How to Sleep in the Woods - All the Steps | Bowhunting Whitetails w/ Bill Winke
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- Опубликовано: 30 июл 2023
- It is amazing how well this works and how simple and comfortable it is. I sure made a believer out of Ethan. In this video, I take the mystery out of sleeping at the base of your tree. Hey, if you can't hunt a stand without the deer knowing, you have only two options: don't hunt it or don't leave. Some spots are just too good to ignore so option two becomes a reality. Here's how to pull it off in style.
Thanks Bill often thought of this idea you just showed me the way to do it
It does work Real Russ. I think you will enjoy the adventure. Good luck.
My Tree Lounge works great for spending the night in my hunting area. I am glad Bill is educating hunters on these tactics.
I have never tried those but have heard you can sleep in them. Have a great day and thanks for the nice comment.
@@bill-winke We totally enjoy your hunting shows. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us all.
About wearing your clothes in the sleeping bag, we were always taught to strip down because the moisture in your clothes would keep you moist and cold in the bag.
I heard that too. I would wear just my base layers when I was doing this, but I had a guy since tell me that you need get right down to your short undies to make it work best.
Great video Bill, unfortunately I snore way to loud to sleep anywhere near the deer. Thanks for taking the time to show us the right way to do this.
Art, I know what you mean. I snore when I sleep on my back so I was careful to stay on my side!
Art, I have been woken up by deer grunting at me snoring in the tree stand a few times……. At least I think it was a deer??? Maybe it was one of our many black bears on the farm???☠️😂🤣
12:15 Definitely worth checking out some of the newer air pads on the market. Some have R values as high as 8.0, plenty of insulation for even the most frigid below zero nights and pack up to less than 1/4 the size of the foam pad you mentioned!
Hmm, interesting. What are some brands? I have a super light, portable air mattress that I use for canoe camping in Canada, but I don't think the R Value is there so that is why I use the old Cabela's foam/air mattress.
@@bill-winke thermarest, Nemo, big Agnes all make a bunch with an R4-6 which is generally good down to the 20° range.
Thermarest Xtherm has an R7.3 and Nemo’s latest has an R above 8. Both are good below zero but probably overkill for above freezing.
I got a mobile blind this year, so i might try this out this year 😂
I think you will enjoy it. Good luck.
Bill could you not set the bivy up before you left home? With the pad deflated and sleeping bag inside bivy. Then roll it up and stuffed into your pack. With the bivy frame handy if it is raining.
Yes, someone else mentioned that too. I do think that would be possible, and for sure much quicker. Thanks for the support and the comment. Have a great day.
First off, we all need to I’ll start using the term Winke camp, for anyone camping at the base of a treestand!
This is the greatest idea in hunting since the creation of the food plot!
I do appreciate it and it does really work. Good luck and thanks for the support.
Very cool to supplement your articles about it with video Bill! Thanks for sharing
Thanks Alex. Give it a try and let me know what you learn! Have a great day.
Awesome video. I admire the commitment, you deserve a good one if you're willing to do all that. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Gary. We appreciate the support and the comment. Have a great day.
What do you drink and eat? Where do you do your business? Pee Bottle? I know you want to keep all this to a minimum. Tips like buying some chocolate covered coffee bean to get your caffeine fix. Best small lite healthy snacks to keep you going? Keeping light to an absolute minimum, what color lens works best to remain unseen to deer/wildlife? Best drink to keep you hydrated? Best things to think about to help you remain quite and focused? Would it help to practice this a few times before season in an area you cannot or will not hunt? Thanks, this is a great way to make this work in this scenario.
Gene, I usually only go for a single night so I am in there from noon one day until late morning the next. So I can go number 2 at a toilet somewhere. I don't use a pee bottle. I have observed many, many times that deer aren't afraid of human urine. They don't associate human urine with people. In other words, there is no human scent in human urine. I keep eating and drinking to a minimum, again because I am only in there for one night. If I ever do go for two nights, I will carry meat snacks and a couple bottles of water. I don't carry something with caffeine, I just tough it out, but chocolate covered coffee beans would be a great option. I don't use a flashlight when hunting. My eyes (and yours) will adjust pretty well if you just let them. Also, I don't often travel through the woods in the black dark. The deer seem to see that as very obvious. I always wait until gray light to make my entry. Then I can go faster and with the woods starting to wake up at that time, (and maybe the winds starting to blow a bit) it makes the intrusion less noticeable. Good luck.
Very nice!! I will live vicariously through you and Ethan. I'll be with you in spirit!
I think Ethan is a convert! I need someone crazy enough to stay out there and film me if we do this in November!
I’m in!
I don’t know about this in South Georgia, ticks, chiggers, rattlesnakes. It’s making me think though!
I admit that it would be rough in the south. You might need something more substantial to sleep in, like a fully enclosed ground blind.
Love it bill. Brings out the kid in us
Yes, any outdoor adventure is awesome even if it is just sleeping on a ridge in late October!
Great, gonna be hobos all over the woods this year...gonna be part of my scouting for sign now, looking for hobo sleeping spots to dismiss areas completely...
Yes. Don't look for deer sign, just look for human bedding areas and then keep moving.
@@bill-winke 🤣🤣yup
Hammock Actually use it as a base and blind with camo tarp very light mobile ground hunting setup
Good input. Thanks for the comment and the support. Have a great day.
awesome !! going to try that this year i always wanted to thanks for sharing this
You are welcome Nelson. Good luck.
I've been waiting for this.
Thanks Jeff. Have fun! I appreciate the support.
That's freaking awesome, thanks for sharing good Sir. 👍
You are welcome. Thanks for the support.
I’m 63 and to old to spend all night sleeping on the ground that being said I have two tree lounges here light bed the newer version and the old heavier version they are both over 20 years old but took very good care of them . I have the nest a pillow and the adjustable wedge I usually use it for the gun season and I also have the bow platform it’s like a lounge chair in a tree I’ve fallen asleep plenty of times because it’s so comfy. I thought about sleeping in it plenty of times but never pulled the trigger has any one ever slept in their tree stand just wondering.
Louis, this method is really comfortable, but I get your drift. I know people who have slept in their stands. They arrive at their stand in the middle of the night and then tie themselves into the tree and sleep until dawn. I think my method would have less chance of bumping deer and a much better chance of feeling refreshed the next day. Good luck.
How do you eat and go to the bathroom? Do you practice a reduced hygiene regimen during the 14 day hunt? Do you take breaks from the stand/sleep locations during the hunt?
Luke, I would go in at noon, hunt that evening and the next morning and then go back out late morning to tend to bathroom necessities and get some real food before going back into another spot for the next afternoon. Rarely did I stay in one spot for more than a single evening, but when I did, it got pretty rough without decent food or water. Got kind of dehydrated and hungry. That really made the second day on stand a tough one, but overall, you can take a bit of food and water - just don't take a bunch or like you said, you will need to find a place to take a dump. Can be done, but less than ideal in the setting. Good luck.
@@bill-winkeThat makes a lot of sense. Thank you.
This video makes me itch 🤣
Is that poison ivy everywhere?
I don't think so. I am very sensitive and didn't break out. I am pretty good about watching for it.
I’m covered with ticks and chiggers just watching this video. Great stuff. May try this this year. Luke 9:62
Thanks Gouch. Fortunately, in the area where this farm is located there aren't as many ticks as in southern Iowa where we lived before. A few chiggers though!
Amen
@@bill-winkewhat about human waste? Do you bury it?
Always love your videos, Bill! I’ve been watching your videos for years and I’ve learned a lot! Like the humor too. 😅
Thanks for the years of support Paul. I appreciate it. Have a great day.
Like getting the first time hunt out of the way great rehersal
It was fun to "pretend hunt". I am starting to look toward October now, finally. Have a great day.
Like the idea. I’ve been thinking about hammock “tent” to camp on large public grounds I hunt.
I think that would work great. Good luck.
Wow that's hard core, love it
I appreciate the comment. Have a great day.
Great video
Thanks Thomas. Have a great day.
20 years military this video reminds me of it lol . Light and noise discipline was always a fundamental practice to avoid enemy detection I believe those deer don’t stand a chance this season good luck. I heard Myles Keller was known to sleep in the woods a lot also !
Thanks Jason. I appreciate it. I had not heard that story about Myles though I did hear some pretty good ones. He was very extreme in most of his methods, but it sure paid off for him! Good luck.
I'm trying to imagine the size of the deer I'd be chasing to make me consider this option and I got nothing...lol. But I thoroughly enjoyed watching how you do it. See ya in the next one.
Thanks for the support. It is just a good adventure. I think if you tried it once, you would really enjoy. I have spent the night in some really cool spots on ridges overlooking big valleys. Pretty cool stuff.
Looks like a great option to avoid spooking deer.. I would also think if it's a spot you know would require this during the fall, you could put up a small tent in the summer and brush it in very well. Then you have a little more room inside to move, stay waterproof, hold scent, and even cook something in boiling water. A well brushed in tent could work like a well brushed in blind and the deer become accustomed to it over time.
That is a good point, but I am afraid being out in the weather would destroy the tent. A better option might be a kind of wooden structure. I have considered that for sure. I have even considered burying a big water tank that I could drop down into. That would be pretty cozy and you could then use lights and maybe even cook up some coffee in the AM if ventilated. Ah, what we don't think of when it comes to just shooting a few deer!
I like that idea too
@@bill-winkea canvas tent would be okay for months at a time.
great video and dedicated to making it realistic. could have just as easily showed that gear in the office or tailgate. then could have ridden the atv up to that spot. but you climbed up that hill and showed exactly what you do. great visuals for those who need it.
Thanks for the support. It was actually pretty fun to do a dress rehearsal of actually hunting that spot! Have a great day.
Sleeping IN the tree would be pretty cool with one of those platform tents rock climbers use
I thought about it. They are pretty expensive and I kind of wondered if the deer would see that and react negatively.
I tried this once in North Dakota
Kayak access into a base camp then bow hunt 200 yards from camp but I didn’t plan for snow fall 4-6 inches in mid October. After two days I had to leave my hunt early for fear my truck would be snowed in were in parked it. Two weeks later a attempted the hunt again but this time a small ice layer covered my kayak access for that season. Our weather here in ND drastically changes in October not much of an Indian summer here. Summer to winter most years when the rest of the country gets good late October hunting we do the best we can bow hunting in extreme conditions but it’s fun
David, that sounds rough. Late October had become my favorite time to hunt in Iowa. The weather is usually awesome and the bucks are just starting to get moving. November is better, overall, but the weather is often much colder. When I was a boy that didn't matter. It is starting to matter now! Thanks for the input.
I normally leave the bar around bar close and then sneak into the woods and sleep for 2 hours at the base of my rifle stand for opening day of Wisconsin rifle season, i just turn on my heated vest and pass da fuck out
Now we're talkin'! That's a strategy I had not considered.
L😂mao
Step 1 convince wife this is really what your doing
Better yet, invite her to come along! Then you won't have to worry quite as much about staying warm.
☠️😂🤣
@@bill-winketrue
Exactly what I thought lol my girl thought I was fooling around on her when I was going to the farm to prep for deer season, because she didn’t think it took that many days to prep for deer. She is Jamaican, and didn’t understand how important chasing whitetails was to us Missouri farm boys. She now understands that between shed hunting and end of season lasts about 12 months a year😂 I always have a reason to be in the woods between deer and turkey season.
I tried this once as well. The 13 hour darkness bothered me. I woke up midnight and couldn’t fall asleep again. I heard deer blowing a lot through the night. Like on neighboring property. I think some of these does just blow for no reason. I could always tell if raccoons were around and yote. Yotes move swiftly. I remember waking up to a rabbit starring me in the face. Lol it was a cool experience if you have the money for good stuff. Thanks for sharing Bill.
It is a cool experience. I also learned a ton about what deer do in their bedding areas at night. We assume they are gone, but they aren't, not all of them at least. They kind of come and go.
No way in heck I would pull all my gear out and get it covered in ticks just for a demonstration!! Better man than me, Bill.
Treat your gear with permethrin
Not that many ticks in the area where I hunt. Southern Iowa was loaded with those little "seed ticks", but in northern Iowa it is just the cold old wood ticks and those aren't as numerous.
What are you using for food?
I wasn't eating much. Snack sticks and water. I usually came back out at midday and got something to eat and use the bathroom, etc. Sometimes I stayed in two nights in a row (if the wind allowed) and then I carried more food and water.
What do you do for food when your doin a hunt like this
I don't each much Ollie. Just a couple of meat snack sticks and a bottle of water. I usually come back out at midday the second day so I can eat more then (and use a proper bathroom) and then go back in. It is pretty easy to go in and out during the middle of the day when the wind is blowing. It is the super still times (early and late in the day usually) that make it so hard to sneak around.
I camped like this in ohio one season and like some others said there were some deer that smelled me and were blowing. every time i would move in the bag i imagine it pushes out air that is scent filled lol. warm air thats been around my body for awhile. But it was better than the 2.5 mile walk every day and blowing out tons of deer. i ended up moving camp more like 100 yards away so that if there wasnt much wind at night i wasnt stinking up the place with wafting air. one thing i did on property i own or lease was plan ahead and put a pop up cheap blind up near where i hunt and brush it in. does it keep scent better? probably not but i do have a bit more room to move around. your right though its weird to have all the critters walking by all night long.
David, yes, I have produced my share of "scent filled air" too. I do think the blind would keep the scent in better, especially if you still use a sleeping bag that draws pretty tightly around your neck to keep scent inside. Good luck.
It would only take me one hunt of me not getting my target buck to say "I'll pass" lol
Wally, then I think it would take you only one hunt where you bumped a bunch of deer heading back to your vehicle to say, "I'm going to try that again." Good luck.
@@bill-winke yes sir, this is why you are the man! Love your content!
I like it but seems like a lot of set up time and kinda noisy. Could you roll up bag,bivy and pad as one unit? Then all you’d have to do is clear a spot, unroll it and let pad self inflate.
That would be really cold, and scary. I like sleeping on the ground a lot better.
@@bill-winke Guees I wasn’t too clear. The end result would’ve the same. You would still be sleeping on the ground with the same items. The only difference is that the bag and pad would already be in the bivy and rolled up for transport. Then when you decide on a spot and clear away the sticks etc you simply roll out bivy, pad and bag as one unit.
@@longranger99 Yes, not sure what I was answering there. I must have answered your comment with a reply I had for someone else. I agree. Being able to roll it all up at once would be ideal. I need to look into that. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for sharing. It wasn't surprising to me that you found a deer bed on the leeward side of the hill where you wanted to establish your first camp. I wondered how you beat the thermals coming up the hill even with a favorable wind in the AM. Also wondered how many hunts you would do in that spot before you would burn it out. I was surprised how close you were camping to your stand too. Maybe I just overthink too much. Can't wait to see your 2023 big buck in the truck.
Thanks Paul. Camping close eliminates as much ground scent and disturbance as possible in the morning and evening. There is very little wind most mornings when heading to the stand. In fact, it is so quiet that I have to usually wait until nearly sunrise (at least until legal shooting time) for the woods to wake up so my stealthy crunching to the stand (even from 30 yards) doesn't raise an alarm. Most times there aren't tons of deer in the bedding areas at night, but there are some - those are the ones that come back early from the feeding areas. Most of the deer come back after sunrise. Good luck.
I talked with ya about that a while at the deer classic..i did and filmed a overnight survival challange early this spring and it was 10 degrees when i woke up so id prolly be ok in November 😅
Yes, I do think you would be. The coldest morning I faced was probably around 25 degrees.
Man, I just got back from my property in Oklahoma and I have soo many bites! Bites on top of bites! Ankles just covered with Tick bites and the rest of my body also! I tried 100% deet! Did use some Permethrin too! That was just putting up some stands and corn feeders. I cant imagine if I did what he just did, what I would look like! LOL Thanks Bill Great Idea I have a South Facing ridge that is hard to access! Might have to try this out! Good thing is that during the rut the big boys come from there over to our ridge and pasture to chase the girls! Anyways, thanks again!
Those might have been chigger bites. Good hard freeze in late October will clear them out. Good luck.
@@bill-winke Yes sir! I think they are! Thanks Bill
Now I know why I planted nearly 1.5 miles of switchgrass screening this year lol.
Yes, saved you a few nights out on the ridge! Good luck.
Lol I have considered doing this for so long but never have had the guts to actually do it. I think the biggest reason I haven't is because I NEED several cups of hot coffee in the mornings especially on those freezing cold ones. Lastly, have you considered bringing some headphones out with you? That way you could watch something on your phone and not hear those critters walking around.
There is a possible coffee solution, (small backpacking stove) but that means carrying more stuff. I have actually eaten chocolate covered coffee beans as a caffeine source, but that doesn't do anything to warm you up. The headphones/earbuds are a good idea.
I've thought about doing this in special situations, however, thought I was too crazy an effort just to get a buck. Seeing a successful journalist do it, makes me feel like I may be normal! Thanks Bill!
It is a fun adventure. I am sure you would enjoy it and it does work really well. Good luck.
A successful journalist as a job a bow hunter With a second to none passion
The lengths that grown men will go to to shoot a buck! I love it! It reminds me of when I was a kid and we’d throw a sleeping bag down in the middle of the woods and sleep under the stars. My most memorable experience sleeping in the woods was waking up with both eyes nearly swollen shut, from spider bites. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Yes, that does sound like a really great time. Hopefully no spiders in late October! Thanks for the support and comment.
if you dont think you just blew every deer in the hillside out after all that noise and scent distribution, wait till you have to go back to it and fall asleep at 5pm good luck to all with that
What we do in early August has almost nothing to do with what the deer are doing in October. I would bet my life that every deer on that ridge has already forgotten about it.
Great video Bill! Do you leave your bow in the tree? What do you pack for food?
Thanks Dave. Yes, there is no reason to bring it down. I usually pack just a bottle of water and some meat snacks to avoid carbs. If I eat carbs it causes me to bloat and that is OK sometimes when I am home or in camp, but not a really good experience when camped out on a ridge. In other words, I try to eliminate as many trips out of the sleeping bag as possible. Have a great day.
Thanks for taking the time to be so detailed. Do you leave you bow and calls etc in the stand? Is all that washed in scent free detergent as if it was your clothes? Thanks again!
I do leave all that stuff in the stand. There is very little human scent on a bow, not enough to really carry through the air. The pack is another matter, however. But yes, ideally you would spray everything off and launder the pack a few times. Good luck.
@@bill-winke thanks for the reply!
Great information Bill! I’m hopeful this will work for you again this season. Waiting on the video man.
Eric Brown/ericbowhunter
Thanks Eric. Good luck to you too.
Do you ever fertilize your fruit trees?
I have in the past and will in the future, but probably only the ones I plant for human consumption. I may expand to the deer apple trees, but there are literally hundreds of them on this farm. They grow wild here. Have a great day.
@@bill-winke I’ve noticed my persimmon trees in my food plots do much better than most of the others on my farm and I believe because of the fertilizer.
@@danielnorton5358 Good point Daniel. Much appreciated.
I knew of a guy here in Oklahoma that used to hang one of those cheap hammocks up high in the tree he was hunting in and slept in it ...
That would be really cold and scary. I am going to stick with the ground!
2 questions: what do you do for food? What do you do when … uhh… your body is done w said food…?
I do eat and drink a little, but that kind of answers the next question. Unless I get some kind of stomach bug, I don't have to take a dump unless I stay two days. Usually, I would go in at noon, hunt that afternoon and the next morning. Then leave late morning and get some food, tend to the toilet demands and head to a different spot. Sometimes I would stay two nights. Those were really rough though. I froze the second day even if it wasn't cold out - from lack of calories. Leaving at noon the second day is the ideal approach.
@@bill-winke ok thanks a bunch! My buddy and I have this spot WAAAAY back on public that has a TON of potential. Obviously the getting in and getting out part are problematic. Thinking about using this strategy this year
@@hunt_trap_fish I have a spot on public I was going to do this with also, but now I find out that one of my friends who has private land next to the public is hunting a giant. I don't want to make it look like I am sneaking around trying to kill his buck so I am probably going to back off. Would have been a cool spot to hunt.
@@bill-winke dang! I hope things all work out for your friend - and that’s really decent of you to back off! Hopefully if someone does kill the giant on that pub spot, it’s a kid’s first deer.
It’s always tough to know you had this deer all figured out and some jamoke comes in and blasts him 18 minutes into the rifle season. I always feel better if that happens and the shooter is a kid lol!
Dang Bill that's dire hard 👍
Greg, you do what you gotta do, but it wasn't as bad as you might think, other than being pretty boring during some of the long dark hours.
Try not to snore or toot ! The deer will hear You & smell You. Hope when You do sleep in Your rig the ticks, chiggers, & snakes aren’t out ! Good luck & God bless You Bill. Deo Vindice
Usually cold enough by then that all the bad crawlies are done moving around at night. Have a great day.
I enjoy watching your new RUclips videos and have been following you since the TV days. Always informative and trying to show the story and how to.
Couple of questions, I assume you leave most your hunting gear, bow, etc in the stand during the night? Also, have you put thought into sleeping in that culvert pipe LOL?
Steve, yes, leave it in the tree. Then you can wait a bit longer to head to the stand in the morning. The longer you wait, the more the forest comes alive and less any nearby deer will notice your crunching footsteps. In a pinch I would definitely sleep in that culvert. That is still on the table. Have a great day.
Bill, get yourself a Hennesy Hammock, as long as you have to points/trees to hang it, it doesn't matter how steep or rough the ground is, and the bugs will not eat you! The entire hammock and shelter weigh just a couple of pounds.
The only two downsides with hammocks versus sleeping on the ground. First, the hammock will be colder. 20 degree air circulating underneath rather than 40 degree dirt that you can kind of warm up as the night goes. Trailer blinds are like that too. Second, it would be easier for the deer to see it and likely you would spread more scent because with sleeping on the ground you kind of just burrow into the leaves next to a log, etc. What wind there is will slide right over you rather than circling and carrying scent.
I hope you washed all that stuff to get the poison ivy oil off of it. I started itching just watching!!!! You fellas are hard core, I’ll give you that! I don’t doubt a bit that it will work, but golly, that’s hard core. Lol!!
Thanks. It is not as hard-core as it seems. Very comfortable, really. Not much different really than just camping other than having a tiny (man-sized) "tent" and not being able to roast hot dogs over an open fire. Have a great day and thanks for the support.
Lots of moving parts in this situation.
What about food?
I usually will eat some meat snacks and a bottle of water. You could sure take more. I just don't want to have to deal with too much "nature's call" on one of these overnights. Have a great day.
If sleeping outside would kill me a nice buck each year why not. Some spots require out of the box thinking. I’m all for limiting pressure on a great spot
Thanks David. Yes, there are definitely spots I couldn't hunt any other way without alerting deer on the way in for a morning hunt, or out for an evening hunt. Have a great day.
Can't wait to sleep in the blind with the kids this hunting season lol can't get in the stand in the morning with out spoking deer. Thanks for the idea, good luck!
Everyone will enjoy the adventure. It is a lot of fun. Good luck.
That’s why there’s big bucks all over the walls your a champ 🎉
I appreciate the comment and the support. Have a great day.
I’m with you Bill...if there is what I’m hoping is still around where I’m hunting and I think it may work, I’m down! This video helped greatly, thanks! One question: did you notice any disturbance when you left your camp in the mornings to hunt or did you notice a “quiet time” when there was minimal deer (or animal) movement and use that time to head to stand? If so what time frame was it? Thanks again!
Steven, you can't go in the dark. That is what I learned. You have to wait until just after daylight breaks and the critters in the forest start to come alive. Otherwise, your crunching through the leaves really stands out too much. You are almost there anyway and your bow is probably still up there with an arrow on the string waiting on the hook, so there is no rush. As long as you are settled by legal shooting time, you are good, so wait until daylight to move.
@@bill-winkethat's a mistake I was making, trying to get out there super early while it's dark not realizing I was probably ruining my hunting and a flashlight so I didn't fall in or off a hill side 😂 now I'm just early to my parking area and wait for daylight
What does your food situation look like? No coffee in the morning?
Minimal food, some meat snacks and an energy bar in the morning and no coffee. I have carried chocolate covered coffee beans for the caffeine that my body has grown accustomed to. That helps to prevent midday withdrawal headaches. Coffee would sure be nice, but I would have to find a quick easy way to make it. I don't think it would stay warm long enough if I brought it with the day before.
You dont eat ?
A little bit. Some turkey sticks and water. My system is very sensitive to carbs. I get gas with the "wrong" ones and that is no big deal at home, but would be awkward on the ridge at 2 AM. Have a great day.
Throw in a small backpacking hammock and you might not even need to leave the tree. Hahaha very cool tho, do you bring in food with you and if so what typically?
I thought about those suspended beds the rock climbers use, but decided it would be really cold compared to sleeping on the ground. Plus, I think it would be harder to keep my scent under control during the night when sleeping that far suspended. I believe on the ground my scent will be very well contained in the bivy sack and won't drift around. I usually carry a couple meat snacks and a bottle of water, but you could sure carry more than that. If it is cold, you will definitely need more the next morning to get calories back into the furnace. Good luck.
Would you typically hunt that bottom area where you walked in? Or never - it’s better to hunt on top of the ridge? That bottom area just looked pretty decent as well.
There aren't many bottoms I hunt because of the wind swirling. I favor the tops where the wind is steadier. I do have one bottom stand (the Scrape Tree) that I hunt a bit (where I shot my buck last year), but that one sets up pretty well for a NW wind that would funnel right down the valley - or thermals that would also take my scent out of the lower end and away from any approaching deer.
Do you take in bottled water and breakfast bars or just tough it out.
Yes, a bottle of water but I hate to drink it in the evening because I don't want to have to get out of the bag in the cold to answer nature's call, so I save it for the morning. I also take along a few pieces of jerky or similar. If it is cold, you will need something more substantial the next morning to get some calories in the system or your will freeze.
And just like that we are almost back folks !!!
The season is fast approaching. Good luck.
@@bill-winke yes sir ! Can not wait , hate to wish life away but definitely ready for cooler weather and big bucks
What do you bring for food? I wish more WI public land would allow primitive camping. I have a couple areas where primitive camping would be really helpful!
I am really surprised that you can't do that. It isn't really camping - more like sleeping!
Hi Bill, how do you use the bathroom while doing this? Do you travel away from camp?
I rarely took a dump when doing this. Then I would just climb down when nothing was around and sneak off a short distance. I usually just waited until midday of the second day (end of the first morning hunt) and then left that spot for a different afternoon hunt. It is rare that the wind holds in the right direction for more than a day so you can't really stay in one spot for a long time. I did go two nights in one spot, but usually it is just one night. Then I can take a dump in some civilized place (and get some coffee). I don't mind taking a leak nearby - or directly from the stand. The deer don't associate human scent with human urine. I know that for a fact. Proven it many times. Have a great day.
What do you bring some energy bars or something to eat and water to drink?
Steve, you do need something. I would bring a bottle of water and some meat snacks. That was borderline though. On cold days, you need more calories or you freeze. Good luck.
Hunting all day is really draining. Im not going to sleep at the base of a tree.
You will get more sleep there than anywhere else you have ever slept. Gets dark at 5:30 and light at 6:30. That's 13 hours of sleep! What I missed was enough calories to stay warm. I am sure that is something I could fix by just carrying more food.
Keeping it realistically what if you do sleep at the base of the tree and you need to use the bathroom. How far would you have to go for a safe enough distance?
Just to take a leak you can do it anywhere. Deer don't associate human urine with human scent. I have proven this many dozens of times.
@@bill-winke I am slowly converting my way of thinking about pissing in the woods. For years and still, I carry a pee bottle in my sack. The more videos I watch and the more times I hear that deer don't care about human urine I start to believe it. I've heard many times about peeing in a scrape. Do you think they associate #2 with human scent?
@@grinder881 I don't think they associate human crap with people. I also don't think they associate human saliva with people as I have spit on the ground in front of deer eating acorns under my stands a number of times and they never even sniff it. Not 100% sure on breath yet. I don't think they associate that with people either, but I am not 100% sure on that yet.
I'm confused wouldn't you be leaving tons of scent in the woods potentially the buck you're after smelling you during the night and avoiding the area the next morning
After the hunt I take the direct route to the camp and put all my hunting stuff into the rubber canoe bag (contains scent) and then I climb into the sleeping bag inside the nylon bivy sack (contains scent). There is very little scent that leaves the area of my camp (if any). In my experience, the deer have not paid any attention to my camp either at night or during the day.
A tip from what I do when I backpack in on my elk hunts....throw in a little cheap pair of flip flops or crocs. Easier than standing on your stuff when you are changing and moving around your little camp area.
Very good point. I used them when I canoe camp. They weigh nothing. Great input.
Boy not sure what this show is coming to. First Mr. Winke has some hippie lettuce growing now he is doing peep shows in the woods. lol Cool stuff, would be enjoyable on those crisp nights with a clear sky.
Yes, we are coming off the rails here. It is enjoyable in its own way. On cool, crisp nights it is sure fun to lay up on the ridges and see distant lights. Pretty cool.
@@bill-winke Lol that is why you are the OG!
How do you wake up at the right time in the morning witouta alarm so your up before they come back to bed?
Probably don’t get much actual sleep, at least I wouldn’t lol
I was sleeping11 to 12 hours per night using the phone as a back up in case I slept too long. Most sleep I have gotten since I was a kid. I did have a pack of coyotes really cutting it up about 100 yards away one night. That made my hair raise up on my neck. Otherwise, I would just sleep through pretty much everything. Nothing out there is actually going to hurt you. We do have a mountain lion that visits the farm from time to time. Several sightings in the past couple years - not by me though. But I am sure that thing is not hunting people.
Dream big and long because daylight ain’t coming for awhile!😂
That is right Dennis. Those are some really long nights.
Dedication! My wife would never be down with me doing this & I could probably not pull it off… I’d find a way to cause more harm than good.
Mathew, give yourself some grace. I am guessing you would do just fine. Good luck.
I know scent is impotent but it’s not more important than your health! You better spray that baby with permethrin or your sure to contract Lyme disease from a tick bite. Take it from someone who has gone thru it.
Good tip. By the time I actually start doing this it will be after a few freezes. The ticks will be very slow moving and probably dormant.
Sick video, ive been thinking about this for a while and you nailed it. Im big into camping/ bowhunting and it blows my mind how little over lap there is in the two worlds. There are so many good lightweight options for stuff like this. It all unfortunately depends on how deep your pockets are
Thanks Bstano22. I appreciate the support and the note. Yes, some of that backpacking stuff is ridiculously expensively. I think my setup is pretty cheap, all things considered. Have a great day.
Great video what do u eat
i'm just not that mad at'm any more😄😄😄😄
You get the right buck in the right place and I bet you will feel the old fire.
'promo sm' 💯
I'd get carried off by a swarm or mosquitos here in alberta if I tried sleeping in the woods
It has a mosquito net, but I don't really consider it until the rut, which is after the first several hard freezes here. Sleeping out there is not worth it until the rut. Prior to that, I just hunt other spots that are easier to get out of without spooking anything - or I just don't hunt - not hunting can be the best strategy sometimes.
Are you able to get your camping gear scent free?
I don't have much, just the canoe bag (which is scent free) that I put all my clothing into and the bivy sack that myself and the sleeping bag go into and that is also scent free. Nothing else. So, yes, I do think I am pretty scent free at night. Plus, sleeping right on the ground dug into the leaves really reduces how far any scent would travel even if there was much. Works pretty slick. I had deer circle around me at night several times without alarm.
I bet crawling out of that bag on a 20 degree morning to put your clothes on is a little rough!
That is definitely the hard part, as is getting out to take a leak during the night. I was intentionally a bit dehydrated just so I didn't have to get out during the night.
Air pods and RUclips videos lol
Yes, that would definitely work!
My wife just overheard this video. Her comment - "I would be salty if you were sleeping out in the woods for a week just to get a deer. Many people have managed to get nice deer while acting like perfectly normal human beings." I can see going the extra mile, especially if you haven't done it before, but sleeping in the woods is a bit excessive.
It’s just camping and hunting
@@TheAyersoftChannel Really? I must have missed the smores.
You are right, it is not as much fun as camping. I had some really cool spots that just begged for a campfire, but that creates too much commotion because there are almost always deer nearby when you climb down. But, it is far from disagreeable, just a bit boring if you can't fall asleep (or stay asleep). Have a great day.
Nope. Guess im not adventurous. But i still enjoyed watching
It isn't as bad as it sounds. Not much different from just camping, but with the long boring dark hours that you can't fill with campfire songs or cooking!
I'll keep this in mind the next time the wife kicks me out or I rob a bank.
Definitely a good skill set to have in your back pocket.
@@bill-winke lol
Bears and snakes ??
Not here at that time. We do have rattlesnakes here but by late October they are holed up. There have been bears a few times over the years, but nothing for a long time. We have had a mountain lion around though, but I seriously doubt a mountain lion would mess with a person here with so much easy pickings with livestock, etc.
Have any 180” ers showing up on to your farm yet?
I won't know much until September. That's when I start running trail cameras. Maybe we will start filming a few fields to see what comes out, but haven't seen anything like that yet.
@@bill-winke 10-4 yea nothing to crazy holding here at home farm but a few 3 yo 8s maybe 130” but on this river one or two big boys always show up around mid to late November! Good luck can’t wait to see what turns up !!
@@KyleC0430 Good luck to you too, Kyle.
Sleep in the woods?! There's bears and coyotes and maybe wolves and aliens and who knows what else! I ain't gonna tango with that business! But if I was, headphones would be a must! What are you doing for food, just starving for 24 hours?
Yes you don’t wanna eat if you are camping. Your body will loose alot of heat trying to digest the food.
Just the opposite Jay. You need the calories or you freeze. When I hunt all day I bring calorie dense foods with plenty of fats like meat snacks, salami sandwich, etc. You get a nice calorie boost from foods like that.
@bill-winke I'd love to see a video on all that, actually. One issue that I have run into is finding foods like that which will pack and keep well on an all day hunt. Even Cliff bars are only a few hundred calories. If you're trying to pack in enough to keep you going, especially if you're putting on some miles or dealing with more extreme cold, that's a real hurdle to overcome without actually stopping to cook up a meal with a jet boil or something like that.
@@keithkempenich6401 I always carried salami sandwiches with cheese. They were calorie dense with the fats in the salami and that seemed to hold me over pretty well.
Your "bivy" camp sure looks to be a lot better than sleeping in a culvert!
I would have tried this ten years ago, but I am 67 years old now, and my bones just cannot take that like it use to.
And I don't mind admitting that I go to the bathroom A LOT during the night! I am talking five or six times a night.
Now you did not address some of the IMPORTANT things about sleeping in the woods.
As I already mentioned, the BATHROOM issue.
And secondly, what do you do about meals?
I realize that there are food options such as MREs, and even regular foods that will get you by. It may not be gourmet, but you won't be hungry.
You also have to pack in some water. And water weighs a bit, as you will need a minimum of a half a gallon per day, and that isn't really enough.
And you aren't wrong about how long the nights become when it is dark at 4:30 pm and you have twelve hours to kill.
I would probably use my phone to listen to a podcast, using earphones to minimize the noise. But even with that you would have to be cautious about the light that would emanate from the phone.
Maybe you could expand your "camping" video to include the issues I mentioned above.
But honestly, I just don't see myself trying to crawl out of the bag five times a night to go to the bathroom, especially if it is COLD outside!!! LOL
A half a gallon a day is a lot if you are in your sleeping bag for 12 hours and walking 30 yards to your stand. I realize ALL people are different and consume different amounts of water, but I like to sit all day and I take one 16 ounce bottle of liquid for the whole day. I will tell you that I'm dehydrated when I get home, but 64 ounces I think is plenty for what he's doing.
I don't drink much during the day when hunting and then only a bottle of water once I climb down. Granted, I am a bit dehydrated by morning, but I don't have to use the "bathroom" much during the night (maybe one trip). I can then drink another bottle in the morning. I only eat meat snacks at night because carbs cause me to bloat and that isn't a good way to spend the night in a sleeping bag. Usually, I am out of that spot late morning the second day so I can use the bathroom and get more to eat and drink at that time. Then head back to woods. It is a tiring way to hunt, but it is effective. Good luck.