A stand along a creek corridor might be great during the morning and midday when bucks are cruising, but don’t be afraid to switch to a food source at around 2 p.m.
A high percentage of deer hunters hunt only mornings and afternoons. Those are productive times to hunt, and they’re when the primary deer movements usually transpire, even during the rut. But have you ever wondered what you’re missing by skipping all-day sits in the deer woods? Tremendous bucks are annually killed between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. In fact, I shot my largest whitetail ever right at noon. Yes, you could be missing big-buck encounters by leaving your treestand during daylight
Do you think you’re ready to give all-day hunts a whirl and see what you’ve been missing? Here are some considerations to guide you. Let’s review.
Hunting for 10 or more hours, especially from a treestand, takes grit and willpower, but the rewards can be great.
Option 1: Hot Days
Since the rut is ahead of us, I feel it’s important to highlight all-day sits as they relate to the rut. But what about the early season? Not too many bucks are killed during the middle of the day during the early season when temperatures are warm, and deer aren’t in estrus. However, hot and dry conditions require deer to drink.
Out west, I’ve encountered deer on water sources at noon and around mid-afternoon while hunting over secluded water sources close to bedding areas. If the wind is ideal, you’re doing no harm by climbing into the stand several hours early. You might get lucky on a midday buck, but if not, you can still take advantage of the before-dark movements.
The peak rut and waning rut mark the most productive times of the season to sit all day. Use the Nationwide Rut Map to determine those dates for your area. Then, use other HuntStand tools and layers to plan the hunt.
Option 2: The Rut
Of course, the rut is naturally a great time to hunt all day. But, when is the actual rut? Well, in the HuntStand App with an Ultimate Subscription, you can utilize the Whitetail Rut Map to not only learn about rut dates for your specific county but also identify dates for the rut’s different stages.
Home in on the peak-rut and waning-rut dates. These are the most productive rut phases for all-day hunts, even if conditions don’t look great. All it takes to have a buck 20 yards away is for a hot doe to do something erratic and pull a buck past you. During the waning rut, bucks are usually running around frantically in broad daylight, especially after breeding a doe. It’s a free-for-all to find another willing female whitetail.
Many hunters call it quits around 9-10 a.m., but during certain parts of the rut, the deer movement is just getting started at this time.
Option 3: Gun Days
The midday hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. are commonly less productive during the pre-rut and post-rut, but as I said earlier, gun season can make midday hunting productive during the post-rut due to the hunting-pressure influx. Hunters walking in and out midday can push deer onto escape routes and right toward your setup.
States like Kansas, Iowa, and Ohio have firearms seasons that unfold during the post-rut when midday movement isn’t as high as during the peak rut. Regardless, the flurry of hunter activity will displace deer and move them around. In other words, a dead morning hunt can transition to lots of deer activity around midday as hunters make pushes or simply leave the woods to warm up and have lunch. Hold tight and get ready for the movement.
Stand locations along travel corridors, such as this river bottom, can be productive all day long during the peak- and waning-rut dates.
Option 4: Track High-Percentage Activity Days
Outside of specific times of year, certain conditions call for it, too. Open your HuntStand Ultimate app and study the Whitetail Activity Forecast. The Whitetail Activity Forecast provides both a table and graph depicting peak movement days and times using percentage-based activity scores. Whenever the activity score rises above 70% during the midday hours, it’s a good idea to be in the woods.
There are instances when the activity score is more or less at the same percentage throughout the day. That means the midday could be equally productive to the usual morning and afternoon missions, thereby warranting an all-dayer. There are other instances when the activity score is lower during the morning and higher during midday.
Alternate between standing and sitting to stay limber and keep your blood circulating.
Option 5: When You Can Stay Comfortable
Discomforts often drive hunters from the woods. Nothing is more frustrating than when your stomach is growling, your fingertips are freezing, or the need to go No. 2 strikes. Fortunately, there are some suggestions to combat the discomfort.
Snack Throughout the Day
On a normal non-hunting day, most folks eat regular meals. To thrive during an all-day sit, I suggest having different types of snacks. Pack a sandwich or two, but also take a protein bar, some nuts, dried fruit, jerky, etc. Ration your snacks to last throughout the day.
Invest in Heated Gear
Do you have trouble staying warm? Perhaps you’ve had poor luck with hand, foot, and body warmers? If so, take it to the next level and purchase heated hunting gear. If you love to hunt and want to sit all day, but struggle to stay warm, it’s a worthwhile investment.
Rut Riot: Whitetail Rut Biology and Tactics [HuntClass]
Know How to Take Care of Business
When nature calls, have some accommodations figured out. Obviously, you’ll need toilet paper. The safest and lowest-impact option for No. 2 is to climb down, walk downwind from your stand or blind, and then do your business quickly. If the ground isn’t frozen, use a stick to dig a hole. After you finish going, use that stick to cover the hole with dirt and leaves. This will minimize scent dispersal.
As for peeing, pee from the stand, or carefully climb down and walk downwind of the stand to make it happen.
Change Positions
Finally, alternate between standing and sitting. This not only helps with blood circulation but also keeps your muscles loose, too. Look around and make sure that no deer are coming. Then, safely do a series of movements that stretch the muscles and get your heart rate up. If you’re in a blind, you have a lot more latitude to make movements unseen, but the disadvantage, at least with most pop-up ground blinds, is that you cannot fully stand unless you’re shorter than the blind roof.
Even with the best-laid plan, hunting all day is no simple task. But having quality hunting gear makes it much simpler. Whether in a blind or treestand, choose options that make those all-day marathons easier to tackle.
Best Hunting Stands & Blinds for All-Day Hunting
Discover our recommended hunting treestands and blinds for your all-day sits to ensure maximum comfort and coverage.
Ladder Stand: If hunting where your stand doesn’t need to be removed at the end of the day, go for a roomy two-person ladder stand, such as Double Droptine. When you’re hunting alone, the Maxim provides enough room to move around and stretch. If you prefer a smaller option, go with the one-person Skybox Deluxe, which has nicely padded armrests and a comfy seat.
Portable Stand: If hunting on public land where your gear must be removed daily, consider Hawk’s Helium XL Hang-On. It has a nicely cushioned seat and a roomy 24×30-inch platform, but it weighs only 12 pounds and won’t weigh you down as you hike to the public parcel’s deepest reaches.
Box Blind: For colder conditions on private land, you’ll do well to park Muddy’s Bull XL Steel Box Blind in your favorite location for an all-day patrol. The Therma-Tek insulated walls will provide shelter from the elements, and you’ll have plenty of room to stretch to keep your blood circulating and your muscles loose. Most hunters have the option to stand or sit with the 6 ½-foot-high ceiling, and the large windows provide excellent shooting coverage.
Durable Pop-Up Blind: Hawk’s Down & Out Warrior Blinds assemble in minutes and features durable material to withstand seasons of use. No one likes to stare through a small port all day long, so the well-designed window panels are welcome attributes that enhance visibility. Large enough for up to three hunters, the Down & Out is nice and roomy when hunting alone or with one partner.
Blind Chair: Whether you’re hunting from a box blind or pop-up ground blind, a cheap chair will cut off circulation and make it difficult to see 360 degrees. Boost comfort and visibility with Ameristep’s 360 Silent Swivel Chair as you scan for a midday buck. The legs even telescope to level the chair on uneven ground.
HuntStand’s Whitetail Activity Forecast predicted late-morning movement last year during the author’s December Illinois gun hunt. While he didn’t see a monster buck, he was rewarded with an opportunity to take a doe at 11 a.m. on the last day of his hunt.
When to Leave Your Hunting Spot
Now, there are times in which leaving your stand is better than sitting all day, even during the rut. Weather is mostly predictable, but we’ve all had instances on stand in which the wind is perfect but suddenly switches to dead wrong. Sure, bucks are somewhat less attentive to danger during the rut, but they’ll still usually smell you if the wind is wrong. If not, the doe probably will. So, you can either roll the dice and use a Muddy Cloak OZ5 ozone generator, or you can pull out and head for a stand where the wind will be better.
Another time to leave the stand is when you’re hunting terrain funnels that are productive in the morning and midday but less productive during the late afternoon. Hunt them up until 2 p.m., but then get out and quickly move to a food source that is being frequented. You’ll still be hunting virtually all day long aside from the time it takes to move to the subsequent location, but you’ll be putting yourself in a more productive afternoon setup for the final daylight hours.
Plan Ahead for Your All-Day Sits with the HuntStand App and Gear Store
Tremendous whitetail kills are the products of all-day hunts. Those hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., at least during the peak rut and waning rut dates, can be ultra-productive. Follow the tips outlined herein to pull off some all-day sits this season.
Plan your all-day hunting sit even further with the HuntStand App, and upgrade to HuntStand Ultimate to see full metrics on deer movement and conditions. Check out the HuntStand gear store for quality comfort and camouflage to make your day of hunting comfortable and warm.
