My Tree Lounge works great for spending the night in my hunting area. I am glad Bill is educating hunters on these tactics.

Great video Bill, unfortunately I snore way to loud to sleep anywhere near the deer. Thanks for taking the time to show us the right way to do this.

First off, we all need to I’ll start using the term Winke camp, for anyone camping at the base of a treestand! This is the greatest idea in hunting since the creation of the food plot!

Step 1 convince wife this is really what your doing

Very nice!! I will live vicariously through you and Ethan. I'll be with you in spirit!

Looks like a great option to avoid spooking deer.. I would also think if it's a spot you know would require this during the fall, you could put up a small tent in the summer and brush it in very well. Then you have a little more room inside to move, stay waterproof, hold scent, and even cook something in boiling water. A well brushed in tent could work like a well brushed in blind and the deer become accustomed to it over time.

Awesome video. I admire the commitment, you deserve a good one if you're willing to do all that. Thanks for sharing.

Love it bill. Brings out the kid in us

Thanks Bill often thought of this idea you just showed me the way to do it

Very cool to supplement your articles about it with video Bill! Thanks for sharing

I've been waiting for this.

No way in heck I would pull all my gear out and get it covered in ticks just for a demonstration!! Better man than me, Bill.

About wearing your clothes in the sleeping bag, we were always taught to strip down because the moisture in your clothes would keep you moist and cold in the bag.

Always love your videos, Bill! I’ve been watching your videos for years and I’ve learned a lot! Like the humor too. 😅

great video and dedicated to making it realistic. could have just as easily showed that gear in the office or tailgate. then could have ridden the atv up to that spot. but you climbed up that hill and showed exactly what you do. great visuals for those who need it.

I'm trying to imagine the size of the deer I'd be chasing to make me consider this option and I got nothing...lol. But I thoroughly enjoyed watching how you do it. See ya in the next one.

I've thought about doing this in special situations, however, thought I was too crazy an effort just to get a buck. Seeing a successful journalist do it, makes me feel like I may be normal! Thanks Bill!

The lengths that grown men will go to to shoot a buck! I love it! It reminds me of when I was a kid and we’d throw a sleeping bag down in the middle of the woods and sleep under the stars. My most memorable experience sleeping in the woods was waking up with both eyes nearly swollen shut, from spider bites. It doesn’t get any better than that!

20 years military this video reminds me of it lol . Light and noise discipline was always a fundamental practice to avoid enemy detection I believe those deer don’t stand a chance this season good luck. I heard Myles Keller was known to sleep in the woods a lot also !

I tried this once as well. The 13 hour darkness bothered me. I woke up midnight and couldn’t fall asleep again. I heard deer blowing a lot through the night. Like on neighboring property. I think some of these does just blow for no reason. I could always tell if raccoons were around and yote. Yotes move swiftly. I remember waking up to a rabbit starring me in the face. Lol it was a cool experience if you have the money for good stuff. Thanks for sharing Bill.

I’m covered with ticks and chiggers just watching this video. Great stuff. May try this this year. Luke 9:62

12:15 Definitely worth checking out some of the newer air pads on the market. Some have R values as high as 8.0, plenty of insulation for even the most frigid below zero nights and pack up to less than 1/4 the size of the foam pad you mentioned!

I tried this once in North Dakota Kayak access into a base camp then bow hunt 200 yards from camp but I didn’t plan for snow fall 4-6 inches in mid October. After two days I had to leave my hunt early for fear my truck would be snowed in were in parked it. Two weeks later a attempted the hunt again but this time a small ice layer covered my kayak access for that season. Our weather here in ND drastically changes in October not much of an Indian summer here. Summer to winter most years when the rest of the country gets good late October hunting we do the best we can bow hunting in extreme conditions but it’s fun

That's freaking awesome, thanks for sharing good Sir. 👍

Like the idea. I’ve been thinking about hammock “tent” to camp on large public grounds I hunt.

Thanks for sharing. It wasn't surprising to me that you found a deer bed on the leeward side of the hill where you wanted to establish your first camp. I wondered how you beat the thermals coming up the hill even with a favorable wind in the AM. Also wondered how many hunts you would do in that spot before you would burn it out. I was surprised how close you were camping to your stand too. Maybe I just overthink too much. Can't wait to see your 2023 big buck in the truck.

awesome !! going to try that this year i always wanted to thanks for sharing this

Sleeping IN the tree would be pretty cool with one of those platform tents rock climbers use

Try not to snore or toot ! The deer will hear You & smell You. Hope when You do sleep in Your rig the ticks, chiggers, & snakes aren’t out ! Good luck & God bless You Bill. Deo Vindice

I got a mobile blind this year, so i might try this out this year 😂

Like getting the first time hunt out of the way great rehersal

Man, I just got back from my property in Oklahoma and I have soo many bites! Bites on top of bites! Ankles just covered with Tick bites and the rest of my body also! I tried 100% deet! Did use some Permethrin too! That was just putting up some stands and corn feeders. I cant imagine if I did what he just did, what I would look like! LOL Thanks Bill Great Idea I have a South Facing ridge that is hard to access! Might have to try this out! Good thing is that during the rut the big boys come from there over to our ridge and pasture to chase the girls! Anyways, thanks again!

Wow that's hard core, love it

That’s why there’s big bucks all over the walls your a champ 🎉

Can't wait to sleep in the blind with the kids this hunting season lol can't get in the stand in the morning with out spoking deer. Thanks for the idea, good luck!

Lol I have considered doing this for so long but never have had the guts to actually do it. I think the biggest reason I haven't is because I NEED several cups of hot coffee in the mornings especially on those freezing cold ones. Lastly, have you considered bringing some headphones out with you? That way you could watch something on your phone and not hear those critters walking around.

What do you drink and eat? Where do you do your business? Pee Bottle? I know you want to keep all this to a minimum. Tips like buying some chocolate covered coffee bean to get your caffeine fix. Best small lite healthy snacks to keep you going? Keeping light to an absolute minimum, what color lens works best to remain unseen to deer/wildlife? Best drink to keep you hydrated? Best things to think about to help you remain quite and focused? Would it help to practice this a few times before season in an area you cannot or will not hunt? Thanks, this is a great way to make this work in this scenario.

Now I know why I planted nearly 1.5 miles of switchgrass screening this year lol.

if you dont think you just blew every deer in the hillside out after all that noise and scent distribution, wait till you have to go back to it and fall asleep at 5pm good luck to all with that

Great information Bill! I’m hopeful this will work for you again this season. Waiting on the video man. Eric Brown/ericbowhunter

Bill, get yourself a Hennesy Hammock, as long as you have to points/trees to hang it, it doesn't matter how steep or rough the ground is, and the bugs will not eat you! The entire hammock and shelter weigh just a couple of pounds.

I normally leave the bar around bar close and then sneak into the woods and sleep for 2 hours at the base of my rifle stand for opening day of Wisconsin rifle season, i just turn on my heated vest and pass da fuck out

I hope you washed all that stuff to get the poison ivy oil off of it. I started itching just watching!!!! You fellas are hard core, I’ll give you that! I don’t doubt a bit that it will work, but golly, that’s hard core. Lol!!

Bill could you not set the bivy up before you left home? With the pad deflated and sleeping bag inside bivy. Then roll it up and stuffed into your pack. With the bivy frame handy if it is raining.

Sick video, ive been thinking about this for a while and you nailed it. Im big into camping/ bowhunting and it blows my mind how little over lap there is in the two worlds. There are so many good lightweight options for stuff like this. It all unfortunately depends on how deep your pockets are

Great video Bill! Do you leave your bow in the tree? What do you pack for food?

Great video

I knew of a guy here in Oklahoma that used to hang one of those cheap hammocks up high in the tree he was hunting in and slept in it ...

How do you eat and go to the bathroom? Do you practice a reduced hygiene regimen during the 14 day hunt? Do you take breaks from the stand/sleep locations during the hunt?

I talked with ya about that a while at the deer classic..i did and filmed a overnight survival challange early this spring and it was 10 degrees when i woke up so id prolly be ok in November 😅

I enjoy watching your new KZfaq videos and have been following you since the TV days. Always informative and trying to show the story and how to. Couple of questions, I assume you leave most your hunting gear, bow, etc in the stand during the night? Also, have you put thought into sleeping in that culvert pipe LOL?

I camped like this in ohio one season and like some others said there were some deer that smelled me and were blowing. every time i would move in the bag i imagine it pushes out air that is scent filled lol. warm air thats been around my body for awhile. But it was better than the 2.5 mile walk every day and blowing out tons of deer. i ended up moving camp more like 100 yards away so that if there wasnt much wind at night i wasnt stinking up the place with wafting air. one thing i did on property i own or lease was plan ahead and put a pop up cheap blind up near where i hunt and brush it in. does it keep scent better? probably not but i do have a bit more room to move around. your right though its weird to have all the critters walking by all night long.

Boy not sure what this show is coming to. First Mr. Winke has some hippie lettuce growing now he is doing peep shows in the woods. lol Cool stuff, would be enjoyable on those crisp nights with a clear sky.

If sleeping outside would kill me a nice buck each year why not. Some spots require out of the box thinking. I’m all for limiting pressure on a great spot

A tip from what I do when I backpack in on my elk hunts....throw in a little cheap pair of flip flops or crocs. Easier than standing on your stuff when you are changing and moving around your little camp area.

Great, gonna be hobos all over the woods this year...gonna be part of my scouting for sign now, looking for hobo sleeping spots to dismiss areas completely...

Dream big and long because daylight ain’t coming for awhile!😂

This video makes me itch 🤣 Is that poison ivy everywhere?

And just like that we are almost back folks !!!

Thanks for taking the time to be so detailed. Do you leave you bow and calls etc in the stand? Is all that washed in scent free detergent as if it was your clothes? Thanks again!

Do you take in bottled water and breakfast bars or just tough it out.

It would only take me one hunt of me not getting my target buck to say "I'll pass" lol

Throw in a small backpacking hammock and you might not even need to leave the tree. Hahaha very cool tho, do you bring in food with you and if so what typically?

I like it but seems like a lot of set up time and kinda noisy. Could you roll up bag,bivy and pad as one unit? Then all you’d have to do is clear a spot, unroll it and let pad self inflate.

What does your food situation look like? No coffee in the morning?

Would you typically hunt that bottom area where you walked in? Or never - it’s better to hunt on top of the ridge? That bottom area just looked pretty decent as well.

Dang Bill that's dire hard 👍

What do you bring for food? I wish more WI public land would allow primitive camping. I have a couple areas where primitive camping would be really helpful!

Hammock Actually use it as a base and blind with camo tarp very light mobile ground hunting setup

What do you do for food when your doin a hunt like this

I'm confused wouldn't you be leaving tons of scent in the woods potentially the buck you're after smelling you during the night and avoiding the area the next morning

I’m with you Bill...if there is what I’m hoping is still around where I’m hunting and I think it may work, I’m down! This video helped greatly, thanks! One question: did you notice any disturbance when you left your camp in the mornings to hunt or did you notice a “quiet time” when there was minimal deer (or animal) movement and use that time to head to stand? If so what time frame was it? Thanks again!

Hi Bill, how do you use the bathroom while doing this? Do you travel away from camp?

Dedication! My wife would never be down with me doing this & I could probably not pull it off… I’d find a way to cause more harm than good.

What are you using for food?

2 questions: what do you do for food? What do you do when … uhh… your body is done w said food…?

Your "bivy" camp sure looks to be a lot better than sleeping in a culvert! I would have tried this ten years ago, but I am 67 years old now, and my bones just cannot take that like it use to. And I don't mind admitting that I go to the bathroom A LOT during the night! I am talking five or six times a night. Now you did not address some of the IMPORTANT things about sleeping in the woods. As I already mentioned, the BATHROOM issue. And secondly, what do you do about meals? I realize that there are food options such as MREs, and even regular foods that will get you by. It may not be gourmet, but you won't be hungry. You also have to pack in some water. And water weighs a bit, as you will need a minimum of a half a gallon per day, and that isn't really enough. And you aren't wrong about how long the nights become when it is dark at 4:30 pm and you have twelve hours to kill. I would probably use my phone to listen to a podcast, using earphones to minimize the noise. But even with that you would have to be cautious about the light that would emanate from the phone. Maybe you could expand your "camping" video to include the issues I mentioned above. But honestly, I just don't see myself trying to crawl out of the bag five times a night to go to the bathroom, especially if it is COLD outside!!! LOL

What do you bring some energy bars or something to eat and water to drink?

How do you wake up at the right time in the morning witouta alarm so your up before they come back to bed?

Keeping it realistically what if you do sleep at the base of the tree and you need to use the bathroom. How far would you have to go for a safe enough distance?

I know scent is impotent but it’s not more important than your health! You better spray that baby with permethrin or your sure to contract Lyme disease from a tick bite. Take it from someone who has gone thru it.

Do you ever fertilize your fruit trees?

My wife just overheard this video. Her comment - "I would be salty if you were sleeping out in the woods for a week just to get a deer. Many people have managed to get nice deer while acting like perfectly normal human beings." I can see going the extra mile, especially if you haven't done it before, but sleeping in the woods is a bit excessive.

i'm just not that mad at'm any more😄😄😄😄

I'd get carried off by a swarm or mosquitos here in alberta if I tried sleeping in the woods

Hunting all day is really draining. Im not going to sleep at the base of a tree.

You dont eat ?

I'll keep this in mind the next time the wife kicks me out or I rob a bank.

What about food?

I bet crawling out of that bag on a 20 degree morning to put your clothes on is a little rough!

Nope. Guess im not adventurous. But i still enjoyed watching

Lots of moving parts in this situation.

I’m 63 and to old to spend all night sleeping on the ground that being said I have two tree lounges here light bed the newer version and the old heavier version they are both over 20 years old but took very good care of them . I have the nest a pillow and the adjustable wedge I usually use it for the gun season and I also have the bow platform it’s like a lounge chair in a tree I’ve fallen asleep plenty of times because it’s so comfy. I thought about sleeping in it plenty of times but never pulled the trigger has any one ever slept in their tree stand just wondering.

Are you able to get your camping gear scent free?

Wind is an important factor in this tactic. So let’s camp out with our smell swirling around for 12 hours vs walking in and on stand 30 minutes. I’m pretty sure they going to know if a human set up camp in their bedroom. Better tactic is to approach that spot from the back side of feeding with wind in favor early morning like 90 minutes. On stand thermals rise and blow off ridge in a favorable direction. Just saying I don’t get this method at all

Sleep in the woods?! There's bears and coyotes and maybe wolves and aliens and who knows what else! I ain't gonna tango with that business! But if I was, headphones would be a must! What are you doing for food, just starving for 24 hours?

I don't think saturating the area with human scent for 12 hours is a good idea.

Have any 180” ers showing up on to your farm yet?

I don’t know about this in South Georgia, ticks, chiggers, rattlesnakes. It’s making me think though!

Air pods and KZfaq videos lol