Passing hours on a stand

[shibumiseeker]

I can't believe that deer hunting has come to this...

I take a phone, but it's always off unless I need assistance.

I don't know how many times I've heard in the last few years especially..."Man I would have had a shot at that huge buck I've been hunting, but I was (insert some dumb task such as texting your girlfriend, facebooking, etc) and didn't see him until it was too late!" When I go to the woods, I go to the woods to get away from all the BS and hunt. On an all day sit (6 this year), I take a pee bottle, a sammich, some beef jerky, and a bottle of water or two depending how hot it is. I know for a fact that had I been at all pre occupied this fall, I would not have taken the buck I did. I saw him for at most 15-20 sec before I shot him and still barely got a shot. Delay that by even 5 or 10 seconds and whoops, I DON'T GET A SHOT! There is nothing more relaxing for me than to just sit and hunt. I am completely blown away by most hunters that are "bored" on stand. Anyway, whichever method you choose, good luck and be safe!

In principle I agree with you, but I live in the woods and I spend most of my time in them. I can sit there for long periods and just absorb the ambiance, but some times I get fidgety and I'm more likely to spend more time out hunting if I have something to do during those times.

This year I was in the middle of preparing a snack when the deer I shot (at about 30 yards) came along.

When I read my routine is to read a page, then before I turn the page look up and scan for a minute or so, then read the next page. When I am listening to a podcast I am constantly scanning and in fact I find that I am more likely to see deer because I scan more continuously.

The games I sometimes play on my Touch are not action games requiring constant attention, but games that require mental exercise like word games, so I'm not looking down at the machine all of the time.

 

[clfergus]

You know one topic of conversation missing is how nice of a stand your passing the time on. My first year we bought some horrible 30 buck stands that killed my rear, hurt my back. The platform was tiny. It made me tense.

This year I had the opportunity to hunt in some pretty nice field and stream delux ladder stands. Big and roomy, had a nice back and arm rests. It was like sitting in a lazyboy compared to my first year. Made passing the time and enjoying mu surrounding much more.

 

[DThurston]

clfergus - I believe you! The main place I'll be sitting for any lenght of time will be a platform that I'll be (re)building between 3-5 trees on family property. Father in law had one built there from which he was very successful and it's rotted out. So, I'll have a decent plywood floor and at least a railing and some camo burlap wrapped around it. Should be solid and roomy enough for lenthy sits.

And with a little extra space and the burlap wrap, a kid should be able to sit on the floor of it and read, draw, etc. when they get bored of watching for things.

 

[dross]

What's a stand?

We don't use 'em out West.

 

[squirrelhntr]

one thing i know for sure is the older you get the less still you get. the woods have an eerie feeling when you hear the hoot owl around dusk

 

[finity]

I've taken & small electronic Yahtzee game before. I used it a few times & it was OK. Even that got boring after a while.

This season I've started bringing my IPOD & listening to music & especially audiobooks on earbuds. I like that more than the game because I don't have to use my eyes & hands for anything except hunting.

The only time I hunt out of a stand is when I bowhunt just because they have to get so much closer & there's more movement at the shoot to spook the deer. For gun hunting I tried using a stand at first but found it too restrictive. Now I just sit on a swivel seat up against a tree. I can usually see further & move more to get lined up for the shot than when confined to a stand. Also the only scent control I ever use is showering with scent free soap & laundering with scent & UV free detergent (sport-wash, etc).

I've been fairly successful for the land I hunt on (state land & one small property that only has about an acre of woods). I shot 5 last year & 3 the year before. This year I only got 2 but the sightings of deer overall this year was WAY down from past years. It was kind of strange that I didn't see nearly as many deer as in the past but of the ones I did see, the majority were bucks. I have no idea where all the does were this year.

 

[M4Madness]

I just sit there and look around until I either kill something or it's time to get down. No books or iPod for me. I carry a cell phone, and occasionally a friend will send me a text informing me of the hunting action where they are. Other than that, it's just me and nature. Heck, I seldom carry food or drink either. Most years I don't even urinate when hunting, and of the two or three times I have in the past, I just do it from the tree onto the ground. Deer aren't spooked by human urine, and I've been known to urinate in buck scrapes and have bucks visit them afterwards.

 

[tom1025]

This. I use my Droid with all the volume turned off, surf the web, text my friends, watch videos, play games, etc. Nothing with noise or needing an earbud. We have a camper out there also, so I can charge it when we're in for lunch.

I bought the bigger battery for my Droid and I can use it all day with out charging it.

 

[M2A2]

I read or text with friends.. I do alot of scanning {swivel neck}.I always keep a copy of the New testiment with me with plsams and proverbs.. Pray alot... think...and watch..

 

[latj]

As long as I'm dressed for the weather and reasonably comfortable I can sit all day with nothing else to occupy me. A thermos of coffee, some lunch...sometimes I take a decent camera and get some photos.