I hunt public land, and it's far from my house, so I don't get to scout alot(or at all...) during the summer months, so the last time I see some of the areas I hunt is in winter, last day of season. When I go back, it's early season and everything's grow over. I get lost at least once a year, only going to new stand-sites. I've never have to wait till light tho. I just get mixed up going around bushes and clumps of trees. I usually use just a compass. A flashlight doesn't help me much since all I'm gonna see is trees anyways.

A good thing I did for the first time this year is put up some reflective tacks, but only a few. I'll put one about 50 feet or so into the woods, then another about 50 feet or so from that one, so I have a direction. I think I have 5 or 6 near my favorite stand. I put 2 on the tree my stand is going in, as high up as I can reach, so I can see it from a ways off.