It all happens so fast. As the evening sun makes its final descent, the realization that it’s already time to call it quits and head home sets in. It can be laborious, frustrating, and even depressing – especially if you’ve just experienced a promising hunt. Your thought bubble screams, “but I just got here!”
One of the beauties of solo hunting private land close to home is that you CAN make quick trips for individual hunts without interfering with family life, work, or quality sleep. However, you can also leverage your nearby hunting digs even more by sleeping over. Even if for just one night, you, at a minimum, buy yourself one more hunt.
One scenario I’ve relived many times involves driving up for a quick evening sit and discovering a good buck visiting a particular stand area. Whether from the hunt itself or card pull, it’s obvious that a morning sit will have huge potential for a shot at him.
Yet, I’ve got to leave the premises and come back tomorrow or, even worse, not come back for days. This is a great example of a time when sleeping over makes sense on a few levels. You not only get another hunt, but will minimize pressure on the property by not driving back in the next morning. There is a lot to gain.
Sleeping over on private land solo hunts also means you can maximize rest and sleep if you position yourself to do so. The key isn’t to get a luxurious night of slumber, rather to achieve reasonable comfort. If you can, you actually gain a couple hours of sleep, as opposed to getting up at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning and driving in to the property.
There are only 3 methods I use to sleep over and afford myself another hunt or two.
The Truck Cab Motel
This method isn’t for everyone – especially considering your size or the type of vehicle you have. For me, it works well. I’m of average height and have a truck with a driver’s seat that reclines to an almost laying position. I place pillows at my lower back area as well as under my head. If it’s cold, I run the heater for a while before settling in, bundle up, and hit the hay.
Sleeping in your vehicle is a reasonable solution, especially when it’s not too cold and your seat reclines generously.
Tip: For cold nights, I wear the base layers I’ll be hunting in, as well as a “wearable blanket”. That’s right, I have a “Slanket”. This is one case where “As Seen on TV” comes in handy. Also known as the “Snuggie”, “Comfy”, or “Snuggly”, these creations are made from fleece and are gold for hunting sleepovers. When you’re done rolling your eyes or laughing, dust off that seemingly lame Christmas gift of years past and pack it. Or, you can easily get a Slanket online.
For the record, I’ve also used one in the tree stand on cold blustery hunts…
The Tent Cot Marriott
Whoever came up with the tent cot was genius and this is, by far, my favorite sleeping vessel on solo hunts. They fold down to a manageable size, reasonably block wind and rain, and if married with a sleeping pad, allow me to lay completely flat. My favorite is the Kamp Rite Original Tent Cot.
The “tent cot” is a great sleeping shelter, especially if you find a model that fits in your truck bed.
This cot has a rain fly, converts to a simple chaise lounge, and best of all, fits in the bed of my truck, fully deployed. By the way, it folds down to about 3’x3′ and can be assembled in a couple of minutes. On top of it all, the cot comes in handy on much more than hunts, as it’s also good for general camping and tailgating. This is definitely a go-to piece of gear for me.
The tent cot is, by far, my favorite sleeping situation at solo deer camp.
Tip: Place the tent cot in the bed of the truck for extra security and ground clearance while sleeping.
A “slanket” is a great garment for solo camp sleeping, particularly inside a vehicle.
The Motel 6×6
Box blinds and even popups are pretty amazing these days. If you have a large enough one in a go-to spot, they’re also not half bad for sleeping quarters. If you want to minimize your entry and exit footprint, sleeping in your hunting setup is worth considering. It not only is a worthy solo hunting sleeping solution, it puts you right in the action during the pre-dawn. Yes, if it’s particularly cold, you’ll want to over-engineer the experience with a good sleeping pad and warm sleeping bag. Don’t be stingy. Don’t kid yourself, it can be a real test of endurance.
As long as it has at least a 6-foot footprint, many ground blinds can double as sleeping quarters on solo hunts.
Nonetheless, “checking in” to your hunting blind at night can be a great way to hunt, especially during milder temperatures. For the serious whitetail hunter that likes to do it solo, it’s, at a minimum, a means to an end; but at most, you might wake up at the ready for some great morning hunting action.
Conclusion
Of course, you can utilize a nearby hotel or stay with friends or family in the area. However, neither solves the problems of unnecessary drive time and pressuring the area due to an extra entry.
Whatever method you choose, remember that the key is to be reasonably comfortable and get enough sleep to justify staying over. If you can achieve this, you’ve bought yourself one or more extra sits before making the trip home.
