How long do you stay.....

[fasteddie]

I drive 50 miles to a couple different hunting spots . When I do that , I have to stay out . The deer often show up during the mid-day and definately start coming out just when it starts to get dark .

[retiredsailor]

After reading over all of these posts, I have to admit that I'm a little surprised by the different schedules used by so many folks. I certainly am not one to say that 'this is right and that is wrong'; actually, whatever works for you is great....for you.

I generally try to get in as many hours on stand as possible. Several of my hunting buddies like to meet up for lunch and chit-chat about the morning hunt. Who saw what, how many, and so forth. Some number of years ago, while hunting alone one day, I decided to stay in my stand the entire day. Now this probably won't come as a surprise to many of you, but I was totally surprised over the number of deer I saw feeding and walking by during the mid-day hours. Suffice it to say that I became an immediate believer in that magical mid-day period.

Do I see day every time during the mid-day? Of couse not. But I do see them often enough to make that my favorite time to be hunting.

I hear folks say that other hunters heading back to the cabin/truck/home or whatever at mid-day, actually get deer up and moving around. That is probably so in some cases. However, from my observations, deer do eat lunch. They may or may not move any significant distance, depanding upon lots of factors (weather, availability of food, location and movement of other hunters, and more). Whatever the cause, I see lots of deer during that noon-time period (generally 11:00 to 1:30 or so). Also, most of these mid-day deer aren't running; rather, they are just browsing along, nibbling as they go.

As is always the case in the 'deer woods', many other things come into play, determining the amount of time I will stay on stand. Weather is my one big factor. I cannot stay in a tree stand very long if it is terribly windy or raining very hard. Call me weak, but that's the way it is.

In summary, I spend as much time in the woods as I can possibly squeeze in. Of course my primary goal is to fill a tag, but some of most memorable days were ones wherein I didn't see a deer. I'm sure many of you can relate to events such as sitting in your stand just as the sky is starting to lighten and watching a red fox scamper past, returning, no doubt, from his night-time hunt. Or anxiously watching that little black bear crossing over a nearby ridge, heading for who knows where. Those are things that contribute to what I consider a great day in the woods.

[Ohio farms]

If you are going to stay on stand for long periods of time you must be comfortable. Once my butt starts hurting, I'm losing the battle. This past year I bought a gel filled cushion at Gander Mt.  Cost $ 59.  My butt has never been happier.  

[shaggy]

Wow, I cant imagine staying all day. Props to yall that do. I hunt close to home, so I normally get down around 10:30 and get back in around 3. 3 is a little late for the evening but it seems to work.
 
I do have a little rule of thumb that I use though: stay for 1 hour after you see your last deer. Killed an 8 pt one year at 10:45 that I would have never seen, had I not seen a deer at 9:50.

[SwampLife]

ORIGINAL: Floating Debris
The real question is should I whiz off my tree stand [:D]

^^Someone needs a gatorade bottle.lol

put a cam out and catch the 'coffe break buck' on film, during hunting season, when you are back at camp or home or truck or diner. it will give you a newfound conviction for all day sitting.

i always try to do as many 'all dayers' as i can. all of my hunts are either weekends at camp, or out of state. time is limited, gotta soak it in. god saw fit to only make deer season so long, and its already over, and i have to wait another six months, and Im sad, i cant wait to sit all day again in the deer woods, heck, come to think of it i have sat all day on scouting trips, just observing.

perhaps its because i live in the city, and i'd give my right arm to have the opportunity to sit in the woods whenever i wanted. Or probably that i am just insane.

just this last year a buddy of mine shot a beautiful 140" 8 at high noon. Year before my uncle missed a 130"er at 2pm. I am just waiting anxiously for my chance at a nice buck. Both of those happened in PA where i hunt, not in FL lol.

PACK YOUR LUNCH![;)]

p.s. i read an article a while ago saying late season the best time you will catch a mature buck on his feet during daylight is midday getting some browse near bedding area.

[SHKYBoonie]

I am one who has always had a problem setting in one spot for too long. I guess I just got too much energy. My hunting buddies think I'm a fool because I always try to get to my stand in the morning about an hour before daylight. I don't like to use flashlights, so I have one of those green LED pen lights that works great. When I'm in the stand I can sit as still as need be but for only about 3 - 4 hrs. at a time. When I feel that there is a good chance for deer moving that day, I will stay in the woods most all day. A few years back I figured out how to do this and not get board. I do like some of the others on here and sit in one stand for awhile. Then get down and stalk to another stand and sit there for awhile. I have many set ups in the same general area, just looking at different views. This helps keep me there as long as possible. Heck, I killed a nice 150"+ buck this year while I was stalking from one stand to the next.

[fasteddie]

This past season I got out of my stand and went to my vehicle to get something to eat & some coffee. I needed to get my circulation going . As I sat in the car munching on the sandwich , I saw a 6 point come out about 40 yards from me , look my way and across the field , then walk slowly down past my ladderstand . This was somehhere around 12:30 ( I think ) .

[NC Deer Hunter]

I guess an average time for me would be 10:30 (only good for about 4 hrs at a time) but I never leave the woods other than to go get something to eat if I didn't bring anything. 3 years ago I left & went to McDonalds about 11:00 came back & was sitting in my truck eating, looked up and a very nice Buck walked across the path & into the cutdown. Well, the Double Cheese Burger & fries went into the floor of my truck, I grabbed my Gun & took off down the path, jumped up on a pine stump, located him aprox 150yrs out & made the shot. Turned ouy to be a 14-3/4" 9 pointer. So, I may leave the stand or like Boonie (leave & stalk to another) but I don't like to leave the hunting grounds AT ALL unless I'm starving & it's usually no more than 30 min.
Sorry I went rambling on with a story. Boy, memories are great Huh.

[bowman12]

I used to sit until 10:30 or so but now after we've put up some tower blinds with a quiet source of heat, it can get very cold during rifle season, I sit all day. That was about 7 years ago.
I really like it because the only thing I have to think about for the whole day is "DEER!" Granted a guys mind wanders to all sorts of things, but zero stresses and "RELAX!"
Our rifle season is also during the rut and it's been productive. I missed a "shooter" at 11:30 this year and two years ago when I shot my last mature buck it was 1:30.
I think it's easier to sit all day when you're sitting over a food plot. There are usually more deer to watch and you get to watch them longer, compared to hunting trails when they'll come by and usually keep going, keeps it more interesting. Not always more productive though, the two bucks I told you about both walking trails.

[dkdesign]

I hunt as long as I can, when I can during Bow season during the rut.  Early season it is usually limited to a few hours at the end of the day on some field edges.  I don't go to good areas in the woods until leaves are down and time is right. ( I don't like stinking up the woods - even though I'm a scent free fanatic - always shower before and layered in scent free clothes)
 I'll have to admit, I'm fortunate to have my hunting land close (14 miles) from my home.  So I will hunt somedays before work or leave early to hunt an afternoon when my schedule allows for it.  For the last 12 years (i've been in business for 12 years) I've said I'm taking a week off around Nov. 5th and I'm going to hunt every day all day.  I have yet to do that.  However in those 12 years I have been fortunate enough to be successful on days when I took time early in the morning before work or late in the afternoon and got to the woods on the spur of the moment.  One thing I know for sure is 'I can't be sucessful if I'm not in the woods'
During gun season it is completely different-  I'm convinced during gun season the more time you spend in your treestand - the more that interferes with what we are really there for -comradere, socializing, and card playing[:D]