I attempted my first morning deer hunt of the year today. It would also have been my first morning hunt in this particular stand. I say "attempted" and "would have been" because I never got to the stupid thing. I didn't create a path of reflective tabs or orange tape to guide me and I couldn't find it for anything.

I stomped all over an approximately 40 acre area got all turned around and finally gave up as shooting light dawned. I was tired, discouraged, certain (rightly or wrongly) that I had alerted every deer in the region to my presence, and I was soaked in sweat.

Am I the only idiot to have done this?

Yep...How can you not find your spot?? Yikes!

Been there and done that. Many have but few will admit it!

LOL....no, I've been there.....but not quite that badly. If it's a spot I've only hunted once or twice, I can get close to the tree, but sometimes I can't find the EXACT tree. This just happened the other day. I do one of 2 things......Instead of doing like you did and tramp around, I sit my butt down because I know I'm close.....When it gets just light enough to see, there it is, usually w/in 20 feet....

I found a nifty gadget to stop that nonsense though. The Knight and Hale Beacon. It's a remote operated, red flashing light. Hang it on the stand and turn it on. When you come in in the morning, push the remote. Red light starts blinking, there's the stand.

no i have done that b4 my cuson and my dad went to our land to move some stands and i went up there with my buddy and i could not find it so i just sat on the ground against thee tree and when i was gunna head back i got up looked be hind me and it was 20 yards away..

Exactly!

I've done that once. It does suck!

Now I put in reflective thumb tacks along my route to the stand. The only bad part is that anybody with a flashlight can find your treestand and steal it.

Mobow

How far is the range on the beacon? I have been looking into getting one for my "tougher to find stands" that are in thick cover.


And to answer the question, no. I haven't ever gotten that lost. Know people who have. I have just always put up tape or reflectors to help guide me.

When is the last time you got in that stand? A week age? Month ago? Last season? Are you sure it is still there?

So I usually get lost one time a year while hunting in Iowa (we have numerous stands up) and anyways, I was lost for several hours. During that time, I ended up in a wooded cow pasture, and saw some brown movement.....I'm like no way, it's a huge buck! So I carefully put a mean stalk on this giant whitetail, get withing twenty yards and ready to draw, comes out from behind the brush, and it's a.......................bull!

I got out of there, and found my stand about an hour after first light, lol.

I've done it. But have also found it. When I get a little mixed up in the dark, I wait. It's better just to stay still until it gets a little light and then find it then to trompt around.