Preparing To Sit On Stand During The Rut

Preparing To Sit On Stand During The Rut

By: Allison B. O’Nan

Field Reporter

　
It’s no surprise that hunting during the rut is one of the best times to be in your stand. Unlike when the deer are on their early season and late season feeding patterns, they are completely unpredictable creatures at this time. There is no rhyme to their movement, only reason: to breed. Hunting the rut can be very rewarding but also challenging. The rut is typically at its peak mid November. Weather conditions and cold temperatures can be near unbearable this time of year.

Bucks in rut move all day. Covert Scouting Cameras caught this buck chasing a doe in daylight.

Hunting where there is fresh buck sign is a good strategy during the rut.

Preparation is going to be the key to success. If a hunter isn't prepared they likely won’t be able to withstand the elements and sit through an all day hunt. 

I have put together a compilation of tips that have proven to help me over the years to stay comfortable and remain focused.


Foods To Eat

Go nuts! Nuts are a healthy option to help stay warm and full.

Believe it or not the foods you choose to eat play an active role in your body temperature and how your body reacts to cold temperatures. Adding certain foods to your daily diet can make a difference. 

Peanuts and almonds are great snacks to incorporate. A handful can give the body deep warmth that lasts. Seeds such as sesame, pumpkin, and fennel are also great body warmers and help support a healthy digestive system.

Honey is also effective when it comes to warming the body. It’s a natural sweetener and can be added to almost anything.

Of course fruits and vegetables are always a great choice and act as an aid in boosting the immune system and blood flow in the body.
Sitting all day can get tiring. You can easily lose your focus and doze off. You know the saying “you snooze, you lose.” There are a few foods that improve alertness that you can pack with you on your hunt such as coffee, dark chocolate, and walnuts. You also want to make sure that you stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water.



Keep A Close Eye On The Weather
As hunters, checking the weather and wind direction before a hunt is a must. If the forecast appears less than tolerable consider hunting from a ground blind. On days that the blustery winds were brutal and it was freezing cold with drizzle I have hunted from my ground blind that protected me from these elements and kept me dry. Deer move in all kinds of weather. Be there and be ready!



Bathroom Breaks

Holding off on your bathroom break is a sure fire way to become uncomfortable while hunting. Not to sound crude, but we’ve all been there. By all means DON’T HOLD IT!!

It’s much easier when hunting from a ground blind to ease out. I recommend getting away from your hunting area. Some say human urine doesn’t affect the deer, but why chance it?

In years past it was much more difficult to take a bathroom break from a stand and not disturb the peaceful woods. Thanks to companies, such as Go Girl, for developing devices that can be used in the stand and cause little to no disturbance at all, making our hunts more comfortable than ever before.

Cold Weather Gear & Staying Warm

When keeping warm you want to pay close attention to areas with main arteries; groin, upper torso, under the arms, and the head.

Therma Care back wraps are a great! They can be used on the skin or over clothing. By producing heat for 10-12 hours it will consistently keep the kidney area warm. The kidneys circulate blood throughout the body and is beneficial to keeping warm.

You want to try and trap as much heat from leaving your head as possible. Wear a warm beanie, face mask, and neck gaiter. (I would suggest waiting until you’re in the stand before putting these on to keep perspiration down.) Keeping your face and head warm is the main focus. Your hands and feet will remain at a tolerable temperature if you’re able to do this.
I prefer using a muff for my hands as opposed to gloves. (Gloves tend to make my hands sweat more). Keep hand-warmers in your pocket and use them only when necessary. Refraining from perspiration is the goal. The same applies to the feet.


It’s important to choose a good boot that is insulated. The boot doesn’t need to be so tight on the foot that it restricts blood flow. You will also need socks made of wicking material or wool. I prefer wicking, but both are great.

Recommemded products to keep a hunter prepared and ready for an all day sit

The ideal suit for extreme weather is one that is waterproof and insulated. Refrain from wearing any cotton. Cotton absorbs dampness and will cause the body to lose heat. If your cold weather suit isn’t waterproof you will need to take rain gear as a preventative measure. This will be useful in snowy conditions as well. Keeping your body dry will keep you warmer.
If you plan to sit all day you will need to stand up and move around from time to time to keep the blood flowing. Also, while sitting down you will need to prop your feet up to keep blood from being constricted to your legs. Sitting for long periods of time puts the body more at risk for blood clots as well, so this is very important information to be mindful of while hunting.

My Prois Extreme Gear does a great job of keeping me warm in cold climates.

Hunting in extreme conditions for long periods of time can be stressful on the body. It takes time and preparation to plan for this kind of hunt. I hope these tips are helpful this season.

Being comfortable =confidence, and confidence = success!

Early Season Deer Hunting Tips

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·         Try to pattern the deer on your property by using game cameras. Good places to hang a game camera are near known deer trails, food & water sources and mineral stations. If you can catch a buck coming to a food source in the daylight, pay attention to the time of day and his travel corridor so you know where to hang your stand or set up your ground blind.

Another thing to keep in mind when choosing a spot for your tree stand is acorns. If it’s a year where there are a lot of acorns it’s a good idea to set up your stands in the woods. Deer love acorns and once they start dropping, deer almost always choose acorns over any other type of food source you may have available on your property.

·         Scent control is always a major factor but especially in early season since the temperature is still pretty warm. I use scent control body care products and field spray by Deaux Girl. Also the Deaux Girl lotion and mineral foundation do a great job at controlling odors caused by sweat.

·         Another thing to keep in mind with the warmer temperatures is mosquitos. I always bring a ThermaCELL along with me on my early season hunts and they work wonders to keep the mosquitos away!

·         If you are looking to shoot a mature buck, make sure you are sitting in your stand as long as possible. Especially in the early season, the older deer usually hit the food sources later than the younger deer and usually come out at last light.

·         Bucks are still in their bachelor groups at beginning of season. You may have a certain group of bucks identified from your game cameras and have a buck picked out that you want to shoot. If you see the bachelor group but don’t see the buck you are after, hold tight. He is usually there with them and may come in later.

·         Make sure you have an exit plan when it’s time to leave. When you walk to your stand in the afternoon you may walk through a field, but the deer may be feeding there when you want to leave. If that happens I either sit tight until I know the deer are gone from that area or exit in a different direction that I know will not spook the deer.

·         Andrea Haas

Taking Inventory

One of my favorite things to do leading up to, throughout, and after deer season is to take inventory on our trail cams. We have 200 acres that we hunt on and have about 8 trail cams that we check often. Believe me, I wish we had more as we always seem to find somewhere to hang another! By hanging cameras throughout our property we are able to get a better idea on the amount of deer we have, where they are hanging out and the times they are moving.

One of the most exciting things to me is checking our cameras in the summertime before bow season starts to see what kind of deer we have to go after that season. I pay close attention to the type of deer we have and when and where they are moving. It’s important that you have an idea on the amount of deer and your buck to doe ratio so you know how to properly manage your deer herd.

It seems a lot of people like to hang cameras only at feeding sites. While this may help you initially in determining the amount and types of deer you have, you still need to hang cameras in other places throughout the property. Some good places for cameras are next to trails, stream crossings, draws, water sources, or areas with wildlife sign (scrapes, rubs, or tracks). This is especially helpful throughout mid season when the rut hits since a buck's main priority at this time isn't food, it's finding a hot doe! 

If you're having trouble finding a good place to mount your trail camera try using the Stic-N-Pic Trail Camera Mounting System. This allows you to place your trail camera pretty much anywhere you choose so you can get better quality pictures and get the most out of your scouting. Check them out on www.sticnpic.com 

As the season ends, a post-season camera survey will let you know what deer survived & will be a year older and larger next year! Keep this in mind to prepare for next season and don’t delete your pictures! By keeping an inventory I am able to judge the age of my deer more accurately and better manage the deer herd for years to come! 

-Andrea Haas