who enters their stand before sunrise/in the dark?

[Jerry Jeffer]

I have been in my spot as early as 1 hour before light. Depends on where I am going to sit. I have spots that the deer show up early enough you can only see the movement.

[tarponnut]

I nearly always go to the stand in the dark in the am(1/2 hour or so). I like to let everything settle down and then hear the woods come alive at daybreak.

[cahaba]

I usually wait till pink light. I have jumped to many deer going in before daylight. They start blowing and stomping alerting every deer around. I see more deer by stalking to my stand slow quiet and easy.

[jonsimoneau]

That's good stuff Ryan. I hadn't thought about that. Hmmmm

[rolltidehunter]

it depends on where i am going. if i hunt near a green field or if i have to walk through one to get to my tree i will wait and walk in at day light. i will bump deer 90% of the time if i try and go in earlier. it all depends on where i am hunting

[Hoyt]

I always try to get back in where I'm going early enough to get up in the tree just before daylight. I don't like to get up in stand when no moon or pitch black dark..I get a form of vertigo when I can't see anything and up a tree..wierd feeling.

It's about an hour and a half walk so I don't always make it. I use a headlight and have a light in my hand to reach out an see my trail.

Walked up within 10yds of a bedded doe two days ago way before daylight.

Walked to within 10yds of this buck yr before last right exact spot where he's laying in the trial cam picture from last yr. He never even looked my way and I had two lights on him..never even got up..bout hour before daylight.

Most deer I come across on the way in I get close to and they eventually run or walk off..very seldom blow.

[TradBrewSC]

Usually 45 mins before light. I too don't use a light if possible, but also like the woods to settle

[foxbo]

"I am usually in my stand an hour before shooting time. I never use a flashlight."

I'm curious as to how you find your way in the dark? Here in the eastern woods where I hunt, I sometimes get turned around or confused even with a flashlight. Now, some of my stands are a mile back in the woods too, no woods roads, no reflective tacks either.

[Ric O'Shay]

Daylight only when I know there are gun hunters in the area. Otherwise it is dark thirty o'clock going in to the stand.

[Justin Falon]

Thank you Ryan. You just into words what I could not describe.  Makes total sense.  

Justin

[Robhood23]

Depends on the stand! If I am hunting a stand where I have to cover an open field to get there I always wait and glass the field before crossing! If its all woods I like to go in under complete darkness!

[Trad Whitetail]

I always go in before first light.

[centaur]

I guess I will have to go in even earlier, after seeing trail cam pics of a big buck that was on a trail at 0230 this morning.  

[Sam McMichael]

About an hour before daylight.

[Blog on Bottom]

I haven't hunted from trees for over 20 years, but sometimes I hunt stationary from the ground. My thoughts are that if you can't get there at least an hour before shooting light, then you ought to wait until after light so you can sneak in quietly. That is, unless you have noiseless walking to your stand - such as in a damp field or something like that.
I think that a person walking in dark woods alerts every deer within 100 yards at a minimum. Yes, the deer might think it is another deer, but not usually.
Others may have good luck going in 30 minutes prior, but I prefer otherwise.

[shag08]

For me this depends on the situation.  Sometimes I need to be in the stand an hour before daylight.  Other times I find it beneficial to make my way to my spot after sunup...it gives me the opportunity to still hunt along the way.  

Most of the time, when bowhunting, I try to be up a tree early.  With a firearm, I like for it to be light enough to see what I may happen to come across on my way in.  I've killed a lot of deer just easing through the woods, looking and listening, with both bows and guns.

[bofish-IL]

I use to get into the stand a good 30 minutes before shooting time. I have bumped lots of deer over the years doing it. I have also just gotten settled in and have a nice buck walk by before legal shooting or light enough to pick a spot.

This year I lost sight in one eye and found out the 1st couple attempts that you get real clumsy with one eye in the dark. So this year I had to wait for shooting light to safely get to my stand.

[Orion]

Most of my stands are a mile or so off the road in big woods so I start my walk to them in the dark, but try to time it so there's just enough light to see the last few hundred yards to my stand.  Enables me to sneak in much more quietly. I seldom spook deer that way, and have had them come by before I was able to pull up my bow and pack. I spooked many more deer when I used to go in in the dark.

[Sam McMichael]

I go in before daylight with a light. Everybody spooks a few deer from time to time if they are close whether or not a light is used. My belief is that the light will not spook them any more than my noise and movement walking in. I do try to get on stand with all my gear squared away well before daylight, preferably an hour or so. That way the woods settle down and deer moving into the area at shooting light will not be disturbed.

[KSdan]

Depends. But rarely get settled in stand very long before pink light. Not so sure flash lights spook deer- my experience is they will let you approach to within shortage yards before they spook. Now, if I must cross a crop field I always wait until pink light so I can see the field is clear.  

My guess is this all varies depending where and how you hunt.

Dan