Chances are good that you like to snack in the deer stand. I know that I do. And while eating something nutritious such as apple slices is smart, sometimes it simply feels good to splurge on sweets, and what better than Halloween candy?

Below are five of my favorites, along with a quick description as to why. Packing tip: To avoid making excess noise in the field, remove the original wrappers and place the candy in zipper-style sandwich or snack bags. Of course, some candies hold their shape much better than others when carried in a daypack, waist pack or pocket. Consider yourself warned.

1. Baby Ruth

A Baby Ruth candy bar is made of whole peanuts, rich caramel and smooth nougat, which is all covered in chocolate. The candy was created in 1920. And no, it’s not named after the famous baseball slugger Babe Ruth; the company that introduced it named the candy bar after President Grover Cleveland’s daughter, Ruth.

A Baby Ruth candy bar isn’t as popular today as it was decades ago, but it’s still my No. 1. Because the bar holds its shape in a pack or pocket, it’s ideal deer stand candy. What sets this candy above the others is the whole peanuts. As they say, go big or go home.

2. Kit Kat

Kit Kat bars are crispy wafers covered in milk chocolate. It’s not as hearty as a Baby Ruth, but still tasty. The wafers hold up better than you’d expect when carried in a pack or pocket.

A bit of care should be taken when you “break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar” on a crisp, cold and calm morning in the whitetail woods. The sound is similar to that of a tiny twig breaking.

The candy was introduced in Europe in 1911, but it didn’t find distribution in the United States until 1970.

3. Snickers

Snickers bars are known for their satisfying blend of nougat, caramel, peanuts and chocolate. The ingredients list is similar to that of a Baby Ruth, but Snickers peanuts are halves and fourths, not whole. This contributes to the blockier shape of a Snickers, which means it is almost indestructible when carried in a pack or pocket.

Impress your buddies at deer camp with this trivia: The Snickers bar was introduced by Mars Inc. in 1930; it was named after the favorite horse owned by the Mars family.

4. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

I struggled with whether Reese's Peanut Butter Cups should make this list because they are so delicate. But I can’t deny the delicious combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Even a busted and broken Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is better than no Cup at all!

I was surprised to learn that this candy was introduced in 1928. I was born in 1965, so my prime trick-or-treating years were 1968 to 1978, yet I don’t remember getting too many Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in my Halloween bucket.

5. Skittles

Fruit-flavored Skittles are fun to chew and provide a burst of flavor with every bite. Eat them one at a time and depending on the package size, it can take you a while to eat them in a deer stand. I’ve often wondered whether deer would be attracted or repelled by the candy’s smell; to me, it’s not too different from some fruit-themed deer attractant products.

Skittles are a newcomer to the candy industry when compared to the others on my list. First introduced in Britain in 1974, Skittles were first imported to America in 1979, and finally produced domestically in 1982.

Warning: Don’t ask me how I know this, but it takes a lot of movement in a deer stand to eat Skittles one at a time, and wary whitetails can spot this movement unless you’re very careful. Plus, you almost have to eat them without wearing gloves, so your skin is showing, too.

Final Thoughts

During my nearly 50 years of pursuing whitetails, I’ve tried just about every major candy type in a deer stand. In addition to my five favorites detailed above, others high on my list include a Pearson’s Salted Nut Roll, Twix, Nestle Crunch, and the classic Hershey bar. The latter two are really only viable when purchased in the fun/bite size, otherwise they’ll be destroyed while hiking to the stand.

I love the taste of a Butterfinger, but I can tell you from experience that the bar is very difficult to eat if it’s frozen. The center becomes rock hard. You can scrape away the cold chocolate exterior with your teeth, but the tasty center is still a problem. Similarly, Tootsie Rolls are a major challenge to eat when they’re frozen.

Unless you want to lose a tooth on the deer stand, you should keep any of the candies I’ve discussed here in an interior pocket when temperatures are below freezing.