sitting still on stand?

[brassman]

How many of you out there take great pains to stay exceptionally still while sitting in your stand? While I sit in pine trees most if the time I cannot sit still but I can get away with it most of the time. When I don't hear anything, i may whittle a stick or something else to do so my hands do not get cold but other than taht I don't sit still all of the time. If I feel i need to stand up and maybe put my jacket on I'll sit very still and listen for 30 seconds to a minute and then look around, but then I'll move like normal. Whats your practice?

[cupper]

I try to stay as still as possible. When I do need to move, I try to do it as slowly as I can tolerate. I am a figiter by nature and have had to work on this, but I have been busted too many times when deer have seen me before I see them. One thing that helps me is putting something quite to figit with in my pouch on my fleece. I can move it around and not make any visible movements or sounds... this helps me to stay still better.

I am curious to hear what others have to say on this topic.

-Cupper

[Coach1310]

I try to limit my movements, but to think that I can sit perfectly still for 3 hours plus, NO WAY. I hunt some pretty thick areas so I usually hear them before I see them and hopefully I hear them before they see me. I am sure I have lost the opportunity on lots of deer because I move too much, but I guess I am not disciplined enough to be a statue. I usually bring a book or a small handheld game for long sits.

[Powerstroke]

I use the book. My butt will fall asleep before I move. I've had some bad days in the stand where I've read for 4 hrs straight and my only movements was turning the page.

[xedge2002]

I usually bring a book and my cell phone on silent. I have a few games on my cell that can keep me entertained for hours and if I do get sick of it the book works just as well.

[harvey lee]

I usually sit for 1/2 hour and then stand for 5-10 minutes and keep doing this to stretch and keep from falling asleep.

I do nothing other than look and listen for the crunch of leaves. Yes, sometimes boring but I dont miss much.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I too read a book... try and look up every paragraph or so... and will have the book in the pack when game time starts... I also stand from time to time and stretch.

[uplander]

Don't like to read and would not even take a breath if I didn't have too. Just like to sit and watch nature do its thing. I don't even set my bow down, makes for a tired left hand,but at least I'm always ready....Like to try to stand most of the time but will sit on occation when legs get tired

[woody1975]

I was just thinking about this last night. I had my bow hanging up and usually I do this until it gets close to "prime time", but there have been a few times when I have been caught by surprise before "prime time". I, like Harvey sit for a while and then stand for a while. Before I move, I take a lot of time and study the trails around me to make sure that nothing is close when I move and then when I do it is very slow and as smooth as I can be. When I am hunting with a gun, I have a wrap around my stand to allow me to get away with a little more movement.

Great Topic.

DL

[Nova]

I stand most of the time and I do move around, probably too much. I can never sit down cause as soon as I do I swear I hear a deer behind me. Happens every time and 98% of the time there is nothing there. With a gun I spend more time on stand so I sit a little there. I don't make drastic moves, just constantly turning my head and body to keep an eye on everywhere.

[VMS]

My actions are very similar to others here...sit for a while, then stand and stretch....then sit for a while again. I've thought about bringing a book along, but to me, being out in the woods gives me a chance to be witness to some really neat things, and having my nose in a book could potentially cause me to miss things... One day I was hunting in a WMA in Bayport. Beautiful afternoon-quiet, calm, dry, and lots of squirrels. Had one come and spend some time with me in my stand...he was just above my head doin his thing. Later on, There was a big hawk making it's way through the area going from tree to tree. It caught a glimpse of me but didn't know what I was... He flew right at me and flared off not 3 feet before landing on me!! That was cool!! Watching otters while over potholes, beavers do their work, chickadees coming and taking sunflower seeds off your knee... There is so much to enjoy.

Sometimes, 2-1/2 hours go by quickly when there is entertainment all around you.

Steve

[smnduck]

I try to sit a still as possible. I use a rear view mirror from the winshield of a car to see behind me so I don't need to crank my head around. It has worked great for checking on those squirrels that sound like deer and those deer that walk through the woods like ghosts and don't make a sound. It works great for checking before I stand and stretch. I use isometric exercises while I'm in the stand to generate warmth also. These are movements with no motion, flex your muscles, push your hands together very hard for 20 seconds ,things like that. It helps you stay still for a longer time.

[luckey]

I'm with NOVA on this one. The vast majority of our stands are situated where a deer can come from any direction. My best bet is to see the deer long before he gets too close. I usually stand and slowly rotate checking just at the limits of visibility. I know many people bring books, games etc to the stand, but I would rather spend the time searching for a tail flicker or glint off an antler. For me the trick is to see them long before they get so close you can't move for fear of them seeing you.

[Guest Kyle]

I hate to be the odd ball but, I was taught to sit still all day long. I hunted the first 5 years of my deer hunting career in a box stand with my grandpa, and we sat from before sunrise to after sunset, and never got out of the stand. Granted, a box stand really protects you from the elements. Now I sit on my own land in a tree. I get up at noon to go to camp and eat lunch, but when im on stand, I littlerally dont move. On average, I only get up and stretch once in the morning and once right before magic hour in the evening. I also dont bring anything to read. I just sit there and watch. Its kind of weird. After all these years of doing this, I almost get into a trance, and time just flys! I dont think I could bring myself to read, I have turned my head away for a second, and when brought it back, had watched a deer get passed me. I would bet that alot of guys that read while on stand, dont see alot of the deer that are in sight range. Just my opinion though.

[Flatlander]

For short stints on stand,(3 hours or less), I'm like Harvey and VMS. I'm able to stay really focused on seeing and hearing what's going on around me. On all day sits, which will begin this weekend, I need a little help. Personally, I don't think it is humanly possible to keep yourself on the focused edge you need to be on for 10-12 hours at a time. Some guys may claim to be a statue for that long, but I know I can't do it myself. Here I go along with Powerstroke. I'll pull out a paperback, read 2 pages, look around(without much movement), turn the page quietly and read 2 more. This has enabled me to put in some exceptionally long, yet productive days on stand. I've even sewn a little pouch onto the outside of my fleece muff for my book to slide silently into when Mr. Big comes by.

On a side note, I made a run up to the Yellow Lake area yesterday, and the bucks are definitly beginning to get into the mood. Two nice scrape lines that weren't there on Friday. Is it the weekend yet?

[bigbucks]

I suck at it! Like others have said I'm a fidgeter. I didn't ever even lay still in my bed growing up other than while actually sleeping until I was about twelve. I've learned to wiggle my toes in my boots & stare at the boots to see if I can see them move, thats more when it's cold out. I've taken to reading a book lately if I'm out more than 2 hours, especially if it's really warm out, but like others have said not at prime time. I'll usually start out sitting & sit as long as I can, but my head's on a swivel, often too fast of one. I've found that if you do turn too quick but it's at the first loud twig snap, they're usually not close enough to see you. I'm generally up or down, sitting or standing 2-3 times in an hour. It depends on how comfortable of a stand I'm in & how many ways they can come from.

I don't worry much about movement on my main gun stand as deer are rarely closer than 75 yards before I hear them or see them & they would almost never get closer than 40 yards even if I didn't shoot them. I really try to find trees with multiple trunks, a lot of limbs, or a few others in close proximity to hide my movements behind. If you see the deer first you'd be amazed how much movement you can get away with, even when they're close.

I had a deer working a scrape & the licking branch on the tree I was sitting in once. I'd fallen asleep & heard him behind me at 20 yards, EMBARRASSING, especially since I'd gotten on stand little more than an hour before dark & had only been on stand 20 minutes. I fell asleep smack in the middle of primetime! Hmm, think I was a bit tired? I stood up, pulled my bow off a low hook, where it was wedged, on the deer's side of the tree. He started to walk off, as he knew something was up, but I nailed him at 25 yards, as he cleared the branches of my tree.

Anyway to answer the question, do I sit still? well not really, but I try.

[Guest Kyle]

I dont think its possible for anyone to sit like a statue for 10-12 hours. Im just saying that I dont have a problem with being figity*. No joke though, if you can learn to consistantly sit still for long hours, you can train your mind to be on alert, but also pass time very fast. I do it everytime I sit on stand for long periods of time, and it is quite amazing!

[northerndave]

we call my uncle Joe: "the lincoln memorial" for fun.

nuff said about his stand habbits.

[Waterflea]

I try to minimize caffeine intake if I plan to sit for a long time...it cuts down on nervous energy.

[CC Hurl]

Myself I always sit with Bow ready to go. Release on string and when the gift appears I am ready for the shot. When I do move I am keeping my hands close to my body and move slow. On a windy day movement is everything when you want to be consistant year affter year. Hey does after have two f's or one. LOL

Seriously I sit and am always ready for the shot. No reading or playing games on phone. If this works for you I have been missing out on what I can do at home. This is my Archery tip of the week.

Two doe in the freezer this year and going to wait patiently

for the breeder during my time off next week in the southern bluffs.

You got to love the good times spent on stand soaking up what nature has to offer too the few of us who take the time.

Ok, going off on a tangent.

Good luck to you all during the next couple weeks we wait all year for.

Stick a big one !

CC HURL

[tunrevir]

Quote:

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I try to minimize caffeine intake if I plan to sit for a long time...it cuts down on nervous energy.

---

Not to mention the urge to relieve oneself! Most of the time I only have time to sit on stand for 2-3 hours at a time but have sat full days without getting off stand on many occassions. Ripley is a place where if you can stay on stand a full day you will see alot of deer because of all of the activity in the woods between 10 and 2. Sitting still for me on short stints isn't too hard but for those full day hunts I need to stand every so often, stretch, ect. One way I like to warm up and get some movement is by rattling. The isometrics work for that too!

Tunrevir~

[Stratosman]

I say whatever it takes to keep you in the stand, if it takes moving and stretching quietly so be it, it's better than not being in the stand.

Personally I usually can sit till noon or so without any entertainment other than woodland critters, get down to the truck for lunch and a quick nap, then back in at 1:30 or two. But I usually only get the chance to do that about 2-3 times a year with the bow. For some reason I hate sitting that long with the gun, I guess I like the B.S. with the other hunters better.

[so haaad]

Electronic yahtzee, with no sound of course. I wrapped adhesive felt around most of it, so now it's super quiet pulling out of the pack, too.

[CrappieAttitude]

For the past few years My dad, Brother and I have stayed out in the woods from before sunrise til dark. We used to hunt til about 10:30 head in for lunch, nap, whatever and return around 1:00. Now we bring a lunch and if we want to eat we either eat in the tree or take a break at a central location. While in my stand, I am like many of you when I feel like I need a little stretch... I stretch! If I need to stand for 5 minutes to let the blood return to its normal position, so be it. I am not a fidgeter and can spend a long time watching nature do it's thing.

I wouldn't be apposed to reading a book, but it takes a really good one to keep my interest for more than 5 minutes. So to you readers out there any reccommendations as to what is a good read while on stand.

CA

[DeanoB]

I think bowhunting it is very important to sit still, hard for me also, it is good to be able to rattle & grunt, cause usually about every 30 minutes I'm thinking i will just go jump one! lol, but end up blowing a grunt or bleat, i just make sure that i do stand and stretch a little before the 40 minutes of last light so that helps me sit through prime time. Firearms is a little different, though, I usually move around quite a bit more, I'm not afraid to walk slowly on edges, or ridges, or creek bottoms, cause if one jumps up, you have that longer range to get a quality shot. in fact i have shot more deer on a slow walk doing this than i have sitting and waiting for one to walk by. I have never taken a book, i am constantly scanning the area I am hunting, and glassing the areas further away for movement.

[bigbucks]

I'm a western reading man myself. L'Amour is the best, but I'v read them all multiple times, so whatever I can get my hands on, not the trashy ones.

[NELS-BELLS]

Ditto on the L'Amour westerns. I only bring a book if I'm going to be in the stand for more than 4 hours. My problem is that if I'm not reading a book, I tend to want to look around too much at every noise. Usually its squirrels or birds. When I'm half asleep or reading a book is when I see more deer. I think a lot of deer see the hunter before the hunter ever sees them and they slip around them undetected. Whatever it takes to keep you motionless. Reading a book works for me.

Nels

[Bassboy1645]

Not gonna lie! I sleep! lol at least im on stand right?? I never actually hardcore sleep though just doze off...if the woods are quiet a stick breakign usually wakes me up...otherwise I study my school work or read chapters of text books...which leads to sleep haha. but seriously you cant kill deer on the couch or in bed or bsing with the other guys so stick it out even if you fidget! I sit rock still for prolly 80 percent of the time...and yes its harder then heck!