I was curious how many of us honestly sit the entire day during the rut? I'm talking 12 hours, from before first light till dark. When I first started hunting a lot of years ago, I had trouble sitting in one place for more that a few hours, but as the years went by and I learned the importance of sitting all day during the rut, I had to find a way to do it. IT AIN'T EASY!!! I quickly learned that you must eat to make it happen. Without food in your belly, you will not endure a 12 hour sit, plain and simple. Or, if you can actually pull that off, you will be one miserable SOB. Having a lot of action surely makes it much easier, but that isn't always the case, especially where I hunt. So, what I did was break up the 12 hour sit into 3 separate 4 hour sits. The Morning sit (6:00AM-10:00AM), Afternoon sit (10:00AM-2:00PM), and the Evening sit (2:00PM-6:00PM/dark). When I break it up like that, it kind of tricks my brain into thinking, aaah, this isn't too bad. Works for me. Oh, I don't use my phone to "pass time", I'm there to kill a buck and won't chance not being ready when/if that chance arises. So, how many of us do dark to dark hunts, and how do you manage to endure?
I can not physically sit in a tree for that long. I will go in after sunup and sit till 1 then get down and head back out at 3 or so.
I'm with Sota on this... I go out to my car around 1 and go back in between 2 or 3... Sent from my LG-H830 using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
Yea I get in the stand before Sun light and sit til like ten them go eat lunch do whatever for a couple hours then go back out probably to a different stand. Can't sit all day unless action is crazy. Which it usually isn't.
I will sit all day when I think it is worth it. Thats what makes it easier. Food, books, phones, naps make time go by.
no...I can't do it...ADHD, boredom, hungry, uncomfortable, and just simply don't want to..who knows how many big bucks have walked by at noon when I wasn't there?? but, it is what it is, I won't lose sleep over it.
I've sat in a heated box blind in a recliner all day during gun season, but don't generally in a bow stand. Did when I was younger. I have to get up and move a little. I will usually hunt till noonish and head to the truck for a tailgate lunch stretch my legs a little and head back in.
I'm gonna give it a try on the last Saturday of pa season if something doesn't happen until then. Have done it before but not to often. There's one spot I'm saving for that day. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I downloaded the kindle app on my phone and found reading in the stand really helps. I can sit till 11 fairly easily. From 11-1ish I am reading and eating a bit and maybe standing up for 15 or so minutes but being quiet. Then come 2- dark, I am back in the zone
All my sits during the rut are an hour and a half before sunrise til half hour after sunset. On my Illinois trips id do 6-7 all day sits in a row. It isn’t easy. Last year was the worst.. did multiple all day sits in the CT big woods without seeing a deer.. Did an all day sit this past Saturday with no deer sightings. I eat, I day dream, use my phone for a few minutes at a time. I do have diagnosed ADHD, I don’t medicate for it, so it’s extremely difficult for me to sit still, which is why I use my phone for a few. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Me, when I head to Missouri for my 5 day hunt it's sunrise to sunset for me and my hunting buddy. 5 straight days if needed. It hasnt paid off yet (killing one during the middle of the day) but I'm there to kill a good one and I have better odds being out there as much as I can right?
I used to do it all the time when I was younger, just not the rut but regular hunts. Nowadays I'm like most of you, in before daylight stay till noon then back around 3. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I've sat 10 hrs before. Had a couple close encounters with a buck I was chasing, but usually I'm out by 11-12 and go back at 1-2pm I read an article here recently in bowhunter magazine and one guy said For all day hunts how he breaks it down is to have 3 different spots to go throughout the day. Have a morning spot, transition to another spot for the mid day hunt and have your 3rd and final spot to go to for your all day hunts. That way you always have something to look forward to. I will try this method this weekend and see how it goes.
I usually sit all day if I can, one way I trick my brain once it starts getting rough is to try and not to look at my phone when I'm sitting, it feels like the minutes tick by pretty quickly until I look at my phone and see the actual time. Then I subconsciously start counting the minutes and that makes it really tough. Snacks really do help, eating a snack takes my mind off the mission for a minute which is a nice r&r moment I try not to move & stretch too much, but the tree I chose this year is bend towards me slightly, so it's really uncomfortable. We will see if I muscle through it this year Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I usually get the best advice in the woods because I talk to myself. Actually I don't like to sit all day either unless I know the moment is right.
I'm considered "young" and I've only been able to do roughly 10 all day sits in my 15 years of hunting. Not sure what it is but I just can't make myself do it. I have to get down around 11 otherwise I'd go crazy. I do always challenge myself to do it so maybe I'll start again this year. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I do all day sits in the rut. Usually get up and stretch a lot. Bring food and water. I bring an extra charger for my phone. It helps pass the time. Move to a different stand if wind is changing or to get a new perspective. I’ve also crawled down stand. Usually enough action to break up the day just fine. Small bucks, does, monster squirrels all get my attention. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
