Usually an hour before the season starts for me. Last season I wanted to get to a stand before the first wave of deer came through so I was in at 3 a.m. buckled to the tree and ready to nap. Before I could drift off 2 bucks came through and hit my scent from where I walked in. There was a lot of moonlight so I could kinda make out the deer. I figured they would bolt but they followedmy scentall the way to my ladder stand and then started sniffing where I had touched the ladder. I thought for a second the deer was going to start climbing up! I'm pretty sure the deer learned all they needed to know about me and that stand that morning.