If I know the way in very well or if the "path" in is relatively clean, and I am confident that I can slip in without making enough noise to wake the dead, I will ease in 45 min. - 1hr. before even a hint of light. However, some of the very deep woods spots that I go to require me to work my way through 1/2 mile or more of cover or woods. Depending on the wind direction I may noit take the same general paths in more than once or twice a season. One area that has been very good to me requires me to wade through nearly a mile of low, wet bottom that is laced with thigh deep drains and creeks, and cross one or more 100 yard wide sloughs to get to the oak "flats" where the deer usually come to later in the day. So, when I go to these sort of places, I try to time it so that about the time first light comes I am within 200-250 yards or so of getting to my stand. That way I can make it in from there fairly quietly, avoiding sloshing about crossing dead fall or busting twigs. I have also had very good luck easing in to my stands about a hour before the gang usually starts back for camp. Especially those places I hunt where the deer usually feed. Sometimes I think the deer are "trained" to stay put until about 10:00 a.m. when lots of guys I hunt with usually call it a morning !