The age old question…. how long before sunrise are you in?

[GregoryB.]

I agree , younger days I was at least 1 hour early now at 56 I try to be settled in at daybreak. If I am toting a gun I may be a few minutes later.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I generally get settled in the stand right at good shooting light but I always feel like I'm late. I guess I don't really understand people talking about running deer out before daylight? I've ran deer out going in late like that too, had them standing almost right under my stand when I walked in, and I've had them walk up on me about the time I'm turning around to sit down. I'd prefer to be a few minutes earlier but for some reason I never make it. Especially if I have a pretty good drive to get there.

In most of the places I hunt, if you blow that deer out walking in, it isn't coming back, nor are any of its buddies. If it's shooting light when you sneak in, you can shoot them instead of running them off. Pretty simple to me?

 

[furtaker]

In most of the places I hunt, if you blow that deer out walking in, it isn't coming back, nor are any of its buddies. If it's shooting light when you sneak in, you can shoot them instead of running them off. Pretty simple to me?

You see deer before they see you when you're walking through the woods?

 

[NCHillbilly]

You see deer before they see you when you're walking through the woods?

If you're doing it right and playing the wind, yes. You get busted now and then, but you also bust them just as often or more often. That is how I originally learned to deer hunt. When I was growing up, nobody sat in a tree and waited for deer. Nobody. You still hunted, interspersed with stopping and looking, listening, and waiting. I have killed a lot of deer that way. You're not just walking through the woods to your stand. You're hunting your way in. I still to this day pretty much never hunt out of a stand here in the mountains.

 

[Nicodemus]

If you're doing it right and playing the wind, yes. That is how I originally learned to deer hunt. When I was growing up, nobody sat in a tree and waited for deer. Nobody. You still hunted, interspersed with stopping and looking, listening, and waiting. I have killed a lot of deer that way. You're not just walking through the woods to your stand. You're hunting your way in. I still to this day pretty much never hunt out of a stand here in the mountains.

That`s how we mostly hunted when we finally got a deer season down here. It was called "stillhunting". Nowadays I call it slip hunting.

 

[Jim Thompson]

I like to be in the stand about a half hour before 1st light. Otherwise how can I make a LFTT post that says "It's breaking light..."?

My issue is more of how my brain works. I want to be on stand when I can start seeing deer.

I am a horrible still hunter. Always have been and always will be. Put me in a tree for as many daylight hours as possible and I am happy.

 

[furtaker]

If you're doing it right and playing the wind, yes. You get busted now and then, but you also bust them just as often or more often. That is how I originally learned to deer hunt. When I was growing up, nobody sat in a tree and waited for deer. Nobody. You still hunted, interspersed with stopping and looking, listening, and waiting. I have killed a lot of deer that way. You're not just walking through the woods to your stand. You're hunting your way in. I still to this day pretty much never hunt out of a stand here in the mountains.

It depends on where I'm hunting. I've slipped up on quite a few in open woods while I'm walking in, but more often than not I get a glimpse of a white tail running off if I'm walking through the thick stuff. And there is no telling how many we run out that we never see.

 

[Nicodemus]

It depends on where I'm hunting. I've slipped up on quite a few in open woods while I'm walking in, but more often than not I get a glimpse of a white tail running off if I'm walking through the thick stuff. And there is no telling how many we run out that we never see.

I figure that for every deer and rattlesnake I see while moving through the woods, at least 10 of each see me that I didn`t see.

 

[kingfish]

When I don't need a light to see. I climber in and out and it's just easier and quieter for me to go to my spot and get set up without having to use a light. Every so often I'll spook a deer, but I've spooked them an hour before sunrise too. For me it's a push.

 

[ssramage]

Totally depends on the scenario.

My club that's mostly box blinds and mowed trails to the stand...20 minutes before or right as daylight is breaking.

If I'm hanging a stand like on public land, 1-1.5 hours. I want enough time to go slow and for the woods to settle down before first light. That may mean that I'm there 2+ hours before daylight depending on the walk in.

On public land, I've always thought about it like this. There's a lot of things I can't control, but one thing I can control is people beating me to the spot.

 

[buckpasser]

I try to be in the seat at the moment of first shooting light. Five or ten minutes early is fine too. I use a red flashlight going in, mostly so I don’t get killed by a poacher. Over the years I’ve encountered several hunters who “weren’t supposed to be there”, so I treat my very private land spots like I’m on a WMA.

 

[flatsmaster]

I only bowhunt and since I’m not part Indian and can trip on a golf course no hunting for me walking in … I like to be at farm at least a hour before breaking light and from there depends which stand and how we get to the stand but hopefully settled and not sweating profusely 30 before cracking … if possible we try to enter farm to stand where if bump a deer he runs into farm not off of it

 

[uturn]

An hour or so for me…or so is earlier most of the time as I’m archery only, it’s in early early kinda like cooking a good brisket, it’s low and slow…when your up close and personal!! And, I’m a no flashlight guy too!!

I’m up an hour and a half or two before I head to the stand..guess that‘s another conversation all together!

 

[furtaker]

I try to be in the seat at the moment of first shooting light. Five or ten minutes early is fine too. I use a red flashlight going in, mostly so I don’t get killed by a poacher. Over the years I’ve encountered several hunters who “weren’t supposed to be there”, so I treat my very private land spots like I’m on a WMA.

Yeah if I'm hunting a place where I feel like there is a possibility I could be seen by another hunter, I'll use a flashlight even if I don't really need it.

 

[ditchdoc24]

I don't like being in a hurry going to the stand. I have my routine which usually puts me in the stand at about first light. I do walk in with a red flashlight but mainly because I like to see the trail in front of me.

 

[elfiii]

Even when I used to go in long before daylight, I still saw most of the deer between 7 and 9:30. About the time the sun starts peeking. I've killed some right at first light, but not nearly as many as a little later in the morning. And, like I said, usually going in too early, I was often busting deer out of the area walking in.

This. ^ That white light from your flashlight tells everything in the woods it's time to move on quietly because the idiot human is back again.

 

[elfiii]

I try to be in the seat at the moment of first shooting light. Five or ten minutes early is fine too. I use a red flashlight going in, mostly so I don’t get killed by a poacher. Over the years I’ve encountered several hunters who “weren’t supposed to be there”, so I treat my very private land spots like I’m on a WMA.

We had that problem on the Airport farm. Even had one guy "welcome" us to our own land.

 

[buckpasser]

This. ^ That white light from your flashlight tells everything in the woods it's time to move on quietly because the idiot human is back again.

I’ve found that the red flashlight has zero effect. Green, not so much.

 

[elfiii]

I’ve found that the red flashlight has zero effect. Green, not so much.

My OpSec these days requires no light in the morning and a good one after dark. I move slow too. Like the Hillbilly said, you're hunting on the way to your stand, not just while you're in it.

 

[SC Hunter]

It really just all depends on where I'm hunting. If I have a decent little walk to a stand in the woods I'll get there in the dark and slip in quiet as I can. I want to let the woods settle down a little before shooting light. I've got a few spots on gas lines and power lines that I will wait until I can see my feet and start the walk. I've killed several deer walking to the stand 1 being a 136 inch 10 point that beat me to the food plot. I usually see the most deer about 730 to 9.