The amount of activity I heard Saturday morning before shooting light only confirms why I go in as early as I do. If I'd waited....I'd have ruined ALL of that. Those deer weren't there when I went in. If they had been....I'd have bumped them.

I have never heard so many deer around me.....as I did before daylight on Saturday. I am hunting a staging area that I have to get into early. If I had to wait til first light to get in there.......I'd stay home rather than risk all the deer seeing me.

My opinion is....(and I have nothing to base this on, factually)....a deer don't know what in the world we are in the dark. We could easily be another deer.....a coyote....a cow or a sasquatch as far as they're concerned. In the daylight.....there is little doubt. I'll take my chances in the cover of darkness.

We each have to assess our own unique situations....even differing situations in separate woodlots. I have places I could wait 'til after light to go into. I know where they're staging.