Do you like to hunt the early morning hours, take a break for
lunch (or a nap), and then return to the woods for the evening
hunt? This is the pattern of the vast majority of hunters,
especially bowhunters. I know I used to hunt this way all the
time.

You might be surprised to learn that you really hurt your chances
when you take that lunch break.  According to research from
Charles Alsheimer and Wayne Laroche, deer sightings between 9 a.m.
and noon are second in number only to the daylight to 9 a.m.
period, and far higher than the 3 p.m. to dark sightings. Even
more revealing is the fact that buck sightings during  the 9 a.m.
to noon time period are great, and almost equal to the daylight
to 9 a.m. period.

Expert bowhunter, John Eberhart confirmed this in his interview
with me. He said that his absolute favorite time to hunt is
midday during the rut phases. He's killed far more big bucks
during this time of day than any other.

Give it a try next season. Plan to stay on your stand throughout
midday during the rut. You might be rewarded for your persistence
with a big buck.