Sitting still

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brkissl82
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Sitting still

Unread postby brkissl82 » Fri Oct 07, 2016 1:25 pm

So from when I was little on I was taught not to move a muscle while sitting and waiting out a buck. To this day I think I sit pretty still but move on occasion. I see hunting shows were guys are constantly moving. My question is how still do you feel u sit? How much movement can u get away with?

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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby Hawthorne » Fri Oct 07, 2016 1:30 pm

I try to sit still has I can be. My first few sits this year I felt a little figity. I think it's from not sitting in a stand for 9 months. My last few sits I was real calm and was able to get in my treestand trance mostly using my eyes and ears with very little movement. Once in awhile I'll stand to stretch my legs they have some miles on them.

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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Fri Oct 07, 2016 1:32 pm

Same here.

I sit as still as possible. When trying to sit still comfort is king. If you aren't comfortable it is impossible to sit still.

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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby john1984 » Fri Oct 07, 2016 1:33 pm

I move plenty sometimes. I just hope I see or hear the deer first before it sees me. It depends how still I feel like being. But if I have eyes on me I stay still

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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Fri Oct 07, 2016 1:44 pm

It depends...on days where the cattails are frosty and the wind is mild you can hear them coming a long ways away. On damp or windy days a guy really needs to pay attention and think check his surroundings before moving.

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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby BowHusker » Fri Oct 07, 2016 1:51 pm

I was always taught to be very still in all hunting situations so I try to be as still as possible. With that said I always notice my first hunt or two of the year I have a hard time doing it or if I'm not focused like I should be I find myself moving around unnecessarily.

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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Fri Oct 07, 2016 1:56 pm

I don't sit all that still. Especially in a saddle. Always scanning with my eyes, spinning around the tree to see. Learned a lot about how much you can move by hunting from the ground. Lots of trial and error thats for sure.

Honestly, cover in my stand is more important to me than anything. More important than camo, height, face mask, movement. Anytime I can tuck up against any kind of evergreen, branches, anything rather than a straight up bare tree, I do it. I really just try to move with the deer. I have good hearing. So most of the time, I can hear the deer coming and am ready well before the deer shows. Heck, last year shot a buck that showed up at 18yds and I was sitting flat on my rear with no bow in my hand. Stood, grabbed bow and shot him at 12yds. I was only 11 or 12 ft off the ground. The key is cover. And watching the deers eyes and head. Only move when their head turns.

The more wide open it is, the tougher it is. I had deer at 50yds this morning and I could barely see bits and pieces of them.

Sometimes its like playing "red light. GREEN LIGHT. Red light. Red light. GREEN LIGHT" Many times, a deer catches you moving. If you can freeze, many times, you will get the tail flip which means "Everything is good"

As Jackson mentioned, rainy days are a bit tougher. On those days, I spend a lot of time on my feet, constantly scanning from side to side.
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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby BACKSTRAPALIEN » Fri Oct 07, 2016 2:09 pm

mainebowhunter wrote:I don't sit all that still. Especially in a saddle. Always scanning with my eyes, spinning around the tree to see. Learned a lot about how much you can move by hunting from the ground. Lots of trial and error thats for sure.

Honestly, cover in my stand is more important to me than anything. More important than camo, height, face mask, movement. Anytime I can tuck up against any kind of evergreen, branches, anything rather than a straight up bare tree, I do it. I really just try to move with the deer. I have good hearing. So most of the time, I can hear the deer coming and am ready well before the deer shows. Heck, last year shot a buck that showed up at 18yds and I was sitting flat on my rear with no bow in my hand. Stood, grabbed bow and shot him at 12yds. I was only 11 or 12 ft off the ground. The key is cover. And watching the deers eyes and head. Only move when their head turns.

The more wide open it is, the tougher it is. I had deer at 50yds this morning and I could barely see bits and pieces of them.

Sometimes its like playing "red light. GREEN LIGHT. Red light. Red light. GREEN LIGHT" Many times, a deer catches you moving. If you can freeze, many times, you will get the tail flip which means "Everything is good"

As Jackson mentioned, rainy days are a bit tougher. On those days, I spend a lot of time on my feet, constantly scanning from side to side.


Recently I hunted from my trophyline saddle for the 1st time and I found it tough to be as still as I would normally be in a stand. Just hanging there I felt like I tended to want to swing and shift a bit. Hopefully it was just the effect of using new gear. This thread is timely for me because I've been thinking/worried that I'm going to get busted in the saddle if I can't resist the urge to twist around. I have gotten picked off in the past from moving more than I should, and it's a lesson that has sunk in. I try to sit like a stone usually.

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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby brkissl82 » Fri Oct 07, 2016 2:38 pm

I think soemtimes when i go a while without see a deer i start to think am i moving to much?? So i make an effort not to move then when i do move i notice and fret over it more

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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Oct 07, 2016 3:05 pm

Always scan the area then very SLOW movements. The last hour before dark I am especially still. Windy days you can get away with a lot more movement. With leaves and branches swaying around they have a much harder time picking up your movement. If I have to move around I time it with wind gusts.

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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby Ack » Fri Oct 07, 2016 6:31 pm

I know I can get fidgety at times, and I also like to stand a lot, but try to stay as still as possible. As far as the TV show guys.....I would think you could probably get away with a little more movement when you're hunting large unpressured leases and outfitters.
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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby Kraftd » Fri Oct 07, 2016 10:15 pm

Kind of like other, situational. If I don't think I'll be able to her them or in really thick re where won't get a visual until they are in range try to sit more still than if I have those advantages. Also depends on if I can find a tree with good cover or not. Generally try to stay fairly still, but also don't overthink it.
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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby drew13 » Sat Oct 08, 2016 1:06 am

BACKSTRAPALIEN wrote:
mainebowhunter wrote:I don't sit all that still. Especially in a saddle. Always scanning with my eyes, spinning around the tree to see. Learned a lot about how much you can move by hunting from the ground. Lots of trial and error thats for sure.

Honestly, cover in my stand is more important to me than anything. More important than camo, height, face mask, movement. Anytime I can tuck up against any kind of evergreen, branches, anything rather than a straight up bare tree, I do it. I really just try to move with the deer. I have good hearing. So most of the time, I can hear the deer coming and am ready well before the deer shows. Heck, last year shot a buck that showed up at 18yds and I was sitting flat on my rear with no bow in my hand. Stood, grabbed bow and shot him at 12yds. I was only 11 or 12 ft off the ground. The key is cover. And watching the deers eyes and head. Only move when their head turns.

The more wide open it is, the tougher it is. I had deer at 50yds this morning and I could barely see bits and pieces of them.

Sometimes its like playing "red light. GREEN LIGHT. Red light. Red light. GREEN LIGHT" Many times, a deer catches you moving. If you can freeze, many times, you will get the tail flip which means "Everything is good"

As Jackson mentioned, rainy days are a bit tougher. On those days, I spend a lot of time on my feet, constantly scanning from side to side.


Recently I hunted from my trophyline saddle for the 1st time and I found it tough to be as still as I would normally be in a stand. Just hanging there I felt like I tended to want to swing and shift a bit. Hopefully it was just the effect of using new gear. This thread is timely for me because I've been thinking/worried that I'm going to get busted in the saddle if I can't resist the urge to twist around. I have gotten picked off in the past from moving more than I should, and it's a lesson that has sunk in. I try to sit like a stone usually.

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I'm certain that I move more in my saddle than I do in a lock-on stand. But like mainebowhunter said, if you have good cover and move slowly and smoothly, you can get away with it. I do think it's easier to blend-in and look like a branch from the saddle. Plus you can hide behind the tree when you do spot something which has worked great for me on multiple occasions. The other advantage I see from facing the tree is that my bow is never far from my hand - I don't have to stand up, turn around and take my bow off a hook. It's hanging right next to my hand.

Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread to talk about the benefits of a saddle... I agree with the OP that the tv hunters move way more than I would ever want to. I try to think of it as being like an owl sitting on a branch - the eyes and head swivel around slowly to scan everywhere, but little else moves. Whether from a stand or a saddle or the ground - branches, good cover and a solid backdrop are your friend. Also don't forget that having the sun rising or setting BEHIND you can be a great asset. A deer can't see you if he's blinded by the sun.
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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby Stanley » Sat Oct 08, 2016 4:15 am

Great topic. My thoughts are if you are hunting hard not just sitting, you can move around quite a bit. I move around a lot, but I'm watching/hunting hard. I like to see the buck long before he has an opportunity to see me. It's kind of the best set up mentality. Sometimes I pay the price to be in the best spot possible.

I just set up earlier this week in what I thought was the best spot and the tree was loaded with poison ivy. Yup, I have poison ivy. :cry:
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Re: Sitting still

Unread postby dan » Sat Oct 08, 2016 4:22 am

I get more figity when I sit to long... Short hunts I move more cautiously, slow, and precise... You need to keep your mind in the game. It really matters where your sitting though... If Im in a straight limbless lone tree 6 iches in dia. in an open area, I need to really watch my movement, if im in thick cover with a good view at in coming deer I can get away with more.


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