By Captain David Fletcher – Owner, Nanticoke Outfitters, Maryland’s Eastern Shore
As I’m sitting here this morning watching the rain pour down, our hunters are poised and ready to head out to the blinds in anticipation of things clearing up this afternoon. The sound of rain on the roof and the smell of coffee in the lodge have sparked plenty of conversation about strategy — and one topic kept coming up again and again: why we like to sit all day during the Sika deer rut. Since it’s on everyone’s mind, I figured I’d share my thoughts on why these all-day sits can make all the difference right now.
The Rut Changes Everything
Sika deer behave very differently once the rut kicks into high gear. Normally, these small, secretive deer spend most of their day bedded in thick marsh grass, moving just at first and last light. But when the rut peaks — typically mid-October through early November — those mature stags throw caution to the wind.
They’re roaming, chasing, bugling, and marking territory at all hours of the day. That means the same stag that was completely nocturnal last week might be cruising across a marshy transition area at 11:30 a.m. or even 2:00 in the afternoon.
If you’re back at the lodge eating lunch when that happens, you’ll never know it.
Midday Movement Is Real
Every experienced Sika hunter has a story of the one that showed up “out of nowhere” in broad daylight. It’s not luck — it’s rut biology. When females come into estrus, stags respond immediately, no matter the hour. They’ll leave their bedding area, cross ditches and creeks, and travel surprising distances in pursuit of a hot hind.
During this window, time of day doesn’t matter nearly as much as timing within the rut. You might sit for hours with nothing, and then within five minutes the woods come alive with bugles and chasing activity.
Those short bursts of chaos are unpredictable — but they’re your opportunity. You have to be there when it happens.
Pressure Works in Your Favor
One overlooked advantage of sitting all day is how it plays against hunting pressure. On public land or even managed properties, most hunters climb down by mid-morning, head out for lunch, and return a couple hours before dark. That movement through the woods can bump deer around — and often push them right past hunters who stay put.
By remaining quiet and scent-free in your blind or stand, you become the constant in a changing environment. Other hunters are unintentionally doing your drives for you.
It’s not uncommon for a stag to suddenly appear between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. because someone elsewhere got down and stirred him up. The longer you stay seated, the more likely you are to benefit from someone else’s impatience.
The Science of Scent and Stillness
Another reason to stay put: every trip in and out of your hunting area increases your scent footprint. Sika deer, like their whitetail cousins, rely heavily on their sense of smell. When you leave your stand mid-day, walk around, and then return, you’re doubling the chance of contaminating the area with human odor.
By sitting all day, you keep your scent concentrated and predictable. Wind thermals will change as the sun rises and falls, but if you’ve picked your stand based on prevailing wind and thermals, your scent cone will remain steady throughout the day — which means you’re not educating deer while you’re gone.
Comfort Equals Success
Of course, sitting from dawn to dusk isn’t easy. That’s where good preparation and comfort make all the difference.
- When hunting on private land, don’t hesitate to use an enclosed box blind or use a manufactured blind like we do. We use NXTgen blinds to block wind and hold in scent.
- Bring plenty of snacks, water, and layers — you’ll be surprised how much temperature can swing in one day.
- A comfortable seat cushion, footrest, and small propane heater can turn a long sit into an enjoyable one.
- Keep your mind engaged with binoculars or a camera. Watching ducks, foxes, and other wildlife helps pass the quiet stretches.
At Nanticoke Outfitters, we’ve designed our blinds and stand setups specifically for this kind of hunting. Whether you’re overlooking a marsh edge, feeder line, or transition between pines and phragmites, we position our clients where staying put pays off.
Patience Rewards the Persistent
The rut doesn’t guarantee success, but it rewards persistence. Many of our best stags over the years were taken in the middle of the day — long after most hunters had packed it in. Those stories all have a common thread: patience.
It’s easy to stay alert for the first two hours of daylight, but around 10:30 a.m., when the marsh gets quiet and the sun warms your face, it takes discipline to keep scanning. Then suddenly, a faint bugle echoes from across the creek. A few minutes later, you hear splashing through the marsh.
If you were in the truck checking your phone, that opportunity would have been lost. Instead, you’re in position, calm, and ready — and that’s when big stags make mistakes.
Afternoon Frustration Turns to Evening Glory
Evening hunts can test your patience too. You might sit from lunch until 5 p.m. with nothing moving, questioning your sanity. But that last hour before dark often brings a flurry of activity as the temperature drops and stags start checking for receptive hinds again.
When you’ve been there all day, your scent is minimized, your movement is limited, and you’re settled. You’re not stumbling in at 4:30 p.m. making noise and spooking the deer that had been staging nearby.
All-day sits give you both the best chance at midday movement and the advantage of already being in place for the prime evening window.
Mental Preparation: Hunting the Long Game
Sitting all day isn’t just about physical endurance — it’s a mental game. It’s about commitment. You’re betting on your preparation, your setup, and your understanding of deer behavior.
That’s real hunting discipline. It’s the kind of approach that produces results season after season. When the rut is raging, you don’t want to be the one who left early and hears that your buddy shot a 90-pound 3×3 from your same stand two hours later.
Train your mind to appreciate the quiet. The marsh has a rhythm — the wind through the grass, the distant geese, the occasional splash of a muskrat. Those details remind you why you’re out there. The reward, when it finally comes, is that much sweeter because you earned it.
Final Thoughts: Now Is the Time
The Sika rut doesn’t last long. Within a couple of weeks, the marsh will quiet down again, and those stags will vanish back into the phragmites until next year. Right now, though — today — they’re moving, bugling, and chasing hinds in broad daylight.
Pack a lunch, dress in layers, and commit to the full day. Because the moment you decide to leave might be the same moment that mature stag finally makes his move across the marsh.
This is your window.
Don’t waste it by sitting in the truck, taking long lunches, or second-guessing your spot.
Take advantage of the rut. Stay all day. Be there when it happens.
If you’re hunting with us at Nanticoke Outfitters, our guides will make sure you’re in the right place, with the right setup, at the right time. All you need to bring is patience — and maybe a thermos of coffee.