horns and grunt calls are other extras I pack. As I mentioned earlier, bucks in the distance can often be coaxed within bowrange with a little calling. When you get bored at midday a little rattling and calling will help keep you alert and interested.
In Conclusion
Staying on stand all day requires discipline and careful preparation. It's not easy to do nothing in a tree all day, but the potential reward of a career-best buck is certainly worth a numb butt and cold fingers. The frenzied days of the rut are what I think about all year. It's the best chance to catch a mature buck in broad daylight. Working a 12-hour shift strapped to a tree is the best way to get a big buck in the rut.
11-09-2004, 01:34 PM
#23
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Northern Idaho's Panhandle
Posts: 4,436
RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
Having confidence in the location your hunting, if its cold wear the needed attire, isometrics works well to help keep the blood circulating. Having a comfortable stand like the tree lounge doesn't hurt either.
11-09-2004, 03:11 PM
#24
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,693
RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
Great advice, thanks. This Saturday is the day. Monday starts off our gun season in Michigan and will not have the woods to myself after Sunday. The confidence in the stand thing sure is a good one. Currently, I have 5 natural active scrapes all within 50 yards of my stand, one of them is at 23 yards. I've seen the bruisers back there last season, and again this off season in velvet. Should be good. Peak rut to boot.
11-09-2004, 03:52 PM
#25
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Harford Co. Maryland
Posts: 1,574
RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
Whenever I have time to hunt all day, I do it. A word of advice- if and when you start getting the itch to get out of your stand, just remember that as soon as you do, your chances of killing that big buck have just gone down the toilet. Deer hunting is unpredictable and we all know that it's pretty normal for nice bucks to feed during mid-day. Let your desire and your imagination help you forget about the time and enjoy being in the woods. That monster buck could be within 50 yards and you don't even know it yet.
I've found that the older I get, the more I appreciate spending the time in the woods. When I was younger, I'd get restless and would convince myself that I'd see more action if I got out of the stand and walked around... Eventually I learned that I'd improve my odds by staying where I was.
Now it's a no-brainer for me. When I have time to do so, I can stay in the stand all day without having feeling like it's a sacrifice.
I've found that the older I get, the more I appreciate spending the time in the woods. When I was younger, I'd get restless and would convince myself that I'd see more action if I got out of the stand and walked around... Eventually I learned that I'd improve my odds by staying where I was.
Now it's a no-brainer for me. When I have time to do so, I can stay in the stand all day without having feeling like it's a sacrifice.
11-09-2004, 04:34 PM
#26
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 2,175
RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
i wouldnt worry about the pee thing. i drink water all day long and i fire away off my tree lounge all the time and see deer all the time. too much junk food messes with my blood sugar. it makes me energized for about 10 minutes then i feel tired. i stick to the pbj sandwiches and good ole bagels to keep me filled up. too much reeses- coffee and snickers makes me a poo pee pants
set hourly goals on your stand. say at 9am i will grunt a bit. 12pm i will have a eat and so on.get up and stretch quietly every half hour or so . treat the hunt sreious but dont be so stiff your afraid to move . sometimes i will just sit use my ears and close my eyes to listen for sounds and directions. by doing this i have found that you cant always tell its a tweety bird or squirrel. it is a mental game. bring enough gear and lots of hand warmers if its gonna be real cold. YOU CAN DO IT
set hourly goals on your stand. say at 9am i will grunt a bit. 12pm i will have a eat and so on.get up and stretch quietly every half hour or so . treat the hunt sreious but dont be so stiff your afraid to move . sometimes i will just sit use my ears and close my eyes to listen for sounds and directions. by doing this i have found that you cant always tell its a tweety bird or squirrel. it is a mental game. bring enough gear and lots of hand warmers if its gonna be real cold. YOU CAN DO IT
11-09-2004, 05:15 PM
#27
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chenango County, NY
Posts: 224
RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
Reading this makes me realize that the stand has a lot to do with it...
I don't think anyone could sit in my stand for over an hour without moving. 3 hours are torture and I'm sore for 2 days... mind you i'm only 24 and in good shape.
Definitly looking for a nicer stand for next year -- but as I've posted before, a climber won't work in two of my best spots <pout>. Why to the climbing people get the comfy stands????[:'(]
I don't think anyone could sit in my stand for over an hour without moving. 3 hours are torture and I'm sore for 2 days... mind you i'm only 24 and in good shape.
Definitly looking for a nicer stand for next year -- but as I've posted before, a climber won't work in two of my best spots <pout>. Why to the climbing people get the comfy stands????[:'(]
11-09-2004, 06:39 PM
#28
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Greenville SC USA
Posts: 656
RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
- keep telling myself they can travel through at anytime of the day
- take plenty of food and water
- a small book
- cinch the safety harness up a little tighter and TAKE A NAP!
- and don't forget the Summit
I've done all dayer's when the rut is on, but forget it if it's not.
Did I mention take a nap?
- take plenty of food and water
- a small book
- cinch the safety harness up a little tighter and TAKE A NAP!
- and don't forget the Summit
I've done all dayer's when the rut is on, but forget it if it's not.
Did I mention take a nap?
11-09-2004, 08:12 PM
#29
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Jackson, Missouri
Posts: 7,051
RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
Well, someone finally pointed out what I was thinking all along in reading through this thread... I agree with liquidorange 100%.
Study after study after study has proven that human urine does not spook deer. Some of you may have read a thread I posted last week about having a mature doe come in on me which had really gained my respect due to the sensitivity of her nose. I am truly religious about scent control, but when it comes to peeing from my stand, I let 'er fly. This particular doe I wrote about last week had come in with her fawn and milled around at six yards -- and I'd just peed not thirty minutes before. She never even got suspicious until my Spitfire blew through her partner's lungs while she stood broadside at thirty yards.
Study after study after study has proven that human urine does not spook deer. Some of you may have read a thread I posted last week about having a mature doe come in on me which had really gained my respect due to the sensitivity of her nose. I am truly religious about scent control, but when it comes to peeing from my stand, I let 'er fly. This particular doe I wrote about last week had come in with her fawn and milled around at six yards -- and I'd just peed not thirty minutes before. She never even got suspicious until my Spitfire blew through her partner's lungs while she stood broadside at thirty yards.
11-09-2004, 08:15 PM
#30
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Midway Ky USA
Posts: 1,157
RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
A gatorade bottle to pee in, a whole lot of munchies, a couple of waters, drinks, etc. and a handheld poker game. It's usually that 11 - 3 hours that will get you, but I've seen huge bucks moving at 1:30, so that's my motivation. Most everyone's out of their stands by 10, I try never to get out until 11:30. And for those who resist temptation to leave the stand can be highly rewarded.
Good luck.
Kelly
Good luck.
Kelly