I plan to stay in the blind for around 6 hours next week. Is it better to be in a shooting blind (60-70 yards away) or the bow blind (20 yards away)? What food do you guys bring when yall are in the blind for a while? What do you guys think?

Which is more comfortable? Which sees more country, and which weapon are you most likely to use?

Depending on the deer I am hunting (trophy, cull, doe) I am most likely carrying the most capable weapon that is legal under the current season. If I go out today, 12/4/2014, I'm carrying a center-fire rifle with a significant scope on it. I am probably going to hunt one of my stands that is known to see either a lot of deer or a lot of country as I have my trophy but am now doing several other things. I'm on doe/spike patrol, coyote patrol, and scouting for possible 2015 shooters or 2014 shooters for family members that haven't gotten a trophy yet.

As for food, most of the time I take fruit such as apples or oranges, and maybe some dried sausage, jerky, or KIND bars. I try not to take anything wrapped that will make noise so I may unwrap the KIND bars and put them in a paper towel in my shirt pocket. I'll also take a bottle of water but you'll need to be careful about liquid intake if you plan to spend 6 straight hours in a blind.

I take a big bottle of water and another big empty bottle to pee in and just a couple packs of those peanut butter and crackers if I'm gonna be out that long, I prefer not to eat in the blind if I can avoid it so an urge doesn't hit me that I can't just put in an empty bottle if you know what I mean.

I don't have a problem with sitting a few hours, taking a walk a couple hundred yards and answering natures call then returning to stand. Often the walk helps me loosen stiff joints and gives me a renewed ability to sit longer.

Sittin for 6 hours I'm sure you will not look before every movement! Last week I sat in my ground blind moved my knee to stretch it out and I had a deer 15 yards off to my right! She never saw me but heard my movement and detoured off her beaten path and I saw her cross about 80 yards down the sendero! Bow Blinds are hard to sit in very long at 20 yards ! My 2 cents ! I take rappers off my Gatorade and put my crackers in tin foil! When bow hunting! Then use empty bottles to tee tee lol! Just don't buy lime Gatorade and u should be ok!

I sat 8 hours on Tuesday. Took a bag of trail mix and 3 dr. Peppers. Wish I had taken some beef jerky or something. I got HUNGRY.

Do you guys bring a book or are you guys on your phones?

I love sitting in the blind for long periods of time. In fact that is probably my favorite part of deer season. I am guilty of passing on shots because I didn't want to break the tranquility of the blind.

I can get internet access, albeit weak access, so I often hang out on a forum. I bring cereal to eat, usually Honey Nut Cheerios. In the morning I take a Dr Pepper but in the evening it is usually a water or maybe a stiff drink(I know. Bad idea). I occasionally bring two stiff drinks and leave my gun at camp. I fresh can of Skoal is usually present, but I nice bag of sunflower seeds is good too.

Enjoy the silence my friend.

A pocket AM/fFM radio and ear buds helps pass the time, especially on weekends when you can catch a good football game. Talk radio makes for good listening during the week. And with it being so quiet, you can turn the volume down so low that you can still listen over the radio volume for the sounds of approaching game animals.

That's a good idea.

I have a small soft sided cooler that I pack a couple of cold drinks and a bottle of water. Little Debbies and maybe some sandwiches. I unwrap snacks and put them in a tupperware container to keep them from getting crushed in my bag. Thinking about a bag of pistachio nuts for my next trip.

To pass the time I take an iPad Mini and a Walkman. Podcasts, the radio, books on the Kindle app, etc. I can hotspot the phone for web access if I want to do that. Hunting doesn't have to be hard core. we have some 4x4 stands and some 4x6 stands. For longer hunts I try to hunt the larger stands because I can turn sideways and stretch my legs a bit. In the smaller stands I have to stand up occasionally.

For hunts over 3 hours I will be in an elevated box blind during rifle season. Sometimes I will skip the dawn hunt depending on weather, rut, etc...and get to the blind at 11 and stay till dark. Food usually is a couple of packs of crackers, trail mix, jerky, 2 boiled eggs and a protein bar. At least 2 waters and 2 gatorades. In the pack are binocs, first aid kit, cell phone, headphones, extra jacket and skull cap, gloves. Flashlight and extra batteries. Spare ammo. TP is a must! Knives, license, etc... Sidearm for hogs. Meds for me, just in case. I may tend to overpack, but feel better knowing I have the right gear. Oh and rain jacket and emergency blanket. .

Some awesome 1-2 minute naps can be had in the blind as well!

I have spent long hours in a tree stand and ground blinds, but I was always bow hunting. I rarely have sat over 4 hours in a rifle blind. Always keep water with me, sometimes jerky, copenhagen, and some protein bars. I pretty much always have my phone with me and sometimes will take a book with me.

I will be on the forums most likely to keep ya'll posted on what's going on

I usually spend at least a few days each season in by brush blind from dark to dark. All the above are good ideas. And yes, those 1 or 2 minute naps are good. I am planning on an all day sit tomorrow.

You need to take a Matt Helm book, by Donald Hamilton. You can't go wrong. Oh, and make sure you're phone is charged so that you can surf the WWW. I also make sure I have some Marlboro Lights short box.

Yall are a different breed of patient! I wish I had what yall had.. Usually by 8am its a struggle to sit any longer!

I stay in the blind a lot of hours. Just figure I'm not going to shoot anything from camp. If I'm going to be in there for awhile I will take a soft-sided cooler with drinks and snacks. This is in elevated box blinds not a bow stand though!

sleep... sleep... sleep.

or eat, eat, eat...

Sat til 930 this morning then back in around 1030 until 115 then got back in at 330. This was 3 different stands so that helps. Phone and booster charger is a must.

The hard day's are in June July and August sitting all day axis hunting. Feel like I'm in a sweat lodge.

I like to sit long hours in my stand during the rut. I never go to the stand without my thermos of coffee.

Man, hunting in july must be ridiculous!

+1

A couple years ago we picked up my buddy in a stand in a late July axis hunt and was stripped down to his tighty-whities cuz it was 120 deg in that metal box blind.