How do you pass the downtime/stay motivated on a solo hunt?

[Dos Perros]

Try to come up with the most difficult "would you rather" scenario's I can think of.

Write letters to people that I don't do enough to show how much I appreciate them.

Hide a geocache in the toughest goddamned spot possible. Put something stupid in it like a Carney Lansford rookie card.

Stalk anything, even like a chipmunk.

Get a tan.

Make promises to myself to get in better shape next time. Regret not doing it the last time I made that same promise.

Think of gifts for the next year's rounds of birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, etc. Also contemplate Halloween costumes. Also think of cool names for my next dog.

Set new life goals.

Find something edible and eat it. Like pine nuts or something.

Try to figure out how in the hell it came to be here I am alone on a mountain in the middle of nowhere. Appoint a scapegoat.

Try to solve a Rubik's cube. Get frustrated and destroy said cube. Try to fix it. Prepare my lie for how it came to be broken.

 

[bivouaclarry]

I do a lot of guessing distance then checking with my rangefinder.
Archery? Shoot, shoot, shoot. No better practice than stump shooting.
Pictures.
Notes onto my topo map for trails, beds, rubs, water, escape routes. Invaluable as they build year after year.
Look for those nooks and cranny's that I have not explored.
Reorganize my pack and see if there is anything I don't need which I can leave behind.
Laundry.
Get water.
Nap. Find a good glassing spot and nap while well hidden.

 

[Scot E]

Napping and glassing. It may sound crazy but getting good rest during the daytime slow time is one of the best ways to be able to keep up the hard workouts for long trips. Also, I have found every bit as many animals glassing during the day than I have at dawn and dusk. It is a misnomer that they stay bedded all day. They will bed all day but get up and move around to find shade or a more concealed or comfortable spot. I think a lot of guys miss animals by not glassing during the day. You need good glass to look into the shadows but there are animals to be found.

Good luck! Sounds like a blast!

 

[groundswatter]

Hide a geocache in the toughest goddamned spot possible. Put something stupid in it like a Carney Lansford rookie card.

I swear I have that card! LOL.

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm ADHD and get bored so fast that I get bored with being bored. I need elk screaming in my face 12 hours a day to keep my attention. Every single time I drop my attention, I bust a bull out in front of me. If I'm not screaming with a bull or chasing him through the forest, I'm bored up there. How to combat that? Hunt higher concentration areas. Doesn't completely fix the problem, but it helps.

 

[charvey9]

I don't really have a problem staying motivated, but I do read a lot while hunting. Really good for still hunting in the afternoon when things are slow. Also great for helping you get to sleep at night. I bought a backlit kindle this year (lighter than a book). The battery lasts about 30 days and can read it an night in my tent without a headlamp.

 

[2rocky]

Daylit downtime is hard especially when solo. You can only nap so much. That is when I pump water, gather firewood and read books.

I've started eating my supper meal early before the evening glassing time so I can just go to sleep when I get back to camp after dark. This is tough to do in a Base camp-Day hunt situation though.

 

[orionsbrother]

It takes me several days to just get the noise out of my head. Sitting in peace on a chunk of granite, breathing in some pine, washing down a sweet and salty nut bar with some cool water, temporarily distracted by a nuthatch while glassing with no one wanting anything from me, no one bitching at me, no one expecting me to fix whatever stupid problem they have, no phone ringing, no ridiculous expectations in e-mails, no relentless cacophony...

Bored?!?!

It seems obvious to me that the root of the problem is that your non-hunting portion of life is too good. If you could get it to suck really badly, almost like getting kicked in the balls repeatedly throughout each day, then you will find that the joy that wells up within you in moments of solitude leaves no room for boredom.

I've said it before. When I get up on the mountain, I am going to roll around like a dog on a dead fish.

 

[5MilesBack]

That's one reason I cover so much ground, I'm bored.....or cold.

If the elk are talking, I can stay within a very small area all day. If they aren't, I'm covering 10+ miles. With deer, since they don't really "talk" I'm moving or glassing until I find one I want to shoot.

 

[CrzyTrekker]

photography
ipod nano w/podcasts & tv shows
exploring

 

[WyoHnt300]

Some great input here, I am in the read and write category. It is great to journal especially if you are taking photos or filming too. For a mule deer hunt like you are taking, the middle of the day can serve as a good opportunity to move on a bedded buck you've spotted in the morning. Lots of time to explore behind the glass. If you are in an area with grouse, go get some dinner! There is always something to do in the backcountry.