How many hours will you spend in stand bow hunting this season?

[FishingWebGuy]

I hope to spend 200 hours in my stand with a bow this fall. Just curious how that compares with others on the forum.

I'm new to this but I directly relate hours in the field with probability of success.

I am also getting my WI non-resident archery tag @ $160 and am trying to convince myself that I will get those 2 deer if I just spend enough time hunting...

[ac777]

Ive never exactly added them up, but I think it is more factors to success than hours spent out there. Other factors such as location, scent control, time of day, ability to hit the deer once you do see it. And if you shoot your deer right away, then you might only spend 10 hours out there. Who knows. My girlfriend spent only about 20-30 hours out there and got a nice buck.

[harvey lee]

I will only hunt the primetime rut this season so it probably only be 50 hours or so.

[tracker x-2]

You can never spend enough time out there lol. Im not sure what my total is ,but you could say when hunting season comes around my fiance gets a little jealous.

[B-man715]

If the job market stays where it is I will have all of the time in the world to sit in a tree.

In September and most of October I will hunt mostly mornings or evenings. Then once Halloween hits I am going to "become one with the woods." LOL

Last year I spent about 10 days on stand all day. This year I plan to double that or more. (Along with tons of morning/evening hunts during pre-rut)

But I couldn't do it without my Top 10 List to sit in a tree all day

1. Three words.............Heater Body Suit (nothing on earth will allow you hunt longer, harder, and kill more deer.)

2. Cellphone games (Jeopardy, Casino games, Oregon Trail)

3. Peanut M&M's

4. Jerky

5. Books

6. Urine bottle

7. Multiple properties to hunt (keeps your spirits up )

8. A LW climber and 10 prehung stands

9. Water

10. And the most important of all, an understanding lady!!!! (Whom deer hunts herself)

[deerhunter]

Hey Fishingwebguy where do plan on going in Wisconsin I also go there can't wait opener is this weekend.

[skolfoppa]

Well, being that I spent a whopping 45 minutes in the stand with the bow last year before harvesting an animal, I'll probably have to pay my dues this year. Can't wait!

[WaitForIt]

Don't overhunt your spots - I can't stress that enough. I believe there is a negative correlation between time spent in ONE spot and success. Conversely, the first time you hunt a stand (assuming good wind) is your best opportunity.

[DonBo]

I've never really checked, but I would think I put in about 200 hours. I hunt deer in 3 states and read lots of books to pass the time while waiting on stand.

[Bluegill1510]

Quote:

Conversely, the first time you hunt a stand (assuming good wind) is your best opportunity.

I agree Wait. I am excited for this season just got a good feeling about it and seeing alot of sign when hanging my stands! Last year didn't get to sit much (maybe 50 hours) with the bow, with being busy with work, and seemed like gale force winds each time I could get to sit or wind was wrong! Compared to the year (07 season) before I got to sit twice as much as last year.

I am just curious to what you guys think on sitting during early season with the bugs, foliage and what is to hot to sit?

Also do you guys ever experience a lull during October? Like from Oct 5th-20th? Over the last few years I've noticed that the deer movement patterns change towards more noturnal until pre-rut/rut comes around. Does a guy not even sit in the stand during this time period and do a fall project or hit up the duck blind so that you dont over hunt the spot? Personally I like to get some fall fishing in before the lakes turnover, so alot of it is about timing. Whats your guy's 2 cents on the subjects? (Didn't mean to get off topic)

[matthothand]

I agree with WaitForIt. I think the hours spent scouting and preparing are better spent than most in the field. I hope you mean 200 hours in a bunch of different spots. The first time you hunt a stand is the best. With that many trips in and out be mindful of your routes. I hunt a few mornings and evenings right away and back off the pressure til pre-rut. If you're gonna hunt 200 hours I'd do it all in late October and November. I have put in those hours but hope to shoot a pile of does and mature buck a little quicker this year than the last few.

[FishingWebGuy]

Hey Fishingwebguy where do plan on going in Wisconsin I also go there can't wait opener is this weekend.

The South edge of St. Croix County. South of Baldwin on 80 acres surrounding the Rush River. I'll be perched between the river and an alfalfa field.

I can't wait 'till Saturday either...

72* and 40% chance of storms right now.

[FishingWebGuy]

I agree with WaitForIt. I think the hours spent scouting and preparing are better spent than most in the field. I hope you mean 200 hours in a bunch of different spots. The first time you hunt a stand is the best. With that many trips in and out be mindful of your routes. I hunt a few mornings and evenings right away and back off the pressure til pre-rut. If you're gonna hunt 200 hours I'd do it all in late October and November. I have put in those hours but hope to shoot a pile of does and mature buck a little quicker this year than the last few.

We have 4 properties we will be hunting. We won't hit each more than 1 trip every 4 weeks or so. Of course some trips could include 4 or 5 days of hunts. Good points on burning out the spots. Where we end up sitting on a property all depends on wind but I wouldn't imagine we would hit the same spot more than 3 days in a row -- not sure if that's a good strategy or not.

[Stratosman]

Hunting the same property is okay as long as there is enough room for multiple sets... the key is not to overhunt the same stand day after day. I usually hunt a stand maybe once a week. However a couple sets I have in funnel areas I will hunt much more frequently during the pre-rut when the bucks are cruisin for does..

As far as the original question..... Not sure, but hopefully 3 times a week or so. With a few all dayers.

[BLACKJACK]

Also do you guys ever experience a lull during October? Like from Oct 5th-20th? Over the last few years I've noticed that the deer movement patterns change towards more noturnal until pre-rut/rut comes around. Does a guy not even sit in the stand during this time period and do a fall project or hit up the duck blind so that you dont over hunt the spot? Personally I like to get some fall fishing in before the lakes turnover, so alot of it is about timing. Whats your guy's 2 cents on the subjects? (Didn't mean to get off topic)

bluegill, two years ago I shot my biggest archery buck on Oct. 15. The deer are still there, but they tend to get stirred up by pheasant hunters, crops are maturing so their food sources are changing, plus as others have said, they may be getting wise to you if you're overhunting your stands.

You also touched on the great part about fall and hunting, not enough time!!! Should I go fishing, bowhunting, pheasant hunting, duck hunting?? What I try to do is hit the pheasant hunting hard, but make it out bowhunting once or twice a week, then by end of Oct/early Nov. when the rut is cranking up, I spend as much time in a tree stand as possible. I'll bowhunt in the morning, go pheasant hunting for a few hours, then bowhunt in the evening. Good luck!

[BLACKJACK]

1. Three words.............Heater Body Suit (nothing on earth will allow you hunt longer, harder, and kill more deer.)

b-man, I've lusted after one of those heater Body suits but haven't pulled the trigger, maybe this year. I also admire your dedication to sitting all day!!! I've done it twice in my life - and those two days got awfully long!!!

[#fishhunt#]

I will hunt as many hours as I can without having to go to the Dakota County Courthouse to sign divorce papers.

[Bear55]

I'm a pretty firm believer in the Oct lull. Certainly you can get a deer during that stretch but my deer sightings drop significantly in the middle of October. I think it is a combination of the resting up before the pre-runt begins and the fact that most of the leaves are down. If you think about it before the leaves fall the deer have all kinds of cover all summer and early fall. Then suddenly the forest is wide open and you can see a long way. I think its that drastic change that make the deer a little more nervous and it takes them time to adjust.

I usually use mid October to do a little more scouting, grouse, and duck hunting.

[Froggy4371]

Bluegill,

I never (until last year) hunt until Oct 1st. I just do not like like all the leaves and folage out there. I do not have problems seeing deer at all during them times. I really love hunting the time change. Last year. I was seeing 2 nice bucks at sunset but a shot never presented it self but when the time changed they appeared a half hour earlier for some reason and on the third day after time changed I ATTEMPED to take one but lets just say there was a problem. I have noticed this for the last three years. I also love to hunt right after a storm or just a big fall wind they move even earlier. I love hunting Oct. Always been good to me. The corn and beans are coming out and the deer are moving.

Froggy

[charliepete]

I've never really kept track of hours, but I do journal the days. My all time record for days in the bowstand was 85 in a season ( around 700 hours maybe?). That included antelope, bear, and 2 states worth of deer hunting. Now that I'm kind of a grown up (with a wife and kid and dogs that need to bird hunt), I end up spending 6 or 7 full days bear hunting in September(when I get a license), 6 or 8 half days in the early season chasing deer (I split time grouse hunting and bowhunting) and a full week during the rut where I bowhunt wire to wire. Maybe 140 hours total if I don't tag out early. This year probably around 100 hours since I didn't get my bear tag.

[paceman]

This year with the drop in available tags, work, kid commitments I won't get out until mid october but I well then hunt super hard through rifle. No idea how many hours it will be..

[bigbucks]

Hard to say between MN & WI. Never sat all day yet, keep planning to, but always seem to have too much to do during the middle of the day. Usually hunt all day during the first few days of gun season, but the middle part of the I'll most likely be on the move.

I'd guess my average bow stand time per year is something like 75-100. I get out 25-35 times a year, but most hunts aren't much over 2 hours, some are, but some are much shorter.

[Dark Cloud]

FishingWebGuy - As those who have done it know, 200 hours is alot. Be carefull not to burnout. It is real easy to get possesed and not enjoy things as much. Try not to focus on time and tags filled. I usually get to hunt prety much every day if I want - 3-4 hours morning or evening. Everyone is diff but I start getting a little loony if I dont take some time off to fish or just do nothing.

If the weather is real bad, skip it. Especially early in the season. Im lucky now with my job, I can really watch the weather and flex me scheduel.

All day hunts will rack up the hours but try and save them for the rut.

[bottom-bouncer]

i am with dark cloud on this dont over doit. last year I hunted every day from sept 27(got layed off untill the dau before gun season with many all day sits. if it is slow bale out and do something differnt otherwise you will get bored and start to go crazy.and find yourself not paying attention when you should be. I read in one of your posts about all day sits your son will never make it on a all day sit and you will strugle with this as well 10 t 12 hours is a long long time on a platform thats 20" by 20" you wont really know untill you try it. but believe me and others on here who do it it is tough. also have you considered a ground blind for your son it is not my favorite method but can make it more tollerable. you can get away with a little more movement(eating snacks,reading,playing hand held video games thing that help pass time for young people also easier to nap in than a tree) just my thoughts

[FishingWebGuy]

i am with dark cloud on this dont over doit. last year I hunted every day from sept 27(got layed off untill the dau before gun season with many all day sits. if it is slow bale out and do something differnt otherwise you will get bored and start to go crazy.and find yourself not paying attention when you should be. I read in one of your posts about all day sits your son will never make it on a all day sit and you will strugle with this as well 10 t 12 hours is a long long time on a platform thats 20" by 20" you wont really know untill you try it. but believe me and others on here who do it it is tough. also have you considered a ground blind for your son it is not my favorite method but can make it more tollerable. you can get away with a little more movement(eating snacks,reading,playing hand held video games thing that help pass time for young people also easier to nap in than a tree) just my thoughts

I agree. I shouldn't focus on hours. I'll be bringing the .22 and the 12ga with on all trips so if we get board, we can check out some other land and shoot squirrels, rabbits, grouse, logs, etc.

I most likely will get a ground blind so I can bring my 6-year-old on a couple short hunts this year. My 16-year-old is old enough to find his way back to camp and find something else to do. On opener we can only go up for Sat/Sun because of school. It'll be a good practice run for our late October trip which will be 5 days.

It'll be interesting to see how it all turns out. I know I have a lot of learning to do -- on hunting and getting kids a good hunting experience.