Bob Grewell has spent many hours perched on a treestand, waiting for a buck to walk into shooting range. Learn how he stays at the ready.

If there has ever been an obstacle stationary stand hunters face, it has to be “boredom.” Bowhunters are especially attuned to this human weakness. No stationary deer hunter is immune to this lackadaisical battle, because it’s not uncommon for ambush deer hunters to sit on a treestand, or fidget in a ground blind, for several hours. When deer aren’t moving, we frequently become impatient.

As you nonchalantly reach for a water bottle, you are suddenly eye-to-eye with a buck. Boredom can often cause us to make movements that will ruin our predatory intentions.

If you’ve ever hunted on an elevated treestand and waited for several hours, you know it can be boring. But, if you have the perseverance to override human impatience, and you’ve chosen the right location within prime deer habitat, when a buck does pass by, you will be ready. But, what will you do during the interim to bide your time?

Prepare yourself for extended hours of nonvisual activity. When you aren’t overcome with excitement, get plenty of rest so you don’t doze or fall asleep.

Carry a urinating jug for relief so you don’t have to leave your stand to relieve yourself. A pliable hot water bottle works well because it can be folded and easily carried. Its rubber structure doesn’t create noise. And, after each hunt, it’s easy to empty and wash.

Make it your mission to study every detail of the surrounding landscape. Do this again and again. It’s amazing what we miss if we don’t continue to scan the terrain. You just might see a meandering buck that hadn’t been closeby minutes ago. It’s surprising how quickly visual features change.

Limited bottled water, hard candy to suck on and an unscented chewing gum help break boredom. If you must use a cell phone, be certain the ringer is muted, and only use it for texting and not conversation. And, only do so intermittently, with limited movements. Sounds simple. But sometimes, social habits are carried into the woods.

Constantly remind yourself to never move until you’ve scanned every aspect of the landscape. It’s not always easy to be vigilant. But, if one takes time and effort to hunt a few days a year, every minute we are on a stand should be dedicated to being a human predator, totally focusing on the sudden appearance of a deer.

Practice and adapt to methods that instill in you the ability to remain as silent and motionless as possible. Act out hunting conditions before season. Practice setting stands so their placement becomes second nature. This improves safety and promotes confidence when you’re actually hunting. Make an effort to study the landscape for future reference. You’ll learn valuable facts about deer habits and how to safely utilize each treestand.

If shadows will be present at the time you intend to hunt, pre-set your stands so you can hide on the shaded side of trees to help disguise your outline. You must also familiarize yourself with judging yardage from every stand or blind. This critical element can help a hunter beat stand boredom.

Bowhunters don’t all have the same physical characteristics. Trees that suit one hunter can be torture for another. Each hunter needs to pre-select trees that fit their physical design and shooting range limitations.

Determine the safest means of ascending and descending each tree. Although many of these suggestions are common sense, often we allow our intentions to override common sense. It never hurts to remind one’s self constantly how to eliminate or reduce stand boredom.

It’s the little things that can help eliminate making a movement or a noise mistake when a buck suddenly appears. Such as: Mind games to fend-off mental diversions. Try finger exercises with your gloved hands held between your legs. Counting tree leaves, just for the heck of it. And, remind yourself of the detailed hunting plan you developed before your hunt to dodge surprises. Be fully prepared so you’re not continuously worried about what you should and shouldn’t have done.

Think ahead and develop a comfortable game plan. Hunters aren’t always proficient at sitting for hours. Therefore, we must constantly re-train our minds to defy stationary stand boredom, so we remain alert when a wary buck appears within adequate shooting range.

Are you ready for the fall hunting season? Gain more hunting knowledge from the pages of MidWest Outdoors this fall, available the first full week of each month at the newsstand or by subscribing on our website.