Midday boredom

[ResearchinStuff]

This isn't a hunting issue, its a lack of discipline to do the things you know you should be doing. Pick another area in your life where that same problem is manifesting and work on it.

 

[BigLou]

bro, half the fun of rifle elk season is taking a nap on a hillside with the sun in your face on a chilly day...hell, id probably skip rifle season all together if naps werent allowed...

 

[westslopelaker]

I'm never bored, I enjoy the mid day. Eat lunch, nip of whiskey, BS with hunting buddy, glass, nap in the shade. You gotta learn to enjoy the journey!

 

[Tobe_B]

I hunt with a buddy. We generally find a good glassing spot and post up. We then drink coffee, bs for a while, maybe snooze a bit, and judge all the people on their atvs. I’ve never been bored when in the woods. And snacks. I eat lots of snacks.

 

[SleepyJones]

During noon time hours I start scouting: Looking for tracks/ scat: If I find that classic 1' wide super recently used trail that almost looks like cattle have been in the area, then I follow it and set up and call if I feel I'm close, if I smell elk I will definitely set up and call according to how far in the season I am (call tactics wise).
I have a lot of areas I like to check on due to hunting the same few units for a while which I recommend: The more you get to know your area, the more you'll find bedding, wallows, rub nations and just places where elk like to be, so I check on these historic spots.
On top of this I e-scout my areas a lot so I have markers I've set up throughout the offseason on places I plan on checking out and dead noon times are great for this.
I rarely sit water but if I find a wallow that looks and smells active then I'll sit it, but the longer I hang out, the more worried I get that my scent is broadcasting so that's really wind/ thermal dependent for me.

 

[Maverick1]

A vivid imagination, a private spot, 42 seconds of effort and then a nap.

Don’t forget the ham sandwich!

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Don’t forget the ham sandwich!

There's no way I could finish a sandwhich in 42 seconds all by myself.

 

[Bearded Bowhunter]

Find a good vantage, or somewhere out of the wind and build a fire, eat a mountain of snacks, and see what happens. This year in CO hunting 3rd with a buddy on a very cold day, we did just this and two bulls ran out of the timber randomly 100ish yards from us.

 

[WoodlandCritter]

Elk don't turn into mist during the midday. I keep still hunting.

 

[mtnbound]

I am going to open myself up to abuse... but here goes...

I get bored during the day while rifle elk hunting. I'm excited to get out in the morning and I know the importance of being out at the end of legal shooting hours.

But... what do you do during the middle of the day? What do you do between 10am and 4pm?

If I go back to camp, I am tempted to not go back out in the evening.
If I hike around too enthusiastically, I'm pretty tired and have a hard time staying until the end of legal shooting light.
If I play on my phone, the battery dies and I feel like I'm wasting the wilderness.
if...

I try to spend the time going to new areas, looking for sign, and learning the area. But I run out of new destinations after a few days...

Midday hunting has been pretty good for me, and because I have a hard time sleeping during the day, I don't take naps, so most often I still-hunt in and around bedding areas, do some cold calling, and, if I have any treestands out or have packed my tree saddle setup, I might go sit somewhere else for a few hours. If I am in an area that allows for longer rifle shots, I typically use this time to move between preselected spots. If the area I am in is lacking fresh sign, I use this time to move to a different location for an evening hunt. I am not necessarily always moving miles at a time; I may only move a couple of hundred yards at a time.

Sometimes I may read a book that I downloaded to my phone, but typically I just enjoy the peacefulness of being in the woods.

I don't hike around "enthusiastically." It's slow and steady day after day. If you are moving at a pace that leaves you tired by the end of the day, you are probably not hunting, or you need to get in better shape. Contrary to what social media portrays, hunting is full of boring times.