There are little thing you can to increase your success while hunting in a stand. You should settle in get out what you are going to use while hunting. Get out your binoculars, scents, your calls. I suggest cover you face either with a bandana, face paint, netting. You would be surprised how far your bare face can be detected from. Limit you movements in the stand, some covered stands permit some movement but should still be limited. Use your eyes first instead of moving your head as often. Make yourself familiar with your surroundings, look for shadows, shapes, colors anything that might look like the game you are hunting. This will help in weeding out anything that might look like a deer, but is not. This will help you concentrate on any changes or movements. Use you binoculars to scan the woods slowly. If your lucky you will have deer come into your stand. Keep a close eye on the deer they will alert you to any other deer coming. Watch closely in the direction in which they are looking at some times that big buck will not come out into an opening but stay just inside the woods. Look beyond the clearings and thru the woods for any movements or shapes and colors. Pay special attention during what I call the "power hour". The "power hour" is an hour after sunrise and an hour prior to sunsets. I feel these are the prime time to be in your stand, real still and at full alert. Although I have seen a lot of deer moving during the the day that "power hour" seems to have produced the most deer for me. I have found during the years that my afternoon hunts have always been more productive. Don't get me wrong I hunt both sittings if possible. Although I believe that you spook deer that have settled in your area overnight or that are returning from feeding while getting in your stand in the mornings. I believe that getting in your stand earlier in the afternoon, gives you time to get in the woods quietly and get settled in to hunt. Remember safety above all, verify your gun is unloaded when getting in and out of the stand, verify your target and what is behind it. Please take those few extra seconds, the life you save may be your own. If you are not sure of a clean shot please do not take it. A clean shot ensures your game will not run off wounded, or missed shots will spook that deer ruining your chance of returning to that stand and seeing that trophy again for a couple of days.
Relieve yourself at camp, just prior to heading out to stand. If you must, I carry a water bottle in may daypack, when I empty it I carefully use it, I don't think we need to get into the fine details, but this has worked quite well for me. CAUTION DO NOT FORGET TO DISPOSE OF IT AS SOON AS RETURN TO CAMP.
Healthy snacks ( power bars, trail mix )although I believe that you hunt better when your hungry hehehehe.
I on occasions will take reading materials to my stand I feel it educates you, keep you entertained, helps keep you still, I often read for a few minutes then I look up slowly and do my scanning.
SILENCE IS GOLDEN This is one saying you must live by when hunting. The deer do. Rely on your eyes more than your ears.
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