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A Few Tips From An Old Fart

not clothes. Stuff. Gear. Gadgets. Calls. Scents.

You don’t need “stuff” to kill deer. In addition to the clothes i carry only a grunt tube which is 100% necessary if you want to have any hope of turning a buck passing by out of range and a range finder so i’m dead certain of my ranges but you could do without it. Mine is so small it fits in a pocket though.

Scents have scared more deer away than they have attracted. I stopped using those at least two decades ago.

Not sure what other gadgets people would be carrying other than maybe a cell phone.
 
You don’t need “stuff” to kill deer. In addition to the clothes i carry only a grunt tube which is 100% necessary if you want to have any hope of turning a buck passing by out of range and a range finder so i’m dead certain of my ranges but you could do without it. Mine is so small it fits in a pocket though.

Scents have scared more deer away than they have attracted. I stopped using those at least two decades ago.

Not sure what other gadgets people would be carrying other than maybe a cell phone.
I agree with deer scents 100% do little if any good.

Grunt, rattle bag(during rut), head lamp, range finder, and knife is all I carry xtra. I use to carry bino's but decided if it's that far out that I can't see with my eyes then what's the point unless I'm planning to still hunt
 
I agree with deer scents 100% do little if any good.

Grunt, rattle bag(during rut), head lamp, range finder, and knife is all I carry xtra. I use to carry bino's but decided if it's that far out that I can't see with my eyes then what's the point unless I'm planning to still hunt
I thought the same about binoculars during archery season and stopped carrying them.
 
You don’t need “stuff” to kill deer. In addition to the clothes i carry only a grunt tube which is 100% necessary if you want to have any hope of turning a buck passing by out of range and a range finder so i’m dead certain of my ranges but you could do without it. Mine is so small it fits in a pocket though.

Scents have scared more deer away than they have attracted. I stopped using those at least two decades ago.

Not sure what other gadgets people would be carrying other than maybe a cell phone.

additional stuff I find necessary
headlamp
bow hanger/accessory strap
hand towel to muffle coughs and wipe nose (i get bad post nasal drip when the temp drops)
pruner (when walking through thorns) and small folding saw for the tree
water/snacks if hunting all day
toilet paper (maybe multitask my hand towel? lol)

I carry rangefinder and grunt like you mentioned.

Deer urine doesn't work for me either. I had a bottle of fresh stuff bust in my freezer and I had to clean my freezer like 10 times and I still think I smell it!
 
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hand towel to muffle coughs and wipe nose (i get bad post nasal drip when the temp drops)
I have always struggled with respite issues that hampered outdoor pursuits. Maybe this will help you.

1. Pets are HORRIBLE for people with breathing problems. My situation improved tremendously when I moved out of my parents house with its 3 dogs, and then improved again when I put the cat outside. I know pet people love their pets, but I found that the 24/7 benefit of being able to actually breathe outweighed the benefit of having something dumber than me to hang out with.

2. No carpet, minimal soft furniture (couch, lazyboy, etc) roomba, change your air filters. Dust is bad for you. If you've ever tore up old carpet or deep cleaned a rug of sofa, you'd be grossed out by the pounds of gunk it can hold. It's nasty. Getting rid of it will help you tremendously. I have hard floors and a little robot slave to vacuum them twice a day. I have a reminder on my phone to change my air filter monthly. It helps.

3. Stay hydrated and get your vitamins in. That'll help with everything you do from loving your family to doing your job to dragging out deer to breathing oxygen.

4. Take allergy meds when you know you'll need them, but not year round and every day. When my seasonal allergies act up or if I'm going to hang out around pet people or at a dirty old deer camp, I take Claritin starting a day or two before. If you take it too often it loses effectiveness.

5. If you're traveling, bring your own bed. I use my own pillow, blankets, mattress, and cot if at all possible. Otherwise I can wake up with horrible symptoms after a night in a bed that hasn't had sheets washed since Reagan was in office.

6. Work from home. This year my sinuses have been better than ever because I'm not in an office building that corporate has decided needs to be just barely livable.
 
Grass allergies (hay fever) are the number one allergy in the US. It is not surprising that so many people have an allergic sensitivity to wheat, which is a grass. I never would have found out about my wheat allergy if I had not started eating keto and felt much better not eating wheat. When I don't eat wheat, my other allergies mysteriously disappear.
 
I have always struggled with respite issues that hampered outdoor pursuits. Maybe this will help you.

1. Pets are HORRIBLE for people with breathing problems. My situation improved tremendously when I moved out of my parents house with its 3 dogs, and then improved again when I put the cat outside. I know pet people love their pets, but I found that the 24/7 benefit of being able to actually breathe outweighed the benefit of having something dumber than me to hang out with.

2. No carpet, minimal soft furniture (couch, lazyboy, etc) roomba, change your air filters. Dust is bad for you. If you've ever tore up old carpet or deep cleaned a rug of sofa, you'd be grossed out by the pounds of gunk it can hold. It's nasty. Getting rid of it will help you tremendously. I have hard floors and a little robot slave to vacuum them twice a day. I have a reminder on my phone to change my air filter monthly. It helps.

3. Stay hydrated and get your vitamins in. That'll help with everything you do from loving your family to doing your job to dragging out deer to breathing oxygen.

4. Take allergy meds when you know you'll need them, but not year round and every day. When my seasonal allergies act up or if I'm going to hang out around pet people or at a dirty old deer camp, I take Claritin starting a day or two before. If you take it too often it loses effectiveness.

5. If you're traveling, bring your own bed. I use my own pillow, blankets, mattress, and cot if at all possible. Otherwise I can wake up with horrible symptoms after a night in a bed that hasn't had sheets washed since Reagan was in office.

6. Work from home. This year my sinuses have been better than ever because I'm not in an office building that corporate has decided needs to be just barely livable.

Thanks for all the tips, first priority is running an air filter and keeping my place more dust free. I'm pretty good usually, but when that temperature drops my nose starts running bad enough that it causes me to cough once per hour. With the hand towel, I can bury my face and let go with some deep coughs without worrying (and those deep coughs stop the urge for a while).

I was using a neti pot everyday and that really helped. I need to start that back up. Ever try it?
 
My wife would have assured id be hunting that happy hunting grounds in the sky had I allowed a bottle of urine to explode in the freezer!

I think it was called Antler Ice. The buck in rut was RANK, and of course that is what spilled. Supposedly, this stuff is taken right from the deer and then frozen with no preservatives. I tried all manner of doe, doe in heat, buck, and buck in rut on drag rags and rags hanging around my stand for a whole season of using Antler Ice (sold at that sporting goods box store with the name that gets censored here as a 4 letter word). It didn't work, but I'm still wondering why would that not work? I mean if anything should attract a buck in rut it should be doe in heat urine dragged around and put all over(?) Maybe any buck down wind or near the scent path also smells human, but you'd think a cross eyed buck would throw caution to the wind at least once in a whole season!
 
Thanks for all the tips, first priority is running an air filter and keeping my place more dust free. I'm pretty good usually, but when that temperature drops my nose starts running bad enough that it causes me to cough once per hour. With the hand towel, I can bury my face and let go with some deep coughs without worrying (and those deep coughs stop the urge for a while).

I was using a neti pot everyday and that really helped. I need to start that back up. Ever try it?
My mom went through a phase where she used one. I didn't get any benefit and really didn't like the idea of squirting water up my nose and possibly introducing bacteria.

My thoughts have been just breathe better air as much as you can. It's hard for your system to handle extra contaminants when it's already struggling with the everyday stuff. Or that's my theory. A cleaner and less dusty house means when I do get allergies they're manageable and can be controlled with medication. That didn't use to be the case.
 
Total allergen load is definitely a big factor. I wash my sinuses by sucking water into my sinuses when I take a shower My sinuses then feel much cleaner, as would be expected.
My post nasal drip returns when I eat wheat. After not eating wheat for days, it takes eating quite a lot of wheat to get the post nasal drip started again but it always returns when I do..
 
I wear bibs in the saddle and wear them OVER my jacket. This eliminates the jacket issue mentioned above, keeps wind from coming up the back of the jacket and allows me to use the front of the bibs as a muff.
atz what I'm talkin about!...BTW...I thought you'd be taller!...hahahahah...best wishes
 
I want to list a few things that have worked for me and make my life a little bit easier. I like easier!:) The first thing is, if you wear glasses CLEAN YOUR DARN GLASSES!! It's amazing how dirty and smeared our glasses are before you notice how bad they are. Next time you are set up in your stand of choice, take a good look around and then clean your glasses and take another look. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!:cool:

I see so many guys wearing back packs that look like they are going on a month long expedition instead of a 3 or 4 hour sit in the local woods. I've chosen a more minimalist back pack and try to keep the items carried to a minimum. If I need to carry additional clothing along with me, I don't need a back pack with the same cubic footage as a small refrigerator, all I need to do is tie the additional clothing to the outside of the pack. I have two pieces of paracord each about 36" long folded in half and girth hitched to a couple of D rings (or anywhere you can anchor it). On each of the paracords I have cord locks. To carry additional clothing all I have to do is slide the cord locks down the cords, insert the clothing into the loops and chinch the cord locks tight. The tie down method weighs nothing, is totally quiet, easy to use and cheap to make. Here are a few pictures to explain what I'm talking about.

View attachment 38547

View attachment 38548

View attachment 38549

Using a muff to keep your hands warm is a no brainer. However, the last thing I need is another thing belted around my waist. If you attach your muff correctly though, it serves much more than just a place to keep your hands warm. I have multiple muffs from light weight ones to warm ones and even waterproof ones. I've converted them all from a waist belt style attachment to a clip on attachment that attach to my bridge. I've made small prusik hitches with clips that stay permanently attached on my bridge. The prusik/clips are used to attach my back band if I choose to use one and also to attach my muff. The prusiks allow me to adjust the height of the muff to a comfortable position. Now one thing that I really like about using the lightweight muff, even if it's not cold out, it makes a great arm rest! Its amazing how much more comfortable having that arm rest is. Instead of trying to figure out what to to with my hands, I can now put them in the muff and greatly increase my comfort. Much more comfortable than laying them across the bridge. Below is a picture to show what I'm talking about. Give it a try, you'll like it!!

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One last tip and I'll shut up. Most of us put on our saddles over our pants/bibs, pull on our coat and try to contend with the transition between the coat being outside the saddle behind us and inside the saddle (bridge) in front of us. The transition never goes real well. Much talk has been made about adding slits to the clothing to accommodate the bridge, kind of like Versa Skins but there are not a lot of options out there. Most just deal with it. However, if you loosen or unbuckle your waist belt on your saddle and pull it up over the bottom of your coat (kind of like tucking in your shirt) when you get to your tree, all of those issues go away. You'd be surprised how comfortable it is! Try it, you'll like it!:cool:
Thank You!
 
I have always struggled with respite issues that hampered outdoor pursuits. Maybe this will help you.

1. Pets are HORRIBLE for people with breathing problems. My situation improved tremendously when I moved out of my parents house with its 3 dogs, and then improved again when I put the cat outside. I know pet people love their pets, but I found that the 24/7 benefit of being able to actually breathe outweighed the benefit of having something dumber than me to hang out with.

2. No carpet, minimal soft furniture (couch, lazyboy, etc) roomba, change your air filters. Dust is bad for you. If you've ever tore up old carpet or deep cleaned a rug of sofa, you'd be grossed out by the pounds of gunk it can hold. It's nasty. Getting rid of it will help you tremendously. I have hard floors and a little robot slave to vacuum them twice a day. I have a reminder on my phone to change my air filter monthly. It helps.

3. Stay hydrated and get your vitamins in. That'll help with everything you do from loving your family to doing your job to dragging out deer to breathing oxygen.

4. Take allergy meds when you know you'll need them, but not year round and every day. When my seasonal allergies act up or if I'm going to hang out around pet people or at a dirty old deer camp, I take Claritin starting a day or two before. If you take it too often it loses effectiveness.

5. If you're traveling, bring your own bed. I use my own pillow, blankets, mattress, and cot if at all possible. Otherwise I can wake up with horrible symptoms after a night in a bed that hasn't had sheets washed since Reagan was in office.

6. Work from home. This year my sinuses have been better than ever because I'm not in an office building that corporate has decided needs to be just barely livable.

Preach brother! I have come to the exact conclusions as you and my life has drastically improved across the board. Throw a little weights and cardio in every week and you’re golden. Not a lot either just keep it routine and you will feel better.
 
My mom went through a phase where she used one. I didn't get any benefit and really didn't like the idea of squirting water up my nose and possibly introducing bacteria.

My thoughts have been just breathe better air as much as you can. It's hard for your system to handle extra contaminants when it's already struggling with the everyday stuff. Or that's my theory. A cleaner and less dusty house means when I do get allergies they're manageable and can be controlled with medication. That didn't use to be the case.

A big thing I had to learn was not to sniff a lot. If your sinuses are already irritated, pulling air into them hard is like sandpaper and sets up a positive feedback (more you sniff, the more you feel you need to....plus it gets on people's nerves). If you feel the urge, then breath in through your nose deep and steady (it "scratches the same itch" that sniffing does). I noticed one day when having allergies that the more I sniffed the worse it got! It only took me like 30 years to figure that out. But in my defense, I'm surprised a doctor/allergist never told me that (it's almost like doctors are human and don't know as much as they let on sometimes....).
 
A big thing I had to learn was not to sniff a lot. If your sinuses are already irritated, pulling air into them hard is like sandpaper and sets up a positive feedback (more you sniff, the more you feel you need to....plus it gets on people's nerves). If you feel the urge, then breath in through your nose deep and steady (it "scratches the same itch" that sniffing does). I noticed one day when having allergies that the more I sniffed the worse it got! It only took me like 30 years to figure that out. But in my defense, I'm surprised a doctor/allergist never told me that (it's almost like doctors are human and don't know as much as they let on sometimes....).
I will add to resist the sneeze. If you feel one coming on, consciously relax the muscles in your face. Get your eyes out of the sun to avoid squinting. Once I start sneezing, it only gets worse. If I fight off the 1st sneeze, my sinuses often calm down and I don't have a sneezing fit.
If you do sneeze, do it thru your mouth. The key is to not irritate your sinuses by sneezing thru them.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 
I will add to resist the sneeze. If you feel one coming on, consciously relax the muscles in your face. Get your eyes out of the sun to avoid squinting. Once I start sneezing, it only gets worse. If I fight off the 1st sneeze, my sinuses often calm down and I don't have a sneezing fit.
If you do sneeze, do it thru your mouth. The key is to not irritate your sinuses by sneezing thru them.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Sounds painful. why don’t you just press your sneeze button. That groove between the base of your nose and your upper lip. Hold it till your sneeze goes away
 
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