Food in the Deer Stand

[USN_Sam1385]

Hello fellow hunters. My name is Sam, and I hunt in East Central Missouri. Every year, I do the whole scent free thing: detergent, scent proof bag, scent soap/shampoo, etc. My question is: During bow season, when scent (or lack thereof) is so important, do you eat any food in your stand? I tend to get hungry during an all day sit, and want to know if you guys know of foods that won't spook deer. I would assume things like sunflower seeds, dried fruit, etc. Anyone have any experience with this??

[Bowhunters]

I do, I always tend to take a banana or apple and maybe a soft fruit granola bar or two, I try to stay away from potato or corn chips because of the noise they make and it kills my sense of hearing.

Between driving tractors and stuff on the farm as a kid to the military as an adult my hearing isn't the best in the world anyway so I try to stay to softer food that will be fairly quiet and that I can get done eating quickly.

What I always do is carry some 1 gallon ziplock baggies in my hunting gear bag and I put the food in one bag and use it for the refuse and zip it up because I don't want smells of a banana, apple or candy bar, granola, etc. and a ziplock baggie seals that in pretty well.

You are right, you gotta eat and drink something every few hours or so whether its a tree stand or a blind.

[NYBuckhunter]

If I am sitting out for more than a couple of hours, I will take a small sandwich or two, maybe some jerky, Cheeze-its, etc. I also take 2 large zip locks, 1 with the food in it (food is individually wrapped in smaller zip locks inside the big one) and the other for trash. I also bring apple cider, which is the only thing besides water that I will drink while hunting. Well, coffee in the morning sometimes. All you have to do is be careful, dont wipe your hands on your clothes or anything and take some field wipes with you. If you arent comfortable on stand, you wont hang in there long enough.

[DouglasSpear]

I don't take food to the stand, but if I did it would be a cut up apple.

[Brow Tine]

I usually take an apple or two, and a couple of peanut butter sandwich's. A stock of water in a hard type bottle so its doesn't make any crinkle sounds. Chewy oatmeal granola bars and then a few apple jolly ranchers for dessert.

[Brooksy]

I always take food in the deer woods with me. I simply cannot make it all day without some goodies to get me through a long day. In PA there are days where you may not see a deer all day long, so why not enjoy the outdoors. Grant it that I do not take real smelly foods like a Salami sandwhich, but I take a few sandwhiches, granola bars, some cheese. Actually, I have had many a time over the 30 plus years of hunting that no sooner that I pull out something to eat, when I look up and see some deer coming in my direction. My Uncle used to tell stories of his coffee escapades, no sooner did he open the thermos when he would look up to see deer. He used to joke when he was not seeing any deer that he just needed to get his coffee out.

[USN_Sam1385]

I always take food in the deer woods with me. I simply cannot make it all day without some goodies to get me through a long day. In PA there are days where you may not see a deer all day long, so why not enjoy the outdoors. Grant it that I do not take real smelly foods like a Salami sandwhich, but I take a few sandwhiches, granola bars, some cheese. Actually, I have had many a time over the 30 plus years of hunting that no sooner that I pull out something to eat, when I look up and see some deer coming in my direction. My Uncle used to tell stories of his coffee escapades, no sooner did he open the thermos when he would look up to see deer. He used to joke when he was not seeing any deer that he just needed to get his coffee out.

Haha. That's nice. I might have to give that a shot. God knows I love coffee.

[backwoodsman]

Im leery of the packages crinkling etc so I use tupperware style bowls. Raisins, jerky, m&m's, peanuts, any nuts, peanut butter and jelly sandwich's, peanut butter on cheese crackers, Diet Dew in big slam bottles(1Liter). I rarely go afield without some kind of snack. For gun season and all day sits I carry too much probably but if its cold it'll help keep you warm. Sometimes I'll take a thermos of soup, ramen noodles(ugh), hot chocolate, cappacino or honey sweetened tea. If any of the kids go with me theres no telling what we'll take. Ive taken pizza and just about anything else you can imagine. If your downwind of a deer it doesnt matter. Sometimes I wonder if it matters at all. Buddy of mine munches summer sausage all day long and kills more then his fair share. I couldnt tell you how many times Ive had to drop my smoke to shoot a deer.