In the dark?
 

I am amazed at the number of hunters that I have hunted with thatwill not walk in strange country in the dark.They are always in camp when I get there after dark .Or I'll be busten my butt to get out of camp and on a ridge befor light and they are still in bed. They have noproblem when they are with me after dark but they are never out ther alone.Most of the time I carry a spike camp with me and stay where I need to be atthe best times ,dawn and dusk.They never amit it but it sure shows in their lack of sightings. In my experince that's 9 out of 10 people .Are you one of them? Anyone else see this happening on thier hunts?


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RE: In the dark?
 

im always out of camp and headed up on the hill before light. besides seeing more animals i get more out of the day because i spend more time in the areas the animals during the daylight because i do all my walking in the dark.

it did back fire on us last year. we left camp at 4:30 am and walked over an hour in the dark and walked right up on a group of elk before it was light enough to see them. we were within 80 yards and couldnt even see them. after that we never could get caught up to them.

RE: In the dark?
 

All the time. I've been on several hunts with numerous different guys, and to this date I have never hunted with the same person again except my brother. We had a discussion about this and came to the realization most people just don't want to put the effort into the hunt like we choose to do. Very few people realize the amount of effort that needs to be put forth to make it a successful one.

RE: In the dark?
 

I read an article recently that sums it up best, if you truely want to succeed, there's two things that need to happen. F8 and be there!! Only a small percentage of hunters will "be there", all the others rely on F8!

RE: In the dark?
 

I think allot of people who are only in the woods only a little every year are truly scared of the dark. I think it is something ingrained in our brain that we sould be back around a fire or in camp when it is dark, a prehistoric survival instinct maybe. Human eyes and senses do not fair as well as other animals once the sun goes down, and ones brain starts to play ticks ones self. I have gotten use to hiking in the dark, but even I am in a higher state of alertness, and sometimes get the feeling of being followed or my eyes will play tricks. For most of our existence we have not ruled the night, lions and wolves did, so I think we are born with this instinct to stay in camp during the dark hours of the day. Though some people are just plain lazy, but if thats what they enjoy about hunting camp, relaxing, more power to them, and more game for me.

RE: In the dark?
 

I really do not know anyone who goes into the woods after first light or leaves before dark.
Is this maybe a regional type thing?

RE: In the dark?
 

Walking back in the dark doesn't bother me, but it certainly does make me more "aware" of my surroundings. I can appreciate why people don't like walking a dark trail at night. Couple years ago I walked back to camp in a driving snow storm,when the snow momentarily let up I could see camps fires miles away across the drainage. That was a welcome sight, I could imagine the people around the fires. The comfort of fire is engrained in the human pysche, way deep down to the most basic level of being,fire and man go back some 800k years. It's been a long and meaningful relationship.

RE: In the dark?
 

I'm sure a lot of you guys are like me....As soon as you turn off the lantern at o'dark thirty, your eyes automatically start adjusting to the night sky and available light. Its amazing how much we can see once are eyes are accustomed to the dark.

As far as walking in the dark, I'm more apt to hunt til dark in the evening than risk busting the elk inthe morning. You see, I set up camp on top of the ridge and usually am careful to stay quiet on the way up the ridge's spine to my glassing area. I don't hunt a real pressured area, so the elk are usually visible til 9, or so. Because I am paranoid, I use a red headlamp. I've read somewhere that the red light is not as noticeable as a bright xenon or led bulb.