How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

This weekend coming up I finally have nothing to do but hunt. Cool thing is, this coming weekend is absolute peak rut here in MI - best weekend to bow hunt all year IMO. I am going to try to stay on stand as long as possible and would like to stay out there all day on stand but just don't think I have it in me. Come 10am, I'm ready to get down and usually won't make it back out until 3p. Prime hours I'm not in the woods during peak rut. Since I've never pulled an all-dayer, what are the tricks? How do you stay out there the entire day? That's almost 12 hours in the stand! Tips? Tricks? How do you pee? Eat? Read? My Dad's friend would never miss this time of year to hunt all day, he killed most of his bucks between noon and 2. Thanks for any advice.

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

Desire ,I'm very competitive that helps. Go prepared ,dress well,take something to read,
dootle,plenty to eat,water. You just want to have to do it . Like anything else in life. You get what you put in to it.People especially my family ask me why I struggle with pain and hunt thru my disability for a deer that cost more per pound then if you bought the meat. Why I want to be winner a reason to live in my older years. If I had to sit on a sofa all day I would soon got to waste and pass on.

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

This weekend I sat full days on Sat and yesterday. I'm about to trade my arse in for another one...it hurts! lol To be honest, I think hunting all day sucks. But you can't shoot any deer sittin at home or in the truck. Bring a few sandwiches, tail mix and plenty of water. Cell phone games usually kills a couple hours. Anyone want to play against me in Tetris? ;) Watch what you eat the previous day. Make sure it's not something that doesn't agree with you the best the next day or your going to need a fair amount of T paper. Bring changes of socks in case your feet get all sweated up. You feet will get cold and you'll need different socks. I also try and limit my water intake the night before and throughout the day so I don't have to pee a lot. By the end of the hunt, I was singing songs to myself, talking to myself, talking to deer that were out of range, talking to squirrels. Really brings out the best in you...that's for sure. And last of all, if you get tired and find yourself nodding off, GET OUT OF YOUR STAND and take a little nap. Sure you aren't going to shoot or see anything, but beats falling asleep in your stand and falling out. Good luck!!

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

I'm just jealous of anyone out there who has a stand comfortable enough to sit down in for more than 20 minutes without the family jewels falling asleep.... [:o] If only I could afford something other than the old Lock-On LEM my dad gave me... truely a POS, but it does get me off the ground till I can afford better :D

On the same note, bring a good book. At least you'll be able to kill a little time if you get truely bored.

Good luck on your hunt!

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

The treelouge allows me to sit in comfort all day 10-12 hours in my stand! :-) W/O the family jewls hurting! ;)

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

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.

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

It aint easy but remember getting up and stretching is a lot better or should I say less disruptive to getting down and walking out of the woods only to come back in later on.

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

LOL:D,, Bob, your asking the wrong guy here:D

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

comfortable stand,munchies,book,water,piss bottle,tp(you just never know) and the anticipation that you will be leaving with the monster you've worked so hard for. and also knowing that you won't have to do the chores the wife gives you.

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

DESIRE! The desire to shoot a mature whitetail buck. This time of year is as good as it gets. I think about how sick I would feel if I get down only to come back later and see a fresh rub/scrape or jump a big buck when I got back to my stand. I did that once, never again. Now I wear enough clothes, bring enough food, and a big enough pee bottle. Stay long, hunt strong.

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

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?

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

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.

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

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

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

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

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.

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

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.

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

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.

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

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!

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

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

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

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 .

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

Sounds like someone has a Hunter's View Comfort Zone Magnum stand. Talk about painful [:'(]:(

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:D 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;)

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????[:'(]

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!:D
- 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?

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.

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

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

I take food-(tkae it out of any niosy wrapper and re-package in something quiet), plenty of water (and a pee bottle), sometimes a book, sometimes a pen and paper-just anything that doesn't require much movement. I have also seen people take game-boys! I don't know about that, I go hunting to get away from all of that!-Anyway, whatever works for you and keeps you quiet, still, and occupied-but still alert to your surroundings. Take Binos and scan constantly. Study squirrell behavior with and without the presence of deer. Study the birds and how they react to you and different things that you do. All of these are important, because the deer LIVE with these animals, and know what these reactions mean......Anyway---hope this helps
God Bless and Happy Hunting,
SL

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

I have read about letting the golden rain fly out in the woods does not spook dear. Then I read that it does. I wish we could get a solid answer on this. But I will settle on everyones input on this. :eek:

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

I have heard both things about the golden rain---I just take a jug, because it is better safe than sorry!

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

badshot; I've had multiple back surgerys and have tried quite a few tree stands. My back would ache so bad I would go almost numb....then I bought a used tree lounge (the older model with the square tubes---a must!!!) and can now stay up in the tree forever if I want to. The hardest thing is not falling to sleep it's so comfortable!!!! I've read on here all the pros and cons of the tree lounge but I'm here to tell ya---I've never even come close to having any problems. You just go slow and take your time while climbing up and down and use all the safety gear you'd use with any other stand. Plus I see tons more deer than I used to see. Hardly ever (really rare) get winded cause I hunt at least 25-30 high. There's alot of pluses of useing the tree lounge if ya ask me. Anyway, if you want to hunt from daybreak to dusk----pick up a tree lounge.....:)

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

Comfort, comfort and more comfort. I have three all day stands. My TRee lounge is my favorite all day stand. I even set my watch and take a short nap in the afternoon.
Water, food, and camera help pass the time.

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RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

I'm on the side of the fence that let's the pee fly. I've peed out of my stand several times and had deer walk almost under me only minutes later. IMO, and from what I've observed in the woods, it doesn't spook them.

Another question regarding sitting all day: you obviously take more with you afield. What are some of you using for backpacks or to carry the gear to the field? Since I've never hunted all day, a few pockets full of stuff is all I've ever needed. Anything cheap out there?

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

I have taken deer after pissing from my stand too,not doing it is an overated thing.I have read in the past that they can smell medicines in urine?I don't know ,I believe much of it is bunk.I allways look forward to all day hunts when I can get away to do it.Compfort is important, but I do it at times in stands that suck totally.I have a back pack that I can pack alot of what you guys mentioned,also one of the other guys mentioned about what motivates an all day hunt,and I agree 100%.He mentioned something about only hunting all day durring the rut.Let me tell ya ,every one talks "rut this rut that",if you can get out with an aproaching cold front, or even other factors, that also is a good time to do an all day hunt.I take "mental vacations" if you will ,and imagine all kinds of scenerios while I am on stand all day.The mind is a powerfull thing,every sound is a potental deer,that in itself is a motivating factor for keeping you in stand longer.Also pay attention to other species of animal movement durring the day,you might ask"why are these flocks of birds all of a sudden moving as well why did that red fox just move through?"All this can help spark the interest of the hunt.You also would not believe how "in tune" your senses become after being out in the woods alot.My sense of smell, hearing ,and seing minute movments, increses immensely.I wish I had the time to do all day hunts at least twice a week.Being in shape(and I'm not anymore):D I believe helps too,because a healthy back and strong ab muscles as well as other muscle groups ,don't tire as easily and go numb, or become totaly iritated.

RE: How in the world do you stay on stand ALL day?
 

I sit our all day on opening day of gun season. And I bring enough food because at about 10:30 you get bored so you want to eat. I aslo bring something new to tinker with. like a camera and find out how to work everything on it. Get two things done at once. As for the peeing all you need is a funnel and some tube. Dig a hole couple feet deep and put a coffee can up side down and cut a hole for the tube. Cover the can and run the tube to your stand and put the funnel on it you can pee in the funnel and it all goes down the tube into the ground.