Every hunter who's spent enough time in a stand knows this moment: the wind switches, the deer aren't moving right, something's off, but you've already invested the time. You climbed the tree, you sat through the cold, you've got two hours in already. So you stay. Not because staying is the right call, but because leaving feels like admitting you wasted the sit.
That's the sunk cost fallacy showing up in real time, in a tree, with a bow or a rifle in your hands. And it's not the only bias working against you out there. Ego does the same thing from a different angle. You don't want to be the guy who moved and missed the shot, or the guy who backed out right before the buck showed up. So you push when you should reset, or you sit tight when you should be moving.
I built a framework this season to cut through that noise, and it's simple. Before I commit to sitting tight, pushing forward, or backing out, I run through it. What does the wind and the animal's behavior actually tell me right now, not what I hoped they'd tell me an hour ago? What would I do if I hadn't already invested this much time? And am I making this call because it's right, or because I don't want to feel like I failed?
That third question is the one that gets me. Ego doesn't announce itself. It just quietly convinces you that pushing is confidence when it's actually stubbornness.
None of this replaces scouting or being prepared before you ever climb into the stand. Preparation is what gives you a filter to trust in the first place. But even with the best prep, you're going to hit moments where the hunt is on the line and your gut and your ego are pulling in different directions. Having a filter you trust, built before the pressure hits, is what separates a good decision from a costly one.
This episode is about that filter, the biases working against it, and how to build one that actually holds up when it matters.
SHOW NOTES AND LINKS:
—Truth From The Stand Merch
—Check out Tactacam Reveal cell cameras
— Save 15% on Hawke Optics code TFTS15
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—Check out Spartan Forge to map your hunt
—Save on Lathrop And Sons non-typical insoles code TRUTH10
—Check out Faceoff E-Bikes
—Waypoint TV
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