I have a really tough time sitting perfectly still for more that about 2 hours.After that there is pretty much no way I can stand to stay still. I know most people say the best way to hunt whitetail is sit down and stay put.
Does anybody know of another way that may work better for me. I usually hunt heavy brush and so far my kills have resulted from about half and half. Half of them from walking, half of them from sitting. Maybe another squirmer has a strategy that works which I could borrow. Thanks.

If not much is happening and you sat for first light, you may want to try to jump the deer out of their beds.

Here on Long Island the gun season (shotgun) is three weeks long, monday through friday on state and county land by a lottery permit tyoe system. Normally if you get to hunt one day you are lucky. I think for most hunters the most productive method is to still hunt and hope they jump some deer.

I think that you are already on the right track. Pick your spot and still hunt from sunrise for a couple of hours, then "stroll Hunt", in the afternoon, find another good spot and still hunt till end of shooting day. My personal experience with whitetail is that you can stir one up while walking, he may run, but will circle back within a hundred yds to watch his trail. Pick a parallel path and surprise him in the brush, then invite him home for dinner.

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Good Shooting!

I have that trouble keeping my wife and kids on the stand for more then a couple of hrs> I tell them stay at least until 8in the morning be back on it from 10 to 1 then back on it from 3 until dark. The ten to one is because where we hunt a lot of people are getting up and moving about then a there is agreat chance that you well shoot something nice about then. The couple hrs of break helps them keep interisted. But this year my wife left for 40min. when she got back near her stand she chased a big buck away. If only she could of waited it out. O well she shot a nice one the next morning.

If I get really cold I often start wriggling.

One thing I do is wear large coveralls or a large coat. Usually this will keep me warm enough so I don't do all that moving, but the reason why I got them in the first place is that you can move around a lot, just make small movements, and it doesn't show in what you are wearing.

I tend to want to walk also. If I am in the right stand though I bring a paperback book with me. Read a paragraph and scan the woods etc. It helps pass the time for me. Most of the time these are the type of stands where I am waiting for the deer to arrive, not quick action stands.

Try a very confortable seat, that could make all the difference. I have back problems and had a hard time staying seated until I bought one of the lounger stands, now it's like setting in a recliner. My dad hunts from the ground and uses a green plastic lounge chair, and if I can be confortable setting and am seeing at least birds or squirrels then I have no problem being in one spot for a while.

No experience with flatland whitetails but where I come from the key to sucessful squirming is stealth and awareness. Squirm more quietly than your prey (which is extremely quiet) and make the most of your senses.

You can move, just move in very slow motion. If you've got to shift a cheek on rough bark, take ten seconds to do it.

Don

I don't stand hunt, but I do sit and glass basins for hours at times. Making sure you move painfully slow is not really an issue in this case, but I still find it tough not being able to get up and stretch my legs. A friend introduced me to the "read a page, look around" technique this fall. It definately helps. I put a small paperback in my pack everytime now.

FWIW, Canuck

I'm a still hunter primarily; the rest of the time I'm a spot and stalker. I normally sit at first light and at dusk, but the rest of the day I'm jumping deer out of their beds. Slow motion is definitely the key for still hunting, and your ears are as important as your eyes.

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JD

I've always found it helpful to have something to snack on to help pass the time on stand. My elk guide this year turned me on to cherry twizzlers. Trail mix works well too.

Jeff

Want to learn how to sit still, then go hunting with my dad!! We used to hunt coyotes with hounds and sit in the truck. Every sound you made was rewarded with a strong verbal reprimand, or worse. LOL
Seriously, I think it is a learned condition, but here are some things that help me.
1. bring plenty of clothes; when you get cold it is hard to stay put.
2. eat a big breakfast and bring plenty to munch on; hunger will make you ready to leave faster than anything, and it keeps you from getting as cold. don't forget something to drink.
3. have a comfortable seat; if it hurts to sit, you won't stay long.
4. bring binoculars; looking at things close and far occupies the mind, and you might see that buck first.
5. estimate distance to objects within you range of fire; again,it keeps the mind busy.
6. do the what-if game; imagine shooting scenarios and your solutions for them, like what if a doe shows up, do you shoot it or wait to see if a buck is following, etc.
7. bring something to read, not the morning paper, unless you cut it into strips; I took a paperback with me last season and it kept me on a comfortable seat almost all day.
8. wait 10 more minutes; don't tell yourself that you will sit all morning, when you get the urge to get up, tell yourself you will wait 10 more minutes. When the 10 minutes is over, tell yourself you will wait 10 more minutes. A friend uses that to stay all morning.
Hope that helps.
Good luck and good shooting

All the above is excellent advise but above all else pay attention to the wind. If it's at you back you're not likely to be successful unless you can see a long,long way. Stealth and wind direction are paramount to consistent success.

I've always been a squirmer but I do have a few things that have helped...(1) A good pad to sit on that will provide some softness, keep the cold off your butt and be quiet, (2) another pad for your back so you can lean comfortably...it helps if both pads are attached to each other and can be carried flat, (3) you are going to squirm anyway but make sure whatever you squirm against (tree bark) is quiet...don't be afraid to do some landscape work before you settle in, (4) no paperbacks unless your hands are concealed, and (5) make sure your hands and face are not shining beacons to the animals..if you don't wear gloves start wearing something to cover your hands and likewise with a little face camo. Finally always watch the wind as somedays the wind will ruin a stand for weeks if the deer catch your scent...know which days to hunt which stands or you might as well be watching college football.

Don't forget to go to the bathroom BEFORE you get into your stand. LOL - Dan

If convenient, you might want to cut a few branches or some brush to place in front of you. That way you can stretch your legs out and squirm a bit without being noticed by any game.
I cannot sit stock-still for any length of time either.

Tom

A Very Comfortable Stand. I made several that incorporates one of those U shaped spring steel brackets off of a riding lawnmower with padded swivel seat. This attaches to a tree with ratchet straps.

Also have the same for homemade lock on type verticals. Currently looking at a Tree Lounge brand

Last years venison hamburger jerky made with a jerky works for a snack, a 20 oz. bottle of pop, and a pack of Pall Malls(not recommended for everyone) have helped me stay put for many seasons 11 hours at a time, day after day, and kill 42 whitetail bucks, many that came thru while I was smoking. (Again not recommended)

I mainly hunt transition areas or funnels and stay away from bedding and feeding areas, then one doesn't have to be super still and quiet. The main thing is to be there when the opportunity comes.-------Chainsaw

I agree that a comfortable seat makes all the difference.

Yesterday I sat for an hour at dawn, saw nothing (but heard a whole lot going on behind me, possibly a flock of turkeys flying down, and I do mean right behind me), then strolled for a couple hours through a power line cut and a closed Forest Service road.

I got tired and decided to sit down, have a nap and a snack. So I picked a spot based solely on comfort -- maybe 10 yds. from the road, halfway to a little frozen trout stream, a big, wide tree, clear, flat area in front of it facing the wind. I really picked it because it looked like a comfy place to fall asleep, which I did for 15 or 20 minutes.

After waking up and checking my map, I decided to sit a few more minutes; about 5 minutes later, three deer came trotting
up a trail on the far side of the stream, and I bagged my first whitetail (the lead doe) when she came broadside of me.

John

The TREE LOUNGE

Have you tried.....Black Label Jack Daniels or.....Prozac??

I admit I have a big problem sitting or standing still. All of the above advice is very good.

Since this forum is out of Africa they may wonder about what we are talking about but I hunt in Vermont, USA where it's just above freezing at best during the deer season.

I have been packing in a big thermos of hot soup. Of all the things I have with me there on the stand that's the most fun.

I often suit for hours at a time while moose hunting. The key is to be comfortable. In cold weather we bring an old sleeping bag to wrap our legs in so we stay warm. The tree stands we use also have roofs on them to keep the rain and snow off.

the read a page (of a paperback) works well for me too.

I'm a squimer too, never have been big on sitting...got to be fat and stupid to do that without getting impatient

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com