Patience and persistence are key elements for successful deer hunting. You can have the greatest stand in the land, but if you’re not there when that monster walks by, success eludes you. As the rut heats up and more hunters enter the woods, deer behavior is much less predictable. The only way to cover your bases and maximize opportunity is to be there, perhaps from dawn to dusk. Bernie Barringer laments his adversity to sitting still in a stand, but he’s learned to overcome his propensity to roam. In this OutdoorHub post, he presents his five tips for continued patience:
I’m a pretty high-strung person. Sitting still for long periods has
always come hard for me. Three hours is a long sit for me and a four-hour sit seems like an eternity. But I have forced myself into some long vigils because I know the payoff can be terrific. The axiom that you can’t kill them from the couch seems like a tired old saying, but it rings true when it comes to hunting mature whitetails during the rut.
There is a window of opportunity for whitetail hunters when mature bucks are on their feet during the day and constantly on the move. If you can park yourself in a high-percentage spot to contact one of these cruising bucks, you will up your odds greatly.
