Flashlights to deer stand
 

I used to walk to my bow and gun stand with out a flashlight before daylight. Then one morning walking fast to get in my stand before daylight in bow season I got with in 20 yards of my stand on my property. I just happen to look up to my stand and I caught someone drawing there bow. I yelled don't shoot it's a hunter he said he thought it was a deer coming in. After I gave him a piece of my mind for almost shooting me. I found out he lives down the road and he was 16 years old and just started bow hunting. I told him in not so nice of away You never shoot at any thing in the dark thats how peaple get killed and I hope he learn't a lesson and to ask permision to hunt someones property. I now run my flashlight at all times to my stands before daylight and evenings heading home. Do you other hunters use a flashlight.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

I use a green stream light intermittently on my way to the stand.

I think if I had the experenence you did, I might just pack in with a Q-Beam!

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

Yep, I use a light going and returning. You will actually spook less deer, because they can't tell what you are. Try it, it works!!

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The guy was in your stand on your property? I would have had him arrested for Tresspassing. Then I would have consulted with his parents about what he was about to do. If I didn't strangle him first.

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Man that is one scary as hell story.

I used to use nothing going in, then a white light only as needed, now I use my red lens fox hunting light and leave it running the whole time.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

I read a story about a guy who climbed down after his afternoon hunt and on his way out he decided to go check on some fresh scrapes he was seeing. Well he turned his light of as he entered the area and worked his way to the scrape he, then bent down real low so he could see/feel if it had been reworked. He then heard the unmistakeable sound of an alluminum arrows sliding across an arrow rest as it was being drawn, of course he jumped back and yelled and needless to say both of them were scared sh!tless.

ALWAYS use a light, it could very well save your life.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

Walking to my stand last year through a pasture full of deer once I realized they were there I turned off my light. As soon as the light went out so did the deer. That was one boring morning. Since I have used the light all the way to the stand sometimes bumping deer, but they seem to run just out of range of the beam, and stand there. With their superior vision once the light goes out I think they spook a lot worse, because they are used to the shapes they commonnly see out in the woods. With the light they haven't a clue. Haven't you heard the expression "Like a deer in the headlights".

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

Obviously a novice. How did he plan to get a clean shot if he couldn't tell the diffrence between you and the deer[:'(]. I hope ou gave him a swift kick[:@]

I use a light because I can move quicker and make less noise when I can see where I'm going and what I'm stepping on.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

Never USED to use a light. Now I have to go get something. I don't think I would want a regular flash light. Anybody got any suggestions about those small LED lights? Not some of the $50 ones. Something a little cheaper.

Damn that is a scary thought. I couldn't image getting hit with an arrow. Thank God you saw him.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

wihunter,
I use one of those small LED lights. It works very good for getting to and from the stand and I used the same batteries ALL of last season, from Sept right through Jan. I picked mine up at Walmart, I thinit was like 15-16 dollars.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

Thanks davidw. That is what I wanted to hear. I can't see spending lots. My son has wanted one of the small ones like you are talking about but I didn't know if they were worth the money. Guess we will be checking out Wally world before the season starts.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

Do you mean something like this?

http://www.altrec.com/shop/detail/17594/9

or this?

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...26&storeId=226

I personally like the second one better. It runs on standard batteries and is cheaper.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

Wow, that was a close call. The kind that would shake you up good. Glad everything worked out though.

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That boy took years off of my life for he scared the hell out of me. So every one else it's better to run some kind of a light.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

I always use a light walking in and out. Aside from the safety factor, I think that if the deer can see the light, he can see you. With the light, I can go in more quietly and avoid any brush while walking leaving less scent also. The thing I do with the light is I "cup" the end with my hand and ONLY point it straight down on my feet so there is only a thin stream of light.

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I do my best impression of a Light House when I walk to my stand in some woods. Can't kill a deer If your dead first;)

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Ditto!

I use a light most times, but not always.

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thats one of the things they teach you in the hunter saftly courses. i never took the bow hunter saftey course bu they said always to carry a flash light in and out of teh woods, if not for your own sight but to alert other hunters that you are NOT a deer! i think it was probabaly the single best advice i have ever taken out of a safty course. especially after hearing this story... damn

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WOW close call - good shock value in that story!!!
I'll have my light on this year for sure!

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I always use mine....a 2 AA cell Maglite. I usually hunt deep in big woods, and getting there usually doesn't involve a road or easy passage. The light is a must in my case, but I feel for you guys that have been 'drawn on'....my heart starting pumping hard when I read it....can't imagine what it felt like to be the target![&:]

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I have always used one when going in or out of the woods, Maybe its helped me without my knowing it. Guess that why the hunting regs in NY say sunrise to sunset, according to posted times... Glad you are okay. Hope he has learned a lesson too.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

As far as spooking deer is concerned, 1. the deer have no idea where I am going, ;) and 2. It is unlikely that the deer I am hunting is going to be in my path to the stand.

On safety, not only could you be mistaken for game, I have busted my arse pretty good while walking out under a 3/4 moon thinking it was light enough to see. Small, but very sturdy stumps can be very hard to see I low light.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

I use a small LED headlamp that has 1 red LED & 2 white ones. You can choose which one you use. I typically use the red one and it is plenty bright. We all picked one up at Walmart for about $13.


Here's a link to the one I have.

LINK

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

I usually don't use a light, I had a simalar experiance comeing out of a swamp after dark on public land, I heard the arrow slide and could see the poachers siloette against the cloudy sky. I just yelled "HEY" at him and kept going. When I have my radio with me I leave it on when comeing in and out. The flashing red light will alert anybody thinking your a deer, but won't spook deer unless they are so close they would aready be spooked by your presence. I have also seen simalar tiny red flashing pin on lights used for the same reason, but I dop not know who the manufacture is.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

Sometimes... but usually not. When I do it's the little Amber Led on my Streamlight Syclone. Great light, doesn't alert game but is visible to others. Lights the ground just enough for you to see but not really visible to any critters out of my line of travel.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

I use and think those little Streamlight "Stylus" led lights are perfect.......with the little hood it shoots almost a soft laserlike beam on the ground that you can't see from the sides so I doubt it spooks game. I have a green one and use it all the time.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

when gun hunting on public land i do everything but blow a horn when walking in the dark to and from the stand, as a matter of fact i carry a cordless 2 million candlewatt q beem and have almost knocked hunters out of the tree,s with that bright as$ thing ,, when it comes to my safety i make sure other idiots can see me and tell that im not a deer even if it meens spoking some game.. if someone draws back on me and i catch them , they better shoot me cause im gonna do some a$$ kicking

dr kill

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

I'm either using a standard mini mag light or a green Sreamlight Stylus. I dont worry about getting shot on my own land. but, if i got shot at or somebody drew a bead on me, i would be shooting back or i'd be up that tree whooping on them. i put the stylus on the bill of my cap, so i see ahead of me and any potential tresspassers or poachers see me.

slayer

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So YOU'RE the guy with the dang airhorn.[8D]

P.S. I find your Cyber name offensive.[8D];)

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

Sometimes big thing come in little packages.
That is what comes to mind NOW. I got this light for a sponsorship at an National Wild Turkey Federation Banquet.

Everyone was laughing about it, did not think much about it. Well let me shed some light on you with this Safety Green LED glow Streamlight Stylus

The nice problem that I have is we have so much turkeys and deer on the property we hunt it is hard not to spook them walking in before daylight.

Youth season I have to use a flashlight so that the my young 8 year old son will feel comfortable walking in the dark to the blind.

But we have spooked birds in the past doing this. This year I had this light and my Turkey Vest had a place for a pen so it fit nicely and thought the green might not be as bad.

First time out WOW had it hanging around my neck turned it on and we had plenty of light for us both to walk by.

Now my season came around had roosted some birds close. But thought they were farther away than I thought. Walked in right under the tree a nice 3 year old gobbler was roosting in. Put the decoy's out using the light and sat down. It was only to my amazement when he started gobbling 40 yards away on how much I appreciated this light.

But it does not stop there. I now hang this light in my truck when the boy needs to find something in the floor board or if I need a handy flashlight.

We even used this light to go fishing one night with three young kids. I was great could still see and did not draw the bugs in.

Also at the same Resort we had been fishing in I had the light sitting on the nightstand and we are on the fourth floor of the Resort. I wanted to see how far out it would shine. Just lit up the ground 40 feet below.

This will be my main hunting and fishing light for a long time to come.

Can't wait to try it out during deer season.

I also will buy more for my family to use also.


2nd story

November 8th after the last weekend of a hot doe and buck gang chasing I left an hour extra to get set up since the Pre-Rut was here by the Deer Daylight Activity Index. I switched to BF-Rut and sprayed it as I walked along the ridge hoping any deer crossing the ridge would follow.

I was using a StreamLight Green flashlight that helps me see more at night. I had great success with it during spring season not spooking gobblers off roost. Have been using it to see while I climb and had work great so far. But, was not sure how it affected deer. This will come into play twice during the morning that

After getting set up in the stand that morning it was still dark. I was hunting the same saddle and tree as the weekend before. Hoping that one of the bucks would come by this morning.

About 6:15 a.m. had a deer snorting several times south of me near the main gravel road. I have been waiting on my friend to show up. He was going to hunt the ladder stand just north of me. Well about 6:30 a.m. I could see the green light along the ridge coming. Then it went off.

I guess that he decided to walk the last 60 yards in the dark to the stand. Then I could here him walking, but he kept going along the ridge past the ladder stand location and them came back. That’s when I realize it was not him but a deer, so I stood up and here it came as soon as it hit my scent trail I had left again. Then I could barely see the antlers until it was right underneath the stand. I moved my bow to get ready, but I hit the stand and I look straight up at me and snorted and took off back to the ridge.

What had happen is the buck was following my scent trail but was 30 yards in front of my friend, which had decided to hunt the spot the deer crossed the weekend before. He could hear the buck snorting but never could see it because he was on the other side of the ridge and to the east.

The buck continued over the ridge and into the valley snorting the as he went.

6:45 a.m. here came a doe and a yearling over the ridge and thru the saddle and hit the scent trail and followed right to my scent container’s 15 yards away. They stood there and I waited for them to pass by a big tree to shoot.

But then turned and went back the direction they came. When they got back in the valley they started snorting for some reason.

7:00 a.m. another group of three does and yearling coming out of the valley over the ridge and right thru the saddle. They also followed the scent trail.

This time the lead doe and yearling past by the big tree and the third doe was behind big tree and the fourth doe stop to smell the scent containers. I pulled back and then the third doe came back to smell the fourth doe and I shot and hit the doe thru the back and into the lungs.

The three doe’s went south out of site and the arrowed doe went out of site to the east.

Well no use to get down just yet still can fill a buck tag. And with that many doe’s coming thru something is sure to follow.

7:15 a.m. I here something coming from the east and heading in my direction. Well a group of turkey’s started moving into the woods I was hunting. They stayed for about 10 minutes and moved on, just out of bow range the entire time.

Well at 7:30 here comes three more does from over the ridge but this time from where my friend is located.

They are spooked tails are raised, heads are turned, and even hoofed the ground once or twice before came closer.

They finally are within 30 yards and they take off running with a fourth doe following up. My friend said they came by him and went over the ridge with the fourth doe watching him the entire way and making the others nervous.

That was it for the hunting segment of the morning. After getting down and tracking the doe I shot we came across where the last four does had came from and four bedding spots within 20 yards of the ridge road right in one of the main trail roads that I had passed earlier that morning.

At least in appearance the green light in two case’s did not seem to spook the deer.

RE: Flashlights to deer stand
 

I use a Princeton TEC head lamp with red lens at least once during my trip to or from the stand. It takes four AA batteries that last a week or two of hunting, walking to and from stand that is. I few of my friends switched to LED and that seems to be the way to go. At least when talking about battery life. As for the lens color I read an article that deer had a hard time seeing red and blue was a good color for tracking, blood really shines under the blue light.

Regarding getting drawn on... wow! I'm sure that got the old ticker pumping! Glad to see you were able to walk away from that situation! I'll always keep a light on after reading that story!

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Been there, done that! 14 years ago I was actually shot at with a rifle! Only by the Grace of God the boy was a poor shot and missed me. He thought I was a deer. It was pitch black and I walked right by his stand. I've never ran so fast in all my life all the way back to the truck. Needless to say, I have been using a light ever since, no matter how many deer I spook.

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did you ever find out who shot at you with the rifle? Man I would be scared S@#Tless, then I would beat the crap out of that kid. Thats scary to even think about. Glad your alright.

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Yes I did. the guy was an acquantence of mine. We were both given permission to hunt the property. I thought I was the only one hunting that evening, so at the time, I didn't think I needed a flashlight or hunters orange. Boy was I wrong. I was so scared I did not wait around to confront him. But we had words the next time I ran into him out there, after I gained my composure. He tried to tell me he saw me and there was a deer on the other side of him that he was shooting at. I called BS on him. The sound of 2 7mm Mag bullets buzzing by my ear told me he was lying!

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I usualy use one going in. But in the evenings I try to walk out in the shaddows. After hearing your story I think I'll start using one going out too. I hunt a mid sized field that has a thick tree line all the way around. I don't think using a light would hurt and it's better than taking a chance on getting shot by someone not being careful. Thanks for adding to my awareness.

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I also use a Streamlight Stylus with green light. It has worked well.

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Don't believe the story about the blue light making blood shine. I tried it last year and it actually made the blood look black.

Yes, I use green flash light. It also helps me narrow down where the deer are entering the fields in the evenings, so I can reset my stand and cut them off.

I've never used a light for walking in or out. I often come in early and hope to surprise a Hog rooting in a pasture or field. Which has backfired on me a couple of times.

I once stumbled into a whole sounder of pigs, maybe ten, who were taking a break and lounging around. The main body was maybe thirty feet in front of me, some piglets to my left and Mamma Sow to my right. My instinct was to make like a tree and not move a muscle, it worked. The other hunter that was following me in, made some noise and the Hogs bolted. I yelled run and she did, I stood stock still and hoped if they decided to charge they'd follow her, she was a whole lot younger and faster than I am. She asked me later why I didn't run too, I just smiled.

I was coming in slow and quiet going to a shooting tower at the corner of two pastures bordered by forest, the pastures are in a kind of "L" shape. I was walking slow up the small side of the "L", put my rifle on safe to cross a ditch. At a 45 degree angle across the smaller pasture from me is a little stand of young pine and some Bee hives the farmer puts out. A really big Sow comes charging out from the area of the Hives straight at me grunting and clacking her jaws. It was really dark out, all I could see was her shape, which kind of reminded me of an old Volkswagen bug, both in shape and size. I was standing in the ditch, all she could see was the top half of my body. I'm thinking all I have is a bolt action rifle and wasn't real confident I could acquire her in my scope and bring her down in one shot before she ran right over the top of me. Thankfully she stopped about half way to me and snorted, it was a mock charge. I backed out the same way I came in and didn't stop backing up until I had an open shot against a lighter background and a place to run to in case I missed or wounder her.

I learned my lesson, now when I walk in I carry my slug gun (a Remington 1100) and a 44 special revolver. And carry my bolt gun slung on my back.

Question is, I've had good luck stopping dogs coming at me with my 1000 lumen flashlight on strobe. I'm wondering what effect the strobe might have on a Hog or Deer? Any guesses? Or has somebody accidentally hit strobe when game is near and did it have any effect?

And even if you are going Bow Hunting, a large caliber handgun as backup may save your bacon some day. Nothing says don't mess with me quit like a .357 or .44 going off in the dark, the fireball is impressive. You might need it never, but if you need it once it is sure nice to have that option.

Ninety nine times out of a hundred the Hogs are going to take off in the other direction. It's that one time they don't, you have to worry about.

I have a light I got on special from Amazon, it says Police on it, I think maybe it is a Cree clone or maybe a relabeled Cree, or maybe an early model Windfire? It was like $12, batteries not included, the batteries were expensive, but they last forever. It is about three yeas old now and still working well. I did cut me some strips from an old bicycle inner tube and put them in strategic spots on the light. It really helps keep the noise down as the light bounces around in my jacket pocket. Super bright, they advertise it at 1000 lumens, which really comes in handy trying to follow a small/sporatic blood trail in the dark.

If there is no moon or a small one and it is really black, I use a light aimed at the ground about 3 feet in front of me so I don't trip over a limb that wasn't there last time I hunted. I look ahead of the beam so I do not look directly at the light. I will clear the path prior to the season and on my way out each time I hunt but it is not uncommon for a limb to come down after I leave, especially if there is a wind at night. I really hate using a light because it blows my night vision for a while after it is turned off, but it is a necessary evil when getting in the stand when it is pitch black . I still remember when I used to hunt on State game lands and it looked like a bunch of fireflies comming through the woods, lights being swung around through the trees even up in the trees like these folks were scared something may have bee hiding in the trees waiting to attack them.