Sneakin' in...

[moosehunter]

Was wondering how many different methods people use to get to thier stands whether it's in the morning or afternoon. I prefer to leave plenty early to give myself extra time to check wind conditions and get to the stand. I usually take only a few steps at a time and as quiet as I possibly can and glass everything along the way. In the morning of course glassing is not an option and I've busted deer along the way many times but I don't know how to get around that. I figure I get to the stand early enough to let things settle down by the time the deer really start to move. I like it best when there has been some rain to soften and quiet the steps and a little wind to help cover any noise.

 

[Ghost]

This may sound a little weird to a lot of you...but it seems to work well for me.

On my place I have old logging roads from trees taken in 1979. Late summer, I go in and clean all the fallen trees and limbs with the chain saw. Then I go through and brush hog all these trails and the trails leading to about 10 different stand locations. This is normal activity on my place and doesn't seem to bother the deer at all. As a matter of fact these trails are used heavily by the deer throughout the season.

This allows me to go into a morning stand in pitch black without the use of a flashlight and with the trails it makes for a very silent stand approach. No brush to drag your clothes on and with sprayed rubber boots I never have deer alerted with my entry trail to my stand.

I realize not everyone can mow trails to their stands, but this works well for me in the super thick creek bottom ground I hunt.

 

[buckknife]

In the mornings i like to be in the stand when it is still pitch dark.I try to avoid the open fields as much as possible,seems the deer are usaually out feeding in them.
In the evenings i will cut across the field in a the shortest direct path.
the buck i took last year was beded in the field,set aside acres.I walk by him about 80 yards away,didnt know it at the time untill i was in my stand in the funnel for 20 min.He stood up and stared my way for a few min and bedded again.
It was tough trying to decide to stay put or get out of the tree and see if i could by some mirical get in bow range.
I stayed put and he finally got up and came my way,took him a long time being cautious as he was.He must have figuared i went on through and the safest place was where i had been.
He figuared wrong.

 

[DOR]

in my top notch spots i place rocks or logs in any place where walking would make noise due to crunching leaves-twigs..sounds corny but jumping across from stone to stone or even block in one place allows me to slip in right on top of deer with no sound at all.

 

[deadeye]

We have a path that follows an old riverbed on the ground I hunt too. Every year I take a corn knife in and cut all the new scrub growth so nothing snags on your clothes. I know the does always use that trail even though we walk on it everytime we hunt. We always find buck rubs along it also. It seems like the deer like the easy going rather than the thick brush too.

I like to go in early also, but sometimes I wonder if waiting just a little bit longer would be better. I figure I could be quieter and have a chance to see something before I spook it.

Why would a flashlight be bad? I don't think it spooks deer and it enables you to be quieter in the woods.

 

[Shredder]

A lot of the tecniques employed above are ways that I will try and get to my stands undetected. I will often take the path that a deer is least likely to use if possible. This may sound really weird to some of you but I will take a rake into my area as the leaves start coming down and rake a path to my stand, the last 50-75 yards or so. I am able to slip into my stand in stealth mode going undetected by surrounding deer (in most cases).

Early morning hunts, I like to be in my stand, in the dark for at least an hour. Like the above post, if you bump a deer, they can have time to calm down before first light, as long as they are not in the next county. I feel one of the most important if not the most important aspects of trophy hunting is getting to the stand undetected by any deer, even does and fawns. I go to great lengths to acheive this. I will make a half mile detour if needed to avoid such interactions. Also using the terrain to hide my silhouette such as deep ravines, creek beds, and saddles help me keep a low profile when entering my stands. Lastly and most important to me is attention to detail on everything. Keeping my scent under control to the stand, in the stand, and leaving the stand. One slip up and he can have you pegged and alter his movements. As far as a flashlight, I use a red or blue one. The light beam doesn't travel as far yet allows you to see where you are heading, just keep it pointed to the ground.

 

[BW]

I try not to make it any more work than necessary. I do clear me a path so I can move queitly to and from my stands. I don't move around in the pitch dark any more than necessary and then I'm carrying a light or whistling dixie when I do. Most of the activity I see during the season occurs late enough in the morning and early enough in the evening that moving in and out at twilight is plenty fine and gives me more endurance on the stand, which I need because I do not like setting down.

Where I hunt, bumping deer is an everyday thing light or dark. I just go about my business and not make a big deal that we seen each other.

I always enter the woods with thoughts that I am their best friend so they do not see me as a threat.

(Actually some of them have seen me shoot and already know that) And when the right opportunity arrises, I quickly change my thoughts to the hunter mode before they can feel the bad vibes.

 

[Daver]

Some people head into the woods extra early, I have been having good success going in a little later on morning hunts. I have never really had a big buck come in super early anyway and I used to bump deer going in all the time. I go in now about 15 minutes after shooting time and can see well enough to avoid deer and excess noise.

Otherwise, one other trick I use is to always carry clippers and snip little twigs and multiflora rose as I go. I never really allow my clothing to touch the brush. This holds down scent and noise. Like someone else wrote, I do prepare final approaches to some stands with a rake, etc. Also, plan your route to the stand according to the wind and avoid skylining yourself at the top of hills, etc. Some guys go to all kinds of lengths to stay scent free, etc, but then get busted going to and from stands. IMO a big buck will not tolerate this very long. Plan the whole hunt to avoid being detected, not just the time on stand.

 

[badgerbowdude]

Clearing a lot of paths. We spray, mow, weed-eat and rake the paths to nearly all our stands. On quiet mornings with frost and no wind, I leave extra early and tiptoe in. Last year, I started wearing beach slippers to walk to some of the more sensitive stands. The think rubber helped me feel the trail and potential twigs beneath my feet. I just put my warm boots on when I got to the stand.

 

[Cornfed]

BW, you really crack me up

..... personally I have in recent years begun to enter the woods only after early first light.... my 'bump' rate has gone way done... I am seeing more deer early morning than I ever did when I used to get in the stand 1 hour before daylight. I have a lot more confidence as well knowing that I did not have a dozen deer 'blow' on the way in

Certainly, there are some setups that warrant predawn entry... but I will bet that most would do better by entering a little later >>>>--------->