Cold Truths #1 – Most Guys Leave Too Early
One thing I’ve noticed on public land — and I’ve been guilty of it myself — is that most guys don’t stay very long. They’ll get out early. They’ll walk in the dark. They’ll hunt hard for a few hours. Then mid-morning rolls around and the woods start emptying out. Trucks start pulling out before the day’s half over.
Pressure Has a Clock
Deer feel pressure, but they also feel when it eases up.
Once:
Shots die down
Doors stop slamming
Footsteps fade
The woods change. Some of my better movement has come when things slow down — not when they’re at their craziest.
It’s Not Always About “All Day Sits”
I’m not saying everyone needs to hunt dawn to dark every time. Life doesn’t work that way. But I am saying: A lot of guys leave right when the woods start settling. My buddy told me during my 1st season hunting the rut to try and stay in stand till atleast 1pm. He'd had alot of action happen around that time in the past. I took his advice and ended up getting my 1st archery buck at 1:15 pm that season. When I think I've had enough, I try my best to atleast stay an extra hour. Even an extra hour has shown me:
Late-moving does
Bucks skirting edges
Deer standing up once pressure drops
Comfort Kills More Hunts Than Bad Wind
Cold. Hunger. Boredom. A stiff back. Those things end more hunts than bad setups. Sometimes staying put isn’t about discipline — it’s just about being willing to be uncomfortable a little longer. Stand up and stretch if you need to. If you were planning on leaving anyways, a little sacraficial movement isn't gonna hurt. It might just be enough to give you another hour in stand?
Potter Co. Mountains
Final Thought
Public land rewards patience more than perfection. You don’t need to outsmart everyone. You just need to outlast a few. Sometimes the best move is doing nothing at all — and staying. Sometimes I take my harmonica along and practice while on stand, it helps with boredom but I've noticed I stop seeing deer? 🤔
