I agree with most on here about getting settled in before shooting light. I do use the green light instead of the white light. I just hate it when I bump deer in the dark, it sets a bad tone for the whole day for me. Although I have seen and killed plenty of deer after bumping them it just sets a bad tone.
Walking in to the stand
- Thread starter beefydeer
- Start date
I like to hunt close to bedding areas so I like to be in my stand at least an hour before it starts breaking daylight.
Ladys man
Well-Known Member
This
I try to get in about 30 min before first light at minimum. Long before season starts I always try to clear my path as much as possible so I'm as quiet as I can be. As others have said I only use green light if I use one at all. I'll also stay in my stand long after dark so as not to spook anything that is close by or visible.
This
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JeepKuntry
Well-Known Member
Depends on where I hunt. Bow I am always in at least 30 minutes before civil twilight. Gun sometimes I slip a field edge in if my setup is in place and quiet!
Duck dogn
Well-Known Member
I like to be early because I hunt private but neighbors for mile around me hunt. So I try to be very quiet and beat them in. Heard 4 wheelers and sxs many time at light only to push me deer. Great time for giving much thanks to the almighty and just soaking in another blessing.
I walk in after daylight. Just works for me. Quieter. Faster. Less hassle. I felt like I spent years getting there 30 minutes before daylight and sounding like an elephant getting in so I decided to wait once and really liked it.
When I hunt in the morning, I'm a get to my tree at least 30 min. prior, use a green light to see where I'm going, hang my stand, get settled in, let the woods settle down, spend some time with God before sun up, get my heartrate down, etc. I'm not the quietest person in the woods. Probably sound closer to a battalion of troops marching in. I'm going to hunt more afternoons/evenings this season. I've seen way more deer walking out than I've bumped walking in.
Short story: I was hunting LBL last November with some buddies. Had my Summit climber on my back, pack on my chest, binos, bow in my hand....walking in at about 0500. Enough moonlight that I didn't need a headlamp. Halfway in I bumped a huge buck, 10' in front of me. He jumped the path I was on. Scared the ba-Jesus out of me. Couldn't tell how big he was only saw "branches" stickin out of his head. I tried following him at a distance to see where he went. Short story...long, I couldn't hunt that afternoon due to family commitments but I passed on the intel to my buddy who sent me the picture below. This is the dude that made me almost crap my pants. As I've said, I'm a really good guy to hunt with....you're sure to kill a giant with me in the woods with you. I'm hunting with rocks this year. Can't be any worse than getting pics like this texted to you while you're driving home from deer camp.
Short story: I was hunting LBL last November with some buddies. Had my Summit climber on my back, pack on my chest, binos, bow in my hand....walking in at about 0500. Enough moonlight that I didn't need a headlamp. Halfway in I bumped a huge buck, 10' in front of me. He jumped the path I was on. Scared the ba-Jesus out of me. Couldn't tell how big he was only saw "branches" stickin out of his head. I tried following him at a distance to see where he went. Short story...long, I couldn't hunt that afternoon due to family commitments but I passed on the intel to my buddy who sent me the picture below. This is the dude that made me almost crap my pants. As I've said, I'm a really good guy to hunt with....you're sure to kill a giant with me in the woods with you. I'm hunting with rocks this year. Can't be any worse than getting pics like this texted to you while you're driving home from deer camp.
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c0untryb0y
Member
it is best to go in before dark and leave after dark, but that don't mean the deer can't smell you. Chances are very little that they will return to the area the same day, but they will come back to the area when they think its safe, unless they get spooked by you several times. Then they might leave for good.
c0untryb0y
Member
oops meant go in before daylight
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
I hate bumping deer more than anyone. I'm the one that will get a hot flash and cuss in my head about doing so. However, one thing I have noticed over the years is that when deer are spooked in the dark, more times than not, they are WAY less "jumpy" when it is dark. When you jump one in the daylight, it's not a guessing game to them - they busted you and know exactly what you are! In the dark, sometimes it is just your footsteps, sometimes it is your faint light or both. But they seem to settle down much faster. They hear stuff walking around all night long so they are used to it.
THEdonkey0515
Well-Known Member
I'm usually set up and completely quiet 10 to 20 mins before first shooting light.
Most the time I try and use the little red or green lights on my headlamp and walk slow.
Most the time I try and use the little red or green lights on my headlamp and walk slow.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
My typical preference is to arrive at my stand site about an hour before dawn. This usually gives me plenty of time to climb quietly, then get totally set-up and "ready" 15 to 45 minutes BEFORE dawn.
I often have deer come in and bed near me BEFORE dawn, and have killed some mature bucks shortly thereafter, bucks I would have spooked had I arrived maybe only a few minutes later.
I use a green light headlamp, typically switch if over to red light once my stand location comes into view. I climb using red light.
For whatever reasons, deer are not near as "spooky" about an hour before dawn as they will become once you barely perceive it is "getting light" (graying). So long as you're not walking directly towards them, feeding & bedded deer will often just watch you pass by. When you see their eyes in your peripheral light, don't change your gait, don't stare, just keep going.
Typically, there is a lot of animal movement in that hour before dawn, and deer seem "acclimated" to it, in that you can get away with walking noise & movement you at other times will not. I honestly believe deer may relate my activity to a big racoon, arriving at, then climbing a tree, about an hour before dawn.
When I've gone in later, I more often spook deer going in, and see fewer deer on stand.
95% of the time, I will either stay on stand all day (coming out under the same cover of darkness had gone in), or will come out @ 1:00 pm (when most deer are bedded, and the wind is likely to help reduce their hearing or seeing my exit). I have learned there is often a surge of deer movement mid-to late mornings, often related to other hunters walking out @ mid-morning.
I often have deer come in and bed near me BEFORE dawn, and have killed some mature bucks shortly thereafter, bucks I would have spooked had I arrived maybe only a few minutes later.
I use a green light headlamp, typically switch if over to red light once my stand location comes into view. I climb using red light.
For whatever reasons, deer are not near as "spooky" about an hour before dawn as they will become once you barely perceive it is "getting light" (graying). So long as you're not walking directly towards them, feeding & bedded deer will often just watch you pass by. When you see their eyes in your peripheral light, don't change your gait, don't stare, just keep going.
Typically, there is a lot of animal movement in that hour before dawn, and deer seem "acclimated" to it, in that you can get away with walking noise & movement you at other times will not. I honestly believe deer may relate my activity to a big racoon, arriving at, then climbing a tree, about an hour before dawn.
When I've gone in later, I more often spook deer going in, and see fewer deer on stand.
95% of the time, I will either stay on stand all day (coming out under the same cover of darkness had gone in), or will come out @ 1:00 pm (when most deer are bedded, and the wind is likely to help reduce their hearing or seeing my exit). I have learned there is often a surge of deer movement mid-to late mornings, often related to other hunters walking out @ mid-morning.
GreeneGriz
Well-Known Member
Depends on where I'm hunting and how the deer travel, but I usually just walk in when you can barely see to walk without a light. I started killing way more good deer doing that.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Same observation here. Many times I have seen their eyes in my faint green light, and I just keep walking along and they never move....even at 20-30 yards away. Heck, I have seen deer in food plots let me walk right by them in daylight. I saw them and intentionally made no eye contact, just kept my head down at the ground and kept walking. Got all the way past them and out of sight, glassed them and they had put their heads back down to feed. Very unusual for that deer behavior where we are, but I've seen it happen numerous times. Whether it is daylight or dark, many times you can slip right by them if they think they were undetected by you.
Sasquatch Boogie Outdoors
Well-Known Member
Watching sunrise 20' high in a tree? Just dont get any better...the older I get the more enjoy each one. Watch the world wake up and Thank my Saviour for the chance to see another......then be startled by the crunch of a hoof...whew I think I'm gonna cry...
Stalkhunter
Well-Known Member
I always go in before first light, I don't like going in 15 minutes or shorter before first light. I like going in at a minimum of an hour. Hard to get others to do that lol. I need time to get settled in and get my stuff situated quietly.
My main big reason is I am a sweater and I have dry off and put my hunting clothes on when I get there, lol
My main big reason is I am a sweater and I have dry off and put my hunting clothes on when I get there, lol
