Eating in the stand

[toughguy]

I am trying out a new stand this year for gun season that is about a mile and a half hike back to my truck and a 5 mile drive to camp. The stand I've used in the past was a quick walk back to the truck so I've just gone back for a quick lunch. If the weather is OK and if I don't bag a buck that morning I would like to stay in my stand all day. Does anyone else out there eat in the stand? Does anyone recommend that I don't for sent reasons? Any suggestions for low sent grub? I was thinking a granola bar and/or a sandwich. I just figure the more time in the tree the better the odds.

[Perch Jerker]

Just remember bite sized pieces, no wrappers, and the less 'crumbly' the better. If it's Snickers, Milky Way, etc they'll probably need to thaw in your mouth first so Haloween sizes are good. I hunt 25+ ft up the tree in a climber and watch 300+ yds of view in a low area so scent usually isn't a problem.

Sandwich bags work well and are quiet.

PJ

[Ole1855]

Another thing to think about, if you do take candy bars out to the stand, unwrap them and put them into a ziplock, that way you don't get the crinkle of candy wrappers when you open them up.

I eat sandwiches in the stand, I don't put any onions on the sandwich either and an apples is a good snack, try to bite into it quietly though.

[bigbucks]

I've taken sandwiches, jerky, candy bars, a jug of water, a thermos of coffee, granola bars, dehydrated fruit, cookies, an apple, bananna, etc. What difference is it going to make if you've got room for it & you're quiet opening it up & eating it? You're either going to need a pee bottle or plan on peeing off your stand or getting down & doing it, either is fine I think if you're in a spot where the deer don't have to get too close before you can shoot them. Personally in my experience if there's a lot of pressure & hunters nearby, scent is much less of an issue. I'm referring to gun hunting only, bowhunting is a totally different game.

[don62]

I put a sandwich in a ziplock bag than use the bag later for an "outhouse", cant reuse the bags though...

[Captain B.R.K]

Can't reuse the bag after using it after an "outhouse"...weird

Good question asked....for camp ripley I was wondering if I could bring coffee out to the stand to keep warm and some food for the day. I'll continue to listen and take tips.

[Early Riser]

I'd be curious to hear what people think the best foods are in the stand in terms of energy, alertness, etc. For example do people go heavy on fats/protein or do you do what I usually do and grab whatever you can find that fits in your pockets?

[bigbucks]

I think we're making this too difficult. Early Riser, it's deer hunting, if that's not enough to keep you alert in the stand you're probably not talking about deer hunting on this site... It's food for a day or two, just take something that doesn't make you personally have to go to the bathroom very much or give you gas.

[paceman]

A lot depends on how long I am planning on being in the stand. I don't like carrying a heavy pack around in the woods so I pack as little as possible. I am never that far from the house or truck so I pack snacky type foods. Granola bars, trail mix, candy bars. The first couple of days I try to sit longer so I might have a sandwich with.

[lars0926]

I understand the whole eating in the stand issue, but after hunting for 14 years I have yet to see one dear get a scent on me and head off in the other direction. Heck, I pack chews in my stand, drink coffee, and usually (to be honest) spent half the time farting off the beers from the night before. Field & Stream had a good article on the subject. A deer's ability to smell is no more acute than the human ability. Just make sure your stand is downwind from traffic. As far as sound goes, that's where I'm carefull. Hearing is the deer's first line of defense.

[abens1078]

Haybales, salt blocks and field corn are my favorites. It stinks when the DNR makes you eat the whole bale of hay though.

[SCCO9803]

I have to say that with my experience deer hunting eating, farting, and chewing are all acceptable for bagging deer, as well as bagging big deer. As was stated before the only way you can get a deer is by being in the woods on stand, and if eating, farting or chewing makes you more comfortable by all means do it. The only one thing to keep in mind is wind direction. Maybe have two stand locations to account for changes in wind directions. My experience has been that you could have a camp fire buring as long as you are down wind from the deer and they wouldn't even know you were there based on smell. I've chewed in my stand every year and spit on the ground the whole time and have shot several deer (all bucks zone 3A) including a 150 clas 10 pt. Again the key is to be in the woods, cause if you are not in the woods you can't bag deer. Another way to look at the smell situation is this: If you imagine a 360 degree circle around your stand with you in the middle and the wind is blowing from one direction, say north. That means that your scent will be carried to the south. Based on this your scent will only be detectable in a 90 degree area to the south of your stand, or roughly a 25% area. All this said the chances that you won't be detected based on smell would be 75%. Combine 75% with some luck and I'd say your chances are still pretty good. Again, the biggest thing is to BE IN THE WOODS, so if you're in the woods and comfortable you have pretty good chance.

[Ole #1]

Wow, there are some interesting replies here.

Here's my 2 cents. Don't bring anything to eat in your stand, you need to be 100% focused, on gaurd and ready to shoot a deer at all times. I find it hard to belive that people could hunt for so many years and have not had a deer sneak up on them, especially smart bucks. Deer do have a great sense of smell, that's their defense.

A human can not smell the same as a deer, that is just redicules. Eat a good breakfast before you go to your stand, then go back to your truck and take a small lunch break.

As far as the wind goes, if you hunt in the woods, the wind will not blow in one direction, it swirls all around. If someone has experience in a stand, they would know that.

Deer hunting (bow or rifle) should be two hands on the weapon, being as still and silent as possible and always scanning the woods.

Ole

[SCCO9803]

Ole is right, for those people hunting in the "woods" the wind will swirl. As stated in my post i hunt in zone 3A which, as many know, is SE MN so hunting in the "woods" is nearly non-existant. The area in which I hunt is little wood fingers and draws surrounded by farm fields and creeks so wind direction is a huge factor in a deers detection. Again for anyone to tell you how to hunt is absurd and the main goal to keep in mind is that these are several peoples opinons from which each person can draw there own conlusions. The one thing that can't be argued is that first and foremost you have to be comfortable and enjoy yourself. Otherwise, I'd ask you the question of "why do you hunt?" if you don't find it enjoyable. I love these types of threads that get people giving several opinions because it sheds some light on to how others hunt and gives new ideas to all.

[Ole #1]

I agree. If you are not in the woods, it's a comletley different ball game. If you can see deer well before they can see you, then you have some time to get ready.

I don't hunt in a box stand either, just a portable, so that would make a difference too.

Ole

[bigbucks]

I agree with most of what's been said. I would have to say to you Ole, if someone stays in their tree all day & eats their lunch there vs. going to their truck for a quick lunch, their chances still have to be a tiny bit better. If a deer comes while they're eating lunch it might get to close & spook, but if it comes while you're eating lunch at your truck, you won't even see it. I don't stay on stand all day myself, but it's more because I want to get together with the rest of the party to make drives & talk, as opposed to because I want to get my lunch.

I think what's obvious by this thread & a lot of other threads, is that at times you can get away with almost anything & not spook deer & at other times the margin for error is almost miniscule. I don't hold my gun or bow all the time in my stand. I'd say I hold my bow about 25-30% of the time & my gun, 50-75%. My hands get cold or my arms tired if I hold them too much. Gun hunting the opportunity & likelihood of a quick shot are much higher than bowhunting. Sure I've been caught by a few deer & not been able to shoot them because I wasn't holding my bow, but not many, & I'll live with that. The more time you spend on stand the harder it is to hold it all the time, in my opinion. Incidentally I don't generally hunt in box stands either, except for one I use a couple of times a year.