Go in early or wait until daylight?

[Grandslam11]

I have an area with lots of potential but I dont have an exact tree picked out to climb with my Titan. Do I go in way early and try and find a good tree to climb or am I doing more harm than good?

Would yall suggest to hunt a different location and then find a tree after the hunt is over? Or just wait and go in at first light and find a good climbing tree?

 

[Urban_Hunter]

Your first hunt is basically going to be a scouting adventure anyway, I would go in before light to the area you want and pick the first good tree you find and then hunt and see what happens. Odds of it being the perfect tree in that spot are slim, but at least you will get to see what they are doing, and who knows... Might get lucky!

 

[rbreedi1]

If its your first time in there.. I would wait til it gets a little light out and work your way in slowly and pick a tree out.

 

[woodsman87]

I am a get their early kinda of guy myself, but you are doing more harm than good if you walk around in circles the first hour trying to find that perfect tree. I would go in the dark, find the first good looking tree, and use it.

Another option would be to get in early in the afternoon for and afternoon/evening hunt.

 

[Kingston]

If you have a few workable trees for sure then I would go in early. If I had no idea of any exact trees I would most likely be there at the crack-of-dawn.

 

[Mudbone]

I used to be a get there early type of gut until I found out that it was illegal. :). Gotta go in late now.

 

[muddyboots]

I go in when I can see. Makes a big difference for me.

 

[oldmanelrod]

First time in what til light....less liklyhood of making as much noise and messing up the place.

 

[Grandslam11]

Do yall just not worry about bumping deer by going in later?

 

[bowriter]

I don't even carry a flashlight, anymore. That tell you anything?

 

[bowriter]

Do yall just not worry about bumping deer by going in later?

Going in when I can see is just to avoid that. What do you think, deer don't move until daylight and they can't tell what you are in the dark?

A light will spook a deer quicker than anything. Add the extra noise you make. I wait until I can see where I am going, then, hunt my way in. I probably have spooked a few deer. I know I have stumbling around in the dark.

So many old wives tails and myths still abound. I have killed or even see, very few deer right at first light. Most of my shots and sightings have been right around sunup or about 8-9, not dawn.

For the same reasons above, I also get out of the tree and leave when I can still see.

That is just how I do it. Others swear by and success going in an hour before dawn. I kill a lot of deer, more than I need each year. I'll stick with what I do.

 

[Grandslam11]

I guess my biggest concern is not even knowing which tree to climb. If I already had a stand/tree in mind, I wouldnt be concerned at all.
In the event I do bump deer picking that perfect tree, most would say just keep hunting correct?

 

[Brisco Darlin]

i like to get in well before daylight. i enjoy sitting in the dark and watching it get daylight.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I wait till there's just barely enough light to see as I go in. Too many big fields where they hang out on my path.

 

[UTGrad]

I don't even carry a flashlight, anymore. That tell you anything?

Not really considering you hunt in a petting zoo :D

Here's my take. If youre hunting out of a climber, go in as early as possible. If you have a fixed stand already established, you can slip in at first light.

 

[Realtree]

I like getting there early but not to early. the way I look at it Y get there way before daylight if you can't see or shoot. A lot of the deer I see is after 8 anyways.

 

[muddyboots]

I hunt with a climber. Go in soon as I can see. Hunt my way in. Very quiet. No light. No bumbling around looking for my stand or area. I hook up my summit in minutes and head up. I do it virtually no unnatural noise. Lots of time I pull my weapon up and have deer walking close. I also get to sleep about 30 minutes later. I'm with bowriter majority of my kills are between 745 am and 8:30. Jmo. Works well for me. If I go in in dark deer snort constantly. Now never.

 

[eightpointer]

I like to go in when I can start to see. If they are there and gonna get spooked then its gonna happen whether its daylight or dark. But like many have said...to each his own.

 

[Mike Belt]

Different views abound. Many of the places I hunt you have to be elevated to see to even make a shot. Hunting your way in wouldn't work. I've never seen deer stick around very long anyway so either they are there when you go in or not. Either way I like being there before light.

 

[jaybird62]

Another vote for waiting until you can see. Tree branches make an awful racket when they slap a climber hanging on your back and freak out deer for 200-300 yards. Going g in quiet is a big priority. Once you solve that issue and come into your hunting area from down wind you won't spook as many deer as going in while still dark. I can't count the times I have stalked in early after first light within 50 yards of deer I could see, hung a climber and gotten into shooting position without detection.

 

[Poleaxe]

It's a gamble either way. You don't know if they're gonna be around where your planning on going as much as you don't know for sure if you'll stick one or not. Way I think of it is why not go on in early and find a tree rather than walking later and chance getting a shot at that first light when we usually get that glimpse of that big buck. Least being early it gives the woods enough time to calm down if there was something that hears you. Do you really think you don't make any noise walking in at daylight with a stand?

 

[Poleaxe]

Another thing, since I started using a red light I have managed to slip by deer feeding in fields to get to my stand.

 

[muddyboots]

It's a gamble either way. You don't know if they're gonna be around where your planning on going as much as you don't know for sure if you'll stick one or not. Way I think of it is why not go on in early and find a tree rather than walking later and chance getting a shot at that first light when we usually get that glimpse of that big buck. Least being early it gives the woods enough time to calm down if there was something that hears you. Do you really think you don't make any noise walking in at daylight with a stand?

I don't make much.

 

[Matador]

Daylight. Cant shoot them in the dark.

 

[arkwaterfowler]

by all means hunt somewhere else and go in at noon. find a tree that will work and hit it one week later. bad decisions and pressure and hunting when the wind is wrong hurt you more than anything.

 

[BONE-HEAD]

I always like to be early try to scout couple days before hunting to try find a good tree

 

[bowriter]

I was in my stand and ready to shoot at 6:33 this morning. Saw the first deer at 8:03, was down field dressing at 8:30 and home by nine. At 6:33, I could see well enough to shoot had one walked by.