JNM86WVU

Funny thing.. I was reading this thread earlier today, then this evening I watched Uncle Ted's "Spirit of the Wild".. During one of his segments he was saying that they did not take a lot of footage of this hunt (in South Africa for Waterbuck, so not hunting in a treestand for Whitetail, but still..) because he was writing articles and his wife was texting and what not.. But I just found this humorous because of having read this topic earlier in the day..

That being said, I have never read a magazine or book while on stand.. I don't get to spend as much time as I would on stand, so I try to make the most of the time I have there, but I see no problem with the people that do.. I believe iSnipe said it best that they are doing something they enjoy and if they are enjoying what they are doing I am not one to spoil it for them.. Although I agree with the people who are talking about the iPhone.. I personally have a BlackBerry, so I often check the weather/radar/wind and I find it to be very useful, this is also the communication tool we use to communicate with other hunters in the area (texting and the occasional call if someone has a BBD).. So I guess I am "reading" on stand, but mainly I just take in the beauty and sounds of West "By God" Virginia.. As far as dozing off, I am guilty of this one, but as 7.62NATO stated, I'm more "resting my eyes".. I've never falling asleep in stand, but sometimes on those all day hunts, that midday warm sun can lall you to sleep..

Pretty much as long as you're enjoying what you're doing out there, that's what matters.. If you're not enjoying yourself what's the point of doing it..

G92

i never sleep while in my stand,never read or listen to my ipod.i just think,mostly about life and possible situations that could happen while deer hunting,i do however txt people on my cell phone it hasnt got me busted so why not.

shoot2thrill25

I take my little video camera and will video a squirell or bird or somethin. its the kind that uses a memory card and not a tape, so I stick my trail camera card in there and look at the bucks I have pics of. That usually snaps me right back into high alert.

huntography

Watching and listening to my surroundings takes up a good chunk of my time. Reflecting on life and being thankful for everything and everyone I have really keeps me alert too. Then again, daydreaming about the future gets me pumped and keeps me ready.

caplock

I like to read on stand and I've killed several p&y bucks while doing it. I guess I just enjoy being in the woods and when I read I sit still longer, I admit I've looked up and had deer almost within bow range, I just figure the longer I'm in my stand the less I'm out wandering through the woods screwing things up. Maybe a few deer sneak by but I still have a chance at them, If I'm not in my stand I have no chance at them. I don't read all the time, just when things are slow. Reading works best when the leaves are good and crunchy, or the snow is noisy. I Don't read on windy days.

okey7467

thanks for share good sharing

7.62NATO

I don' t have a tree stand and hunt from the ground, and I usually hunt all day. I usually have to get up around 3:30-4am to get to my spot before twilight. I don’t know a whole lot of people who can get up at that time and sit in the woods from sun up to sun down without getting the sleepies. If I get an overwhelming sense of sleepiness that I can’t fight, I will get up and begin to still hunt. If the conditions aren’t right for still hunting or I’m in a spot I surely don’t want to leave, I will go ahead and lay down on the ground and take a little nap. It beats sitting against a tree with your head bobbing for hours as you attempt to fight it, and it SURELY beats getting up and leaving the woods for “lunch”, ensuing the deer know you are there. The nap usually lasts about 20 minutes and then I’m good to go…though I’ve had a couple naps last for an hour and once for 3 hours! But that time I was getting sick and didn’t realize it yet. I was shocked when I awoke and figured out how much time had passed!

Bocajnala

If I get tired I tend to still hunt. I have taken books to read on a few occasions but I never have taken them out. I do occasionally send a text message from my phone to pass the time, especially if other friends are hunting to see what they're seeing.
-Jake

Rory/MO

I try to pay 100% attention while I'm hunting. There's no way I would have even seen my buck from last fall if I wasn't constantly scanning for deer.

Hoyt HavocTec

My first ever opening day of gun season, the one I had looked forward to going with my Dad for years, I fell asleep in the stand. I was in a climber with a shooting rail, laid my gun down across the rail, crossed my arms, laid my head down and fell asleep. When I woke up, I opened my eyes and was staring at a doe (I was 12 and I didn't care about big racks yet)50 yards away. That was the only lesson I needed, and it hasn't happened again since.

Since then, I feel a little like I'm too observant in the stand in that I look too hard and move around too much. I'm sure I've been busted dozens of times without even knowing, but it's paid off plenty of times so I'm content.