"The hunter going back to camp or to eat lunch can be the best friend of a stand-hunter," Steffen said. "This type of individual is a good reason why hunters should stay put until after noontime."

Whatever the reasons people arise from their stand sites, the result is the same -- deer will be forced to move when the parade of hunters begins to exit the woods. Ironically, many of these walkabouts will not even be aware that they have set the deer in motion, but here are some examples of what will transpire.

Hunter A will decide that it's just too cold, hot, windy or rainy to remain in the woods, and now would be a good time to go eat breakfast. As Hunter A walks through the woods, a buck that has bedded with a doe bounds away and heads to another covert where a dedicated stand-hunter has been resolute in his desire to stay put -- and this steadfastness pays off.

In another scenario, Hunter B has defied all of his inclinations and has remained on stand until 10:30 a.m. when he then determines that he should go to the local greasy spoon and beat the lunch crowd. Hunter B walks none too quietly back to his vehicle, and before he has strolled 100 yards, a buck that he passes suddenly jumps up and runs away. B is caught unawares and does not have time to even raise his gun. However, 150 yards away when the buck slows to a walk after his dash from danger, another dedicated stand hunter has his proverbial ship come in.

Hunter C is a fidgety individual but nevertheless perceives himself as an excellent still-hunter. Having remained on stand until 11 a.m., our hero decides that before heading back to camp, now is the time to go still-hunt that thicket that lies near the hardwood grove he has been afield in all morning. As Hunter C nears the copse, a buck slithers unbeknownst out the backside of it, and as the broadbeam skulks by a hardcore tree stand sitter some 100 yards away, the bowhunter sends an arrow through the deer's vitals.

Although I am sure the aforementioned statistic of 58 percent of hunters remaining on stand until early afternoon is accurate, sometimes it seems like the woods empties of hunters by 10:30 a.m. Stay on stand and depend on this hunter movement to set deer in motion. Fields offers these tips.

"If I need to take breaks, and if it's cold I usually do, I divide the day into three hunts, not two like most hunters," he said. "Go out early in the morning as usual, but eat throughout the morning rather than break for a big lunch. Come in to warm up if you have to. But come back to the woods for the noon stroll, then come out again. Warm up and get back on stand for the evening hunt."

THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR THE NOONTIME STROLL
If knowing about hunter movement is not reason enough to make you sit still in anticipation of the noontime deer stroll, scientific reasons exist for why we should stay put -- even if we have a stretch of woods all to ourselves.

"Deer do have a mid-day activity period, before, during and after the rut," Steffen said. "As we would expect, studies show that deer movement peaks just before and after dawn and just before and after dark. But those studies also show considerable deer movement at mid-day. The middle of the day is certainly a good time to be in the woods, but many people don't realize that fact.

"Personally, I like to be on stand at mid-day, not walking about. In fact, I think it's often a good idea to remain there until 1 p.m. Studies also have shown that 1:30 is not a major time for deer movement and this pause in activity continues until around 3 o'clock or so.