With all the new stands, saddles, platforms and all the other hunting related items for comfort now available. How do you handle being bored after a few hours in the tree, I get bored waay faster than discomfort from any setup. I'm sure most hunt where and see more deer than I do and that is a big help, bout 3 hrs and I'm toast.
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Bored Vrs Discomfort
- Thread starter gumby
- Start date
Schwonkhead
Active Member
Pull out the little pocket computer and play a quick game. Also, I have a couple friends that hunt in other locations and we have a group text going during the season updating the others on how things are going. That little bit of interaction can help push you through a 5 hour sit even when you haven't seen one deer.
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- Nov 1, 2018
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Shoot yea hunting the big woods can be very boring. I don't have the answer, I am just in the same boat. I don't want to be on my phone the whole time in the woods, but if that doesn't bother you you could bring a charger and some headphones and binge on your phone games, movies, forums etc. I know some buddies that'll play games until they see a deer. I brought a book one time but it is surprisingly noisy and cumbersome. I don't think Id be able to hide it and get ready without spooking something. Also, books don't grab my interest well so I usually just fall asleep. The struggle is real.
Yep. I.ve always wondered about folks that say they sit dark to dark...I dont get bored, just have way too much to do elsewhere.
Kindle.
PSVita with a few portable powerbank. Playing on phone really drain batteries.
nap.
PSVita with a few portable powerbank. Playing on phone really drain batteries.
nap.
My favorite is finding a historical story online that's an hour or 2 long, maybe JR if his guest is interesting, stand up comedy specials are good to listen to. Occupies the brain without needing to draw away your eyes. I just wear an earbud and stick my phone away back in a pocket or pouch.
Schwonkhead
Active Member
For me dark to dark requires a little planning. I usually pick a couple spots to sit, one in the morning and one for evening. Sit in the morning stand til about 10:30-11:00 then get down and walk, not necessarily in the most direct route but the route with the best chance of seeing deer, to the evening location. Last fall I got a decent size 8 point when I sat down for lunch on a log, he came in the draw down the gulley to within 30 yards before I could even get my sandwich out of my pack.
Some might say that doesn't count as an "all-day" sit, but if you spend the whole day in the woods does it really matter?
Hubby11
Member
I bring a book or a Nook (reading tablet, they were all the rage a few years ago. . .) and read once it gets light enough. I know that I can miss out with my head down, but if it helps me stay in the saddle I figure it's worth it.
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- Nov 1, 2018
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If comfort is half of the equation youre missing then maybe you need to make a fleece saddle. It doesn't weigh anything and packs away nice. You can wear it right over your saddle once you are in the tree you'll be set. If you got some money burning a deep hole in your pocket you could also try the Drey from Dryad. It is a similar system to a fleece saddle but it's made from hammock material. What saddle and platform are you currently using? I thought I remembered you hunted bankhead, whereabouts are you from? I am down in Cullman.
TNbowhunter
Well-Known Member
I pretty much don't hunt much more than 3 hours unless I'm seeing tons of deer, in which case I'm not bored and itching to climb down. Quality time with the good Lord above and my iPhone are the two things that have most of my attention on slower hunts, though.
I like killing big bucks like everyone else around here, but I also look at hunting as an outlet for fun and relaxation, not a necessity for my family to eat--when it stops being fun and/or relaxing, I just call it a day and go spend time with my kids or do something else I enjoy. That's not to say I never "suffer through" some rough times in the stand or on my way there/back, because that's definitely necessary for success (at least in the places I hunt), but generally speaking, I'm not going to grind out hours on-stand just because the big hunting shows tell me I have to sit all day. Seeing as I've killed 5 bucks I'm thrilled with in the last 3 years, all on sub-3-hour sits (most on sub-2-hour sits), I see no reason to change what I'm doing. For the record, I'm not sharing that to brag about how awesome I am (there are loads of WAY better hunters than me on here), but just to show that you really don't have to hunt all day to kill a good one.
I like killing big bucks like everyone else around here, but I also look at hunting as an outlet for fun and relaxation, not a necessity for my family to eat--when it stops being fun and/or relaxing, I just call it a day and go spend time with my kids or do something else I enjoy. That's not to say I never "suffer through" some rough times in the stand or on my way there/back, because that's definitely necessary for success (at least in the places I hunt), but generally speaking, I'm not going to grind out hours on-stand just because the big hunting shows tell me I have to sit all day. Seeing as I've killed 5 bucks I'm thrilled with in the last 3 years, all on sub-3-hour sits (most on sub-2-hour sits), I see no reason to change what I'm doing. For the record, I'm not sharing that to brag about how awesome I am (there are loads of WAY better hunters than me on here), but just to show that you really don't have to hunt all day to kill a good one.
Hall17
Well-Known Member
I've gotten better each year with boredom. I still pull out the phone every once in awhile to chat with friends, etc. No social media for me so I don't have that but I do try and enjoy my time out there as much as possible with a device. I do take my Canon camera out on longer sits and take pictures or video. I will be doing that more this year so my little guy can enjoy seeing the video. I don't video my hunts as I have no idea how the guys that do that are able to. I can hardly keep myself together when a dang doe approaches.
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- May 4, 2020
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I’ll bring 2 or 3 judo heads to shoot at squirrels, a dull knife to sharpen, snacks do some digital scouting and texting people...very rare I stay in the same tree all day or same chunk of timber so I’ll get down and adjust locations or nap under the tree if it seems slow...comfort isn’t a big issue with me but pivot platforms do get old after couple of hours
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This is what I do. I get bored real easy and if it's boring I'll go find a place that isn't.
Schwonkhead
Active Member
I killed my biggest buck sleeping under the tree. I was only 15, when I woke up I could hear the leaves rustling just up the hill from me. I still had the sleep fuzz in my eyes when I shot, all I knew was that it was a deer with antlers. Found him laying on the ground 100 yards later and about crapped my pants at his size.
My way of doing it is to have a premade mental route in my mind. I leave the truck with no real plan other than meander along my route seeing what I can find. If I end up climbing a tree is all based on what I see. Our quota hunts are 3 day + 1 scout day. I usually gotta work the scout day so I may get luck and get to go in the afternoon but I usually skip....there's no fields or open areas to go look for deer..it's all thick southern woods u lucky to see 30 yds.
If I do end up in a tree and I'm not seeing anything in 2-3 hours I'm getting down. There's only so many hours and I feel scouting is more productive than sitting. I see plenty of animals in the middle of the day walking around....they usually see me first thou...hehe
When I finally do settle in and sit for a while I usually take out my little notebook and make note of any issues I had during the course of the day and start brainstorming on how to fix them. I take a book but I usually don't end up reading it. There is so much life in our woods it's rare to go for long without having something to watch... Birds squirrels dragonfly's frogs etc....here's a fun game I stumbled across....as I was climbing a tree 1 time I noticed this super well camo praying mantis. It's small and nearly invisible of it's not moving...but now I know what its outline looks like...I will try to find them in my tree or surrounding trees. I had never seen 1 before that 1 chance encounter but now I see the all the time and it's a fun little game to pass some time. Looking at aerial photos of of the area in hunting looking for spots to go check out is productive way to kill time. SH "live from the saddle" threads if u got service.
If I do end up in a tree and I'm not seeing anything in 2-3 hours I'm getting down. There's only so many hours and I feel scouting is more productive than sitting. I see plenty of animals in the middle of the day walking around....they usually see me first thou...hehe
When I finally do settle in and sit for a while I usually take out my little notebook and make note of any issues I had during the course of the day and start brainstorming on how to fix them. I take a book but I usually don't end up reading it. There is so much life in our woods it's rare to go for long without having something to watch... Birds squirrels dragonfly's frogs etc....here's a fun game I stumbled across....as I was climbing a tree 1 time I noticed this super well camo praying mantis. It's small and nearly invisible of it's not moving...but now I know what its outline looks like...I will try to find them in my tree or surrounding trees. I had never seen 1 before that 1 chance encounter but now I see the all the time and it's a fun little game to pass some time. Looking at aerial photos of of the area in hunting looking for spots to go check out is productive way to kill time. SH "live from the saddle" threads if u got service.
Don’t climb a tree unless you’re extremely confident a deer will pass in range while you’re in it. Like really sure. Like you KNOW it will happen. Adopting this practice eliminated 95% of my boredom in a tree.
Hall17
Well-Known Member
I agree. I hunt a pretty high deer density area and def. agree that I am always alert because of it. The 'all day' sits are where there are hours where I might not see anything. But yes that is a great point and strategy. Also, why I take Unisom most nights before hunting or I'd lay there awake all night thinking about the opportunity.
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