1 is not necessary for the intended outcome. It may make it a little easier, but even in my 20s-30s, an early morning/big day almost guaranteed some zzzs on the afternoon hunt.

That may be true QSYB, but once you pass 70 you can fall asleep a half hour in to opening day morning.

When I was younger, I would stay up late drinking beer around the campfire. In the morning, I would half sleepwalk to my stand. Wake up around daybreak, then wake up again about 45 mins into the hunt. Now that I am older, I go to sleep early. Get up early and go to the stand, and still fall asleep half the time.

After my shoulder surgery last December 28th, and the subsequent complete immersion training in how to sleep sitting up, I'm really looking to improve and increase my nap times on the stand this fall.

Half an hour? Rookie. 10 mins, tops, maybe 6 depending on how warm I am and how far the walk was.

Youth!

I have always wondered how many old bucks got a free pass because hunters fell asleep. It is easy to do the early morning hunts.

Never slept in a blind. Shut my eyes a few times before the sun comes up but never slept.

After decades of hunting from ladder blinds in Louisiana, and having hunted in Texas from box blinds, I thought it might be good to make a box blind for my aging Dad. Made it from treated wood, roofed it in tin. Took it to him and put it where he wanted it. Shortly after that, I called him from Texas to see how he liked the box blind. He said “heck boy, I can’t stay awake in that thing”. Apparently he hunted from it one rainy evening, and he didn’t show up at the house about the time he should have. My younger brother found him sound asleep in the blind. He said the rain on the tin roof did it. It made me happy.

Sleeping in a deer blind is one of life’s greatest pleasures

I still fall asleep.

Been there, done that twice. I am retired and stand most of the day, if I sit down I fall asleep except for driving.

Raindrops on a metal roof will do it most of the time.

Up until last season, I hunted very close to home . It was a small property so I would get there about 2 hours before sunrise to let everything settle down from my walk in and slept in the blind . I would set the alarm on my cell to vibrate and then put it under my cap or stocking hat on top of my head to wake me up before first light , worked like a charm and I really enjoyed the great sleep in the blind .