Anyone figured out a good way to read in a stand?

Aw, Water-Man, I'll pass my remedial reading course one of these days. Will you? :D:D:D As long as I keep on eatin' Bambi, I figure whatever works is good.

It's not a "need to read". That strikes me as a foolish notion. The deal is to help a fella be still and quiet in a blind when nothing's going on in the woods...

My reading behavior is quite similar to my eye movements when walking hunting. I glance down briefly for where I'll put my feet for the next three or five steps, and then look the country over as I ease along. That lets me walk without making a bunch of noise and I don't have to look at my feet. Same with reading: A paragraph or so, and then look around. The deal there is to look for any change in the appearance of the surroundings, just like the deer and turkey do. If there is a change in the pattern, hmmmm...What is it?
 
Around here, deer season comes around snow season. How should I turn the pages when I've got mittens on? If it makes it easier, I've got mittens where the top half folds back, so I can still use a finger to pull the trigger.
 
Water-Man... it seems there are people like you and me that hunt. Then there are people that had rather read than hunt. I try to hunt every minute I'm in my stand. Constantly looking at every little nook and cranny out there. I try to stay as far away from the windows as I can. I peek out the windows instead of showing my face and profile. I even paint the inside of my stand black and wear a face mask lots of times. I want to see the deer before the deer sees me.

It's amazing how many times I've seen deer just poke their head out only far enough to be able to look at the stand. As far as I'm concerned the peak time for buck movement is from daylight till dark. No time to read, to busy hunting. :D
 
Well shucks, it's a shame those dead deer didn't know I wasn't hunting, maybe they'd have felt better. When you get a chance, could you generalize why my rifle's not fit for the woods or instruct me how to find a job with lower expectations?

Thanks to anyone who's actually contributed to the discussion. :) Guess it wouldn't be the internet if we didn't have some folks spitting gum in the collection plate.
 
Sitting and waiting just isn't my deal.
Click to expand...

+1

While stationed on the east coast, I tried my best at tree stand hunting. It drove me NUTS to just sit there, usually freezing my --- off!

If I had taken a book, maybe I could have held on to my sanity a little longer...
 
BClark, I'm sorry I guess my reply wasn't on topic. I really didn't think you were serious. Never understood why anyone would want to read in their stand. I'll think about it and maybe I can come up with a good solution for you. If you can give me a little better understanding of what your stand looks like. How big are the windows and how many? Do you have any type of netting or burlap strips hanging in your windows? What direction is the stand facing? In a wooded area? Out in the open? How is your chair placed in the stand. Any small shelves or tables? Rack for your rifle/shotgun? Do you hold your book in your lap? What color is the inside of your stand?
 
Ironwood, (in no way attacking or making fun)

The stand you just asked him to describe, sounds to me like a box stand. Now, as hard core as you sounded in your post I placed you in a climbing treestand in a thicket somewhere with no more than a 20-25 yard shot with a bow. That's the way I like to hunt. I sometimes laugh at the folks that act all gunho about hunting and then go climb up in a box stand and watch a field or highline all day, everyday. That to me is not truely hunting, more, sitting and waiting for critters to come to a legal bait pile. But I'm not trying to get into a peeing match about hunters and hunting styles. I don't do much spot and stalk, that to me is hardcore. And those guys laugh at the rest of us.

From what I gathered about his hunting set-up, he is sitting on an oak flat, up in a lock-on or lean on ladderstand.

What set-up are you hunting in by the way? Sounds like you are in a box stand with tiny windows so the deer have a limited chance of seeing you, while waiting to shoot them from beyond 100yds with a rifle.

I guess I'm saying, folks hunt in different ways. You pick your way, and others will do theirs. But before you lay into folks that choose to pass the time differently, they may do 100 times more homework, stand prep, sitting than you could fathom. Just a Thought.
 
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Than there is my style of stand... I find tons of tracks and after picking a nice tree to sit against I take my trusty knife and bare hands and make a blind of palmetto fronds and green stick limbs... Usually get busted the first day or so due to scent and newness of the set up so reading is a good thing the first day or 2.
Brent
 
WPCEXPERT.... No acception taken. When you get to be 71 years old, like me, I bet you will be glad to have a nice warm box stand to hunt from.:D I've paid my dues. I've hunted when there were no tree stands, no climbing stands, no 4 wheelers. My camo was a plaid shirt. I might hunt all season long without seeing another hunter. Had to drag my deer or hog out by myself. Did my camping in a tent, cooked and heated from an open fire.

I feel sort of sorry for the young fellows that do all this deer farming instead of deer hunting. When antler size dictates what buck they will take or can take.

There were very few deer in East Texas when I was growing up. A hunter was lucky to see one buck during our two month long season. Aahhh that's enough of that. Time to go watch some TV... Good luck to you guys.
 
Sir, I feel like I must say I'm sorry for the slight. I was always taught to be respectful...of everyone. I guess I found myself judging and not taking into account that I can't see the folks that I am conversating with. I'd say that you have paid your dues and have hunted harder than most of us out here. I just pray that I still am able to get up and about at your still young age. There are a lot of folks that can't. I think of how my dad used to hunt, and how that is changing as the years go on. I keep dreaming of having the ability to provide him with a warm box blind to crawl into when he gets ready for it.

But anyway sir, thanks for the lesson. Good luck and shoot straight.

Shawn
 
I read. Just move slow and make it a point to scan the area every so often (every page or whatever).

P.S. Speaking from experience... Set down the books before shooting... I had a deer go past the stand at a run one day and then stop within range. I held the book in my supporting hand while shooting the revolver. After shooting the deer, I realized that the cylinder blast had shredded part of my book...
 
Actually forgot where I was yesterday...

Hanging on a pine here in GA in my TomCat 1, I was reading "To the White Sea" by James Dickey. The wind kicked up, the tree swayed, I looked up, not expecting my comfortable lazy-boy to be swaying, and suddenly realized I'm 20 feet in the air. Kind of freaked me out for a second. I tend to get a little zoned when I'm reading.

Anyway, I rest my rifle across the top of the stand and my book on top of the rifle. If I need to use the rifle, I just put the book in my lap. Most of the time, I just use a little pair of compact binoculars to spot things, so I only need the rifle when its "business time". I hang a small backpack over the back of the stand to hold all my "stuff".

Here's what the stand looks like:

http://www.treeclimber.com/

By the way, this stand is 20 years old. A few items had worn out, I spoke with the family who runs the company today, they are sending new parts out no charge!
 
I believe that most game critters have an almost magical ability to sense when we are a threat - or not. When our attention is elsewhere, or seems to be, they will often hang around and behave in ways that seem baffeling to us hunters. Almost like they don't take us seriosly.
Reading, knitting, sleeping, drawing, anything that keeps you in a good spot without exuding "DANGER", is a good thing in my book. Hey did I make a pun?:):barf: jd
 
Let me recount one of my evenings on stand this season..........


Sitting back reading a novel at 4:30.......4:31 hear hoofbeats........look up.......crap 4 deer........stand.........drop novel in seat of stand.........grab bow.......come to full draw.........whistle, deer stops..........release..........venison....................

Don't overthink it. Just enjoy your book.


BTW, That ^ was in a climbing stand.
 
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I also read while hunting usually not first thing in am or around after 2pm but it helps pass the time and forget about the cold.
 
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