Long hours in a treestand

[TGbow]

I've hunted with a recurve or longbow for 37-38 years and I've hunted 80% of the time on the ground.
I've nevr been too comfortable over 12 ft up.
I can sit in my ground blind all day in my 3 legged chair, up to 8-9 hours. I cant handle more than 4 hours in a treestand. Sold all my stands because I got tired of luggin them into the woods, since I hunt public land I didn't want to leave them in the woods. I'm considering buying another treestand..maybe.
How do you treestand hunters stay 6-8 hours in a treestand and manage to be comfortable?

[shirikahn]

I always just kinda zoned out...up in AK we used to sit up in a tree, around the bait barrel for blackies...

[old_goat2]

buy a good one with a comfortable seat a big deck to stand up on so you can move around. Quality harness is good to have with it and make you feel more safe. I have a King Kong model and it wasn't that expensive, it has a good pad that has a pocket on it to put a hand warmer to keep your butt warm. I have a more expensive brand that I've never actually used because the seat doesn't seem as comfortable.

[manitou1]

Get one with a SLING SEAT that has a back rest.  Makes a world of difference... then your problem will be staying awake! :-)

[TGbow]

If I can convince my wife not to worry herself to death. I hunt alone most the time and she will throw a fit if I go to the woods with a stand. Honestly I probably wouldn't get over 10-12 ft anyway.

[TGbow]

manitou1, you mean the netting type seats?

[Lamplighter]

Down here in the deep south a lot of folks use the Ol Man Treestands.  I myself have been using one since the early 90's.

I have a friend that , when he finds big sign and has the deer figured out, he brings in the old faithful tree lounge. Clumsy, noisy to set up, but he says you only have to do it once because it is a special occasion stand and he is not pulling it out until the season closes, he kills the target buck, or someone else kills it. He says it is absolutely an all day stand. For me, I'll stick to my Ol Man.

Quiet packing, fold flat for packing, and quiet asend/descend is a must.  If you work close to bed areas, in the thickets like me, in & out undetected is important. Hollow echoing channels are no good. The Ol Man Treestands are definitely the ticket for serious, quiet entry/exit, up/down work.

[arrowbuster]

Summit and Api both make very comfortable stands that make it possible to sit all day. I have spent many a days in my api stand. They are well worth packing in. They do have rails that the seat rests on so it makes it more of a challenge to shoot a stickbow. But with a little practice it can be done. Another plus to these stands is you feel safe in them. I have never been fond of heights and regularly hunt 20 plus feet. I feel very safe, this helps because you only have to concentrate on making your shot. No worries about falling out. Of course i still wear my safety harness.

[NBK]

I'm with Shirikahn in that I zone out.  I virtually never sleep but that's most likely due to the fact that I prefer to use my Lone Wolf alpha climber which has a pretty small/hard seat and that my rope hoist is cut to 22' and when I feel that tug on my belt when I'm climbing I know I've reached my height.  Once completely strapped into the tree with the safety harness and bow hanging from a bow holder screwed in next to me I slowly begin shutting down the system!  It's nothing conscious that I try and do, but after an hour or so you just kinda get a feel for the rhythm of the woods around you.  Certain noises become familiar, a good wind direction (usually off my left cheek), etc.  Time starts to slip by.  I'm constantly amazed at how one little sound out of place will grab my attention.  I also prefer sitting high with a little seat because I can shift my weight and get away with a bit more movement which wards against boat seat butt!  I've tried reading on the stand, but that actually makes the day longer for me.  During the rut I'll sit dark to dark and do it for about 4-5 days during that first week in November.  That's about what I can handle.

[woodchucker]

TG, I know exactly what you're talking about!!!

The most I can do sitting, PERIOD, is about 3 hours!!! I have a bad back, and I have to stand up & get the legs moving every so often... Many times I hate to "infringe" upon my friends, because they want to put me in thier best stand, for a long sit. Years ago, I had a friend put me in his best stand at 5am. I good hour or more before 1st light!!! By 7am, I was shot!!!!! I looked around good to make sure nothing was around & climbed down... Over the next few hours, I quietly cleaned all of the debris from around the base of the tree. I saw a few deer, but nothing in range. 1 big doe & 2 fawns came in and winded me, but never actualy spooked...

About noon, my friend came back, saw what I did..... The first words out of his mouth were, "You ruined my best stand!!! Why didn't you stay up in the tree like I told you to???" then he continued to rant about how I spread all my scent around, and the stand was done for the rest of the year... (Good thing I didn't tell him I "watered" the bushes, lmao!)

Now I make sure it's perfectly clear, that I'm a "gound pounder"!!! Just show me a good spot & I'll find a place to park my butt.....

I have a ladder stand set up on proprty we hunt. It's in a really good spot, and I sit there often, but usualy only a couple hours at a time. It's really more of a "community" stand, lol!

Best of luck to you!!! But, don't be afraid to sit on the ground... I've killed alot of deer at eye level!!!!!

[sswv]

how do I stay in a stand all day and stay comfortable?    Well' I have spent MANY, MANY, MANY  days in a stand from before daylight until past dark. Back in the day the stands were whatever I could muster up and mostly uncomfortable. Now days the stands are much larger with sling seats, back rest and several with foot rest. I prefer the large lock-ons but can still stay all day in the API climber. Comfort is hands down #1 for staying on stand all day. Whether it be cloths, stands, boots or snacks and drink for the day, you have to be prepared for the elements. It could be anything from heat, bugs, rain, wind, sleet, snow or cold.

Buy the largest, lightest most comfortable stand you can afford and pack in without too much effort and, outfit yourself properly for the weather you'll be hunting in.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

http://www.guidosoutdoors.com/

Check out this setup. I bought one last year and I will never use another conventional stand.

[RC]

The way I stay in a stand 6 hrs is simple. I stand up as long as I can then any kind of sitting down feels good..lol. works for me,RC.

[TxAg]

Originally posted by RC:
The way I stay in a stand 6 hrs is simple. I stand up as long as I can then any kind of sitting down feels good..lol. works for me,RC.

Good southern logic right there  

[Rob W.]

I'm with RC. I stand up most of the time. I figure if I can be on my feet for 9-10 hrs. at work hunting should be a breeze.

Rob

[Blaino]

i love to sit dark to dark.  it makes me feel like i got my moneys worth. the day flys by for me....

[legends1]

You want to use a very comfortable stand. My favorite is a Millinnuiam 100. I also have a electronic Yahtzee game that can pass a lot of time. I can set that Millinnuiam all day long.

[Orion]

Yep.  I sit dark to dark for days on end during the rut.  Not many deer in my neck of the woods.  Staying comfortable is another topic altogether.  Many times, I'm not, but, like Blaino, I consider it part of getting my money's worth.  No other place I'd rather be than the northwoods of Wisconsin in mid-november.  Of course, it can get cold, windy, rainy, snowy, etc. then.

The bigger problem is just getting a sore backside from all that sitting (and some standing). I've found Lone Wolf Alpha hang on stands to be fairly comfortable.  Ladder stands are about the most comfortable for an all day sit.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Hmmmmm, how do I sit 6 hours in a stand?  That about 3 in the AM and 3 in the PM.  I tried sitting all day once.  Made it till noon.  Never again...that makes it "work" for me and hunting is supposed to be FUN.  95% of your chance to shoot a good buck are in the first and last couple hours of the day...I don't see the cost/benefit of sitting an extra 6 hours through the day for the 5% extra chance.  I can spend my mid-day hours better scouting other areas to hunt than sitting in a tree watching my fingernails grow.  I know...I'm gonna hear the "shot my biggest deer at noon" stories...good for you, congrats!  

Well, I guess that makes me a non-hardcore deer hunter, eh?      

I still seem to do OK though...

Ryan

im kinda the other way,  I killed some of my best bucks around noon.
and got into the habbit of going out around 9am and staying till dark.    its a pretty long walk and I don't wanna be waisting all my time walking in and out twice a day, so once im in the woods I stay. I don't much care for going in real early cause I cant see anything anyway, and I can sneak better when I can see where im going.