More About All-Day Sits
By Kenneth Piper
Following up on last week’s tip about whether or when to be in a stand dark to dark, this week we’ll discuss ways to make those all-day sits more productive. Repeating one of the critical points from last week, it all starts with a comfortable stand. Without that, you’re sunk before you even get started, so let’s assume you have a reasonably comfortable stand that allows you to make it through the day. After that, think about the following to keep you sharp and alert throughout the day.
CLOTHING
Proper clothing is critical. Sitting all day often means you’ll be experiencing a large temperature swing from before daylight into the afternoon, and then back again toward evening. Next week we’ll discuss an easy way to deal with clothing, but for now we’ll cover basic clothing philosophy.
I carry in my outer layer, even when I have a short walk to the stand. You don’t want to work up any sweat before an all-day sit. That means wearing your safety harness over your base layer so you can put on and take off thicker clothing throughout the day without having to remove your safety harness.
Don’t put on your thick layer immediately after climbing into your stand. Wait until your heart rate has returned to normal and you’ve allowed excess body heat to dissipate. There’s a point just before you start to feel chilly where you want to put on your outer layer.
A puffy down mid-layer under a wind-proof outer layer is ideal.
HEAT SOURCES
It doesn’t take freezing temperatures for your body to feel cold during an all-day sit. Anything under 50 degrees or so will drain your core and eventually make you feel cold. Feet, hands and head are key areas to keep warm. I’ve invested a small fortune in Hot Hands and other disposable warmers. Rechargeable USB warmers are getting better and more affordable all the time. Don’t wait until you’re shivering to open up/use a warmer. A small warmer for each side pocket (hands) and one large one for the back of your neck (not touching your skin directly) will do wonders. For below freezing temperatures, consider removing your boots and using a loose bootie with a small handwarmer in each. The difference is incredible.
FOOD
Your body needs fuel to produce heat, and your body’s fuel is food (calories). Take more than you think you might need to the stand. As someone who normally doesn’t eat breakfast, I make myself eat something shortly after daybreak. This past week sitting all day every day, I ate a turkey sandwich around 9:00 each morning, along with two small granola bars. That was about the time I started to feel chilly. I ate another sandwich around noon and nibbled on snacks throughout the day. In addition to the benefit of calories, the food also provides a break in the action (or lack thereof), helping to pass the time. I used to worry about all the scent of the food and snacks — jerky is one of my favorites, for example, and it has a strong odor — but I’ve come to realize that if a deer is going to smell my food, it’s going to smell me anyway, so I might as well eat and be happy. Finally, drink lots of fluids; you’d be surprised how quickly you can become dehydrated just sitting in a deer stand. Water, of course, is best, but I can’t resist having a can (or two) of Mountain Dew in my pack, in addition to water.
SLEEP
In addition to what was probably a short night of sleep, your body tries to conserve calories by shutting down when you’re sitting stationary in cooler temperatures — that means you’re probably going to struggle to stay awake. Sleeping in a stand is never a good idea, even with a shooting rail surrounding you and a properly installed safety harness. If you can’t fight sleep any longer, get down and take a nap at the base of your tree. No, it’s not ideal, but it beats the disturbance created by leaving the woods and returning. If you’re going to nap, I recommend doing so between 9:00 and 10:00, or between 1:00 and 2:30, give or take. I’m a big believer in the 10:00-1:00 mid-day buck movement period just prior to peak breeding.
CALLS OF NATURE
Lastly, being out all day means you will have to go to the bathroom. Guys, just pee from the stand; it’s not going to matter. Ladies, you’ll probably want to get down from an elevated stand. For other bathroom needs, take your bow or gun with you and don’t go too far from your stand, but move downwind 20 yards or so, clear the leaves and kick out as much dirt as you can. When you’ve done your business, kick the dirt and leaves back over it and don’t worry about it any further. I recommend you keep in your pack a few wet-wipe type cloths in a zip-top plastic bag at all times. They’re good for bathroom breaks and for cleaning up after field-dressing your buck.