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Tips For All-Day Hunts

By Justin ZarrOctober 25, 2022

We are less than a week away from November and for most of us, that means the peak of the whitetail rut will be here in the blink of an eye. November brings that magical time of the year when bucks let their guard down and abandon the survival instincts that make them so elusive.

As the rutting action heats up, bucks will be seeking does at all times of the day and night. This makes them not only more visible but increases your chances of punching a tag. However, you can’t do that if you’re not in the woods. This is why all-day sits should be something that every bowhunter does when the rut is on and the bucks are moving.  No matter how much you may hate doing them.

So before you hit the stand for an all-day sit, here are a few helpful tips to make your adventure more comfortable, enjoyable, and hopefully successful.

Be Mentally Prepared to Hunt All Day

The most important thing about hunting all day is being mentally prepared for it. If you leave yourself an out or an excuse to head back to camp, you’ll probably take it.

We’ve all done it before. We tell ourselves, “I’m gonna sit all day…..unless I’m not seeing any action.” Around 11 am, when you haven’t seen a deer for an hour, you decide to pull up stakes and head out.

If you tell yourself that you’re not leaving the woods until you’ve filled your tag or it’s too dark to see, you’ll be much more inclined to stick it out. And the more time you spend grinding it out during the rut, the better your chances for success.

Tips For All Day Hunts
Before you head out for the day, make sure you're mentally prepared to stick it out no matter what.

Dress Warm

Nothing kills an all-day hunt quicker than being cold and uncomfortable. For this reason, I always dress extra warm or bring an extra layer or two. You may never need them, but it’s better to have the extra clothing and not need it than to be freezing to death in your stand, thinking about how many hours are left until dark so you can get out of there.

If you aren’t using heated clothing yet, what are you waiting for? A heated jacket or vest is a life-saver on all-day sits during November. My garment of choice is the ScentLok BE:1 Reactor heated vest. With a 20,000 mAh battery pack, I can sit all day and stay nice and warm.

Tips For All Day Hunts
Staying on stand all day shouldn't be a miserable experience. Remember to dress appropriately so you can focus on hunting, not how much longer until you can leave.

Pack Enough Food & Water (and Coffee)

If you’re hunting all day in the whitetail woods, there’s a good chance that the rut is on, and it’s probably cold outside. It may not be freezing, but even being out in 40 and 50-degree weather for an entire day can sap your warmth and energy. Even though you aren’t hiking up mountains, maintaining your mental focus and keeping your body temperature up for hours on end will burn a fair amount of calories.

Be sure to pack yourself a lunch, a couple of snacks, and plenty of water.

Tips For All Day Hunts
PBJ is a staple of all-day hunters everywhere.

My food loadout for all-day sits:

  • Apple – Honeycrisp
  • Clif Bar – White Chocolate Macadamia
  • Trail Mix – hold the almonds, please
  • Lunchable – Ham & Cheddar (get the one with the juice box if you have room in your pack)
  • Bottle of Water
  • YETI Rambler full of Casey’s coffee

Don't Be Afraid to Move Locations

A lot of folks dread climbing up into a treestand before light and not leaving until after dark. The mere idea of being isolated on such a small piece of real estate, unable to do much more than stand up and sit down for 12 hours or more, can seem daunting. Which is a big part of the reason I often relocate stands during the early afternoon.

Not only does moving to a new stand allow you to get down, stretch your legs, and gain some body heat back, but it can also put you in a better location for the evening hunt. It may be the rut, but deer still need to eat and usually head toward food when it starts getting dark. Often I will spend my morning and mid-day tucked into a bedding area trying to catch a buck on the prowl for does, and then transition onto a food source in the evening.

Tips For All Day Hunts
Changing locations during an all-day hunt can help break up the monotony that many hunters dread.

Bring TP!

This should go without saying, but if you plan on being in the woods all day long, you better bring some toilet paper or wet wipes! Many a sock, shirt sleeve, or glove have met their maker during an uncomfortable situation in the woods. So do yourself a favor, and throw some extra wipes in your pack right now before you forget. You’ll thank me later.

Justin Zarr
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General Manager at Bowhunting.com
Justin has been bowhunting for more than 30 years and co-hosting the popular bowhunting show Bowhunt or Die since 2010.  He lives in the NW suburbs of Chicago with his wife, 3 children, and semi-smelly dog.
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