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Follow up on AM/PM hunting

Fishbonker

Fishbonker

Life Member
I am not a morning person, period. I do enjoy watching the world come alive, but I hate getting outa bed. I think I need to broaden my hunting experience. How much time before sunrise do you try to get to the stand? Do you use flashlights to find your way? I've heard this doesn't spook deer but I'm skeptical. Don't you make more noise stepping on branches etc. on the way in? Do you do anything different to prepare for morning vs evening hunts?

Thanks.

The 'Bonker
 
I use a very small mag lite to light my way in the timber it does not give off much light but enough to see my way. Whether it scares the deer or not I don't know my guess would be if they are that close then I would have probably jumped them anyway. As far as taking anything else with me, maybe more clothes it is cooler in the mornings than pm usually. I like to be in my stand about an hour before full sunrise.
BB
 
I like to be in the stand in the dark for about 30 minutes. I rarely if ever use a flashlight, unless it is pitch black. I mow quite a series of trails through the timber that I have walked so often I think I could close my eyes and find my stands. The trail clearing is completed about this time of the year and not much grows back the rest of the year. This helps with leaving scent on underbrush and makes for a quiet approach to the stand. I love the morning hunts!
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I'm also a big fan of later afternoon and evening hunts. Watching the woods turn purple is just as great as seeing them light up.
But, I've seen more deer in mornings than in evenings on my stands. I use a flashlight if there's no moon.
I think the worst thing about the morning is that 15 minutes after the sun breaks the horizon...it is by far the coldest part of the day and a little breeze always seems to stir up as the atmosphere starts heating. It makes my neck cold just thinking about it!
 
I really like to get to my stand and settled in an hour before sunrise while it’s still dark. I don’t use a flashlight, but I’ve been hunting the same farm for eight years and know it very well. When walking over crunchy leaves and such, I try to sound like a deer. I prune trails to established stands too. Also, after the leaves have fallen, I clear them off the trails so that I can sneak in quietly, plus the bare dirt also shows up in the dark. Deer seem to enjoy walking on them as well.
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When I do go out in the mornings I take one of my Maglights and put a piece of red tape over the lenses to cut down on the light shining all over the place.Getting up early in the morning isn't a big issue for me.When I work I am usually up at 4 and since I have been off for so long my little alarm clock(5 yr.old daughter)takes care of dad getting up on time.She always got up with me in the mornings and would watch the news with me and when I left back to sleep.I too like to get out to the stand about an hour to hour&1/2 early to get seetled in.awesome to hear nature come to life.
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i use a green pen light when walking in, it puts off a very good amount of light, saves my night vision, and is very difficult for deer to pick up on or so i've been told. i LOVE mornings, especially the dead calm ones.
 
I like to go in when i can first start to see. when it's cold out it usually keeps me out there an extra hour longer than getting there an hour early. I haven't noticed a decrease in deer sightings from going in early or a little late. I can go in alot less stressed about making noise, and working up a sweat fighting to get through everything with my little flashlight, overall making a better hunt for me. also it seems I usually hunt big timber and the deer don't seem to ever move until about mid morning
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I like to be in my stand about 30 min. prior to legal shooting hours. Although, it does depend upon which stand I am hunting. If there is no moon, or I want to get to my stand earlier, I will sometimes use a green Stylus penlight (probably similar to muddy's). It saves my nightvision.
 
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I prefer to get settled into the stand at or just before first light. Often I can approach my stand without a flashlight. I haven’t seen any great advantage to getting there well before light and I figure the earlier I’m there the more time there is for my scent to saturate the area – especially on calm mornings. Most of my morning stands are close to bedding areas where the deer only really begin to show up about an hour or more after first light.
 
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I like to get out well before first light and will avoid using a light if I can. Another great thing about a morning hunt is the fact that you can hunt rising thermals. On two south facing slopes I hunt with a north west wind and rising morning thermals I become almost invisable. It's pretty cool.
 
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Thanks for the info. I do have another follow up question. Are you folks getting into your stand an hour before sun up or an hour before legal shooting time? It is only 1/2 hour difference in time, does it make a difference in anything besides when I roll outa bed?

Thanks again.

The 'Bonker
 
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I'm with Ghost on this...I usually like to sit in the dark a good 30 minutes or so. If you plan to be in the stand an hour before sunup, this should be pretty close. Go get 'em!

NWBuck
 
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