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Before first light or at first light?

Limb Chicken

Limb Chicken

Active Member
Alright fellas I want to know something from you all. I always debate whether to leave my truck right at first light so I may avoid the deer that may possibly be in a field or on the edge of the timber or go in "blind" an hour before first light? What do you guys do?

Ogz, you need not reply because I know you don't get up before noon...
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Usually I walk in at first light. I never seem to get up early enough to reach my stand an hour before light because I have an hour drive to my hunting ground. I could if I really wanted to, but it never works out that way.
 
I prefer to go in blind. I usually have a number of routs picked depending on where I expect the deer to be or wind direction or even the quietest way to my stand. Sometimes this means the long way around but I have found that it is best to be in the stand when the sun starts to come up. Usually there is one rout that is the best to take in and out for almost all situations. I know a deer's eye can collect light and have night vision to a certain degree but I have skirted fields in the dark to get to my stand and just as soon as I can see there are deer in the field I just skirted. I would have been busted if I would have waited. This has happened to many times for me to do it any other way. Besides there is nothing like walking through a sticker bush in the dark!
 
Hi LC. I'd say when to try to enter your stand location is going to depend on the route you need to take and how likely you are to bump into deer along the way. Also depends on what type of stand you are trying to hunt. Some stands I see deer at first light so I need to arrive well before daylight while others I don't see deer until later in the day, giving me a bit more time to quietly slip in if needed. During the pre-rut and rut I think it is possbible to blow all the deer out on entry and still see plenty of deer that are roaming through the area. Toughest deer to hunt are those that are bedding close by their feeding areas.
 
When I hunt the morning I am always in my stand close to an hour before daybreak. I have had deer walk by my stand that I could not see but I knew they were there. I have never worried about busting deer unless I am near a bedding area. I sure don't want to take the chance of moving in as the sun is coming up. During the rut that is when magic can occur at any time. If you don't get there till sun up then I guess thats ok to.
Just make sure you get there! Can't whack the big one unless your in the tree. Good hunting LC.
 
i go in early and try to get to my stand before it gets light. now this may sound a little crazy but it has worked for me in the past but i hunt in timber boardering and intermingling cow pasture so if i hear a deer spook i go:

"MOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Not too loudly mind you but enough to let the deer know i'm a cow. =) Surprisingly enough last year i had a buck spotted on the edge of a half picked corn field which was 30 yards from the brushy fence line i was on. I stalked up within 45 yards and he heard me snap a stick, i did my moo thing and he went back to feeding, this also may have worked because there were 50 herferds behind me. i never got a shot at him but i chuckled the whole way back to the car trying to think of a way to patant a new and improved cover call. "Muddy's Cow Estrous Cover Call"

maybe i'm just a little too crazy sometimes...

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i always like to get in the tree before daylite , just because i'm afraid i might miss something.if i'm going to spent the time to hunt ,i want every chance i can get. good luck and just enjoy being there
 
LC, I like to get in my stand well before light. But it really depends on the setup and route I need to take to get to my stand.

It also depends on how I am going to hunt the day. I have had days (during the rut) that I have went to the stand at 9 and stayed until 1, left for an hour and came back or just switched spots completely. I know that we have all read articles about hunting the late morning hours but it really can be a nice change for the hunter, and I have personally seen some real brutes during this time of the day.

Good luck......
 
I go in "blind", that way the farmer I'm trespassing on won't see me!(JUST KIDDING!) Honestly I've had more luck going in when it is still dark. I have seen more action early since I started getting my lazy tail out of bed a bit sooner. Now I can't say I have ever MOOOOED like Muddy does but I have used a soft grunt call if I step on a twig. There are a couple of places I hunt where the MOO would probably work just fine. Thanks for the good idea Muddy!
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I always try to be in my stand at least 1 hour before sunrise. I am sure I have spooked a few deer but if you watch the wind, try not to walk where you expect the deer to be and remain fairly quiet usually they will be back to normal before shooting time. I think it is more important to not wear out a stand. If the deer see you disappear more than 1 or 2 times in a certain area regardless of the time of day, they will soon avoid that area.

IaCraig
 
Depends on which set up I want to go to. I have one stand that I don't go into till first light. It is at the top of a ridge (no fields on ridge top) with fields down low in bottoms. The first couple times I went in blind I lost a contact gettign poked in the eye and I never see the deer for at least the first hour of day light. This is a rut stand and the bucks are still checking over does around the lower fields I figure. This way I slip in quietly through the woods from the back side and catch them coming back up the ridge and out the points checking scrapes or running does back in the woods.

Otherwise I much rather be in a good hour before light. Let things settle down, I may have busted deer on the way in but I still see the deer. I think the key maybe that your trail to the stand is clear so you don't bust/snap sticks walking in what little woods you do go through.

Oh ya, I have also tried the MOO COW thing as well. It works.

Good Luck all.
 
Another hair-brained scheme I've used is to take a rake into the timber and rake a path to my stand, it may sound like a lot of work but when you can follow that path right to your stand and not make a sound it really helps. It also doubles as another path that deer will use and follow right to your stand.

If that doesn't work give 'em a MOOOO!!
 
I always try to be in the stand 30 minutes to an hour early. I just fell more confident of my chances that way.
 
Those of you that have been around a while would remember Roger Rothaar's first book (I think) called "In pursuit of Trophy Whitetails" he addressed that very subject.

I believe he said at that time he waited till after light so that the animals where in the woods and not the fields so he was less likely to bump them. But that was a few years ago. I think our hunting conditions/quality have changed quite a bit. I'n not sure we can completely avoid them these days due to the great quality of hunting we have.

Stumbling around in pitch dark definately has it's setbacks and safety concerns. Going in after light makes us think we are late at times. I think either works under different conditions. Confidence of the hunter probably has the most impact.

Myself, I go in when it is light enough to move quietly and safely to my hunting spot.

P.S. Cattle can be an excellent cover.
 
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