While hunting deer, time can seem to drag on over and over again. After all, it’s not like you can entertain yourself with a portable DVD player or even a radio like we do in the “real world.” It’s just you and nature, and nothing in between. A hunter must find a way to make all parts of deer hunting, not just the tracking and shooting parts, interesting.

A hunter can begin to feel like a guard outside Buckingham Palace: unable to move, no matter what insect or creature shows up. It doesn’t matter the time, it doesn’t matter the weather. It is very important that a hunter does not fall asleep, especially when he is up in a tree.

Falling asleep in a tree can cause serious injury. Also, if you fall asleep, you may lose a large amount of money, right under your tree. Worse still, you could start snoring and scare all living creatures miles away.

So how can you liven up your deer hunt and make it more interesting?

· Music: yes or no. With the popularity of mp3 players, some hunters have started bringing their own kind of entertainment. Of course, if you really want to catch a deer, you must keep your ears open at all times. Many people hear a deer before they see it. Also, unless you have some awesome headphones, the sound will extend beyond your ear. And, as a parallel thought, some people can’t help but tap their feet or sing along to the music … It’s good in town, bad when hunting deer. So, just say no to music.

One way to stay awake is to stay as conscious as possible. I love being in constant control of my environment. I focus all my attention on finding a deer. I scan the area constantly and always use my peripheral vision. I keep my ears open to any sound. Most of the time, even in the afternoons I see a deer, I see many other types of wildlife, and the experience is amazing.

Therefore, even I cannot focus all my attention on hunting deer all the time. So, I start playing games in my head:

o I take the name of a famous person, first and last, then I have to think of another famous person whose name begins with the first letter of the last name, and so on. This can entertain me for about half an hour.

o I find a word, usually somewhere on my computer, and break it down and see how many other words I can find. For example, from the words “blind deer”, I get the words reed, beer, tie, bind, blind, dine, and so on.

o I count trees or other objects.

or philosopher.

o I compose symphonies in my head.

o I try to think of an animal for each letter of the alphabet.

o I empty my mind of all problems.

or I meditate.

The important thing is to let your mind wander and play only for short periods of time. Then focus your attention on your surroundings until you need another mental break.

For some people, deer hunting is monotonous. But then there are those of us who love the quiet and “boredom” of deer hunting. All the waiting is worth it, just for those exciting moments of spotting and shooting a deer.

Also, after a weekend of deer hunting, I feel rejuvenated. Time spent alone in nature clears my head of all stress. I sit and think and solve almost all my problems from the previous year. I learn more about myself. I learn more about nature. There are few things better for me.