Don't be so sure. Opening morning I could'nt find my 25' Ladder Stand, I thought I was losing my mind. Until I saw the hooks I put up there and realized some SOB stole it! Private land in the middle of nowhere.

The biggest deer I ever shot was from the ground, because I couldn't find my stand!! About 15 minutes before shooting time I just sat against a tree!! About 20 minutes later here comes a nice 10pt!

Sometimes it's a good thing. LOLOLOL

you are not the only one.

It's that wild night life kiddo. It's catching up to you.[8D]

Wild night life? I think you must have me confused with someone else! I'm a pastor, married, two kids... Wild night life for me...well, it ain't wild!

I have briefly lost my way. When it happens, I turn off all flashlights and let my eyes adjust. Then I familiarize myself with the skyline and known land features. Most times though, I really don't have trouble because I have to cut a walking trail through the rose thorns to get to my stands, If you can't walk easily, your off the trail. I hunt in some thick stuff, but the deer love it in there and they walk through it like it isn't even there. They like to eat the leaves off the rose too, so that's a bonus.
The deer appreciate the trails and usually adopt them as their own before too long. They are lazy in a way and will take the route of least resistance, as long as they are not pressured into hiding out.

I don't like bright eyes but a strip of reflective tape on your stand could help, as long as you know the general direction of the stand. I see bright eyes trails leading from the roadway sometimes when I drive a rural road at night. Some guys start marking the trail right off the shoulder of the road! Easy pickins for a thief.

I rest my case. Wild night life.[8D]

Been there man. Most times I have ribbons. There has only been one time that I didn't ribbon my way out from setting a stand and that was the one that got me. I was stubborn like you and kept stomping thinking it was just right over here or no, just over there. Lesson learned.

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.

Sweet! At least youre still far enough north of me by 15-20 minutes that you wondering around your woods wont bother me