The host of this video is Bernie Barringer from the YouTube channel Bowhunting Road, and he’s tagged nearly 40 black bears and 130 whitetails with his bow. The majority of those animals were shot while Barringer was sitting.

Barringer covers the several reasons why bowhunters are more accurate shooting while sitting vs. standing. Of course, this assumes the archer has practiced a considerable amount from the sitting position.

Like Barringer, I prefer to sit whenever possible in a treestand. Standing, even for the first and last hour of the day while pursuing whitetails, is tiring. In a treestand I move less when sitting, which helps me hide from whitetails.

The only exception to this rule is during the whitetail rut, when deer often travel through an area in an unpredictable manner. I don’t want to get caught sitting if deer show up on my offhand side, forcing me to stand to shoot, which likely would alert nearby deer.

During the rut, I stand when I first spot a deer — any deer — in the distance, because there’s no telling what could happen in the next minute or two. Yes, the deer could slowly walk along the planned trail and through my shooting lane (i.e. perfect for a shot while sitting), but a rutting buck could also chase a hot doe around the base of my tree. I want to be standing in this scenario.

Barringer offers great tips for making accurate shots while sitting. Check it out below.