Dark to Dark Hunting
06-28-2005, 06:55 AM
#23
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 4,679
RE: Dark to Dark Hunting
I hunt all day when I believe the deer are getting lots of hunting pressure, or when I believe they are rutting. More than half the deer I have killed were between 10am and 2pm including my biggest buck.
06-28-2005, 07:43 AM
#24
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 6,357
RE: Dark to Dark Hunting
It seems to me that the value of this strategy would depend a lot on circumstances. For example, if the wind changes direction between dawn and dusk, it might be a good idea to change to a stand where the wind does not favor the deer.
Perhaps the point is the writer advocates hunting the whole day -- using whatever technique and location is most appropriate under the conditions: changing stand location if the wind changes, perhaps still hunting bedded deer in the mid-day, attempting to cut and follow tracks if a snowfall occurs in mid-day, etc. Hunting all day mayincrease chances of bagging a deer, but not necessarily linearly (double the time afield may not mean 2 times higher probability of success). Another consideration is that if you are succeeding by hunting 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon . . . what more can you accomplish by remaining afield 10 hours? Success is success!
On the other hand, if you are hunting an area with significant hunter presence, a hunter remaining in his stand all day long may enjoy having deer pushed to him by other hunters getting in and out of their stands through out the day.
One thing to remember, though, is deer hunting is supposed to be fun. If sitting in a stand for 10 hours a day is not fun and you are having fun NOT staying in the stand (that is, you are enjoying your hunt and accomplishing your objectives -- whatever they may be), than definitely get out of the darned stand!!!
Perhaps the point is the writer advocates hunting the whole day -- using whatever technique and location is most appropriate under the conditions: changing stand location if the wind changes, perhaps still hunting bedded deer in the mid-day, attempting to cut and follow tracks if a snowfall occurs in mid-day, etc. Hunting all day mayincrease chances of bagging a deer, but not necessarily linearly (double the time afield may not mean 2 times higher probability of success). Another consideration is that if you are succeeding by hunting 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon . . . what more can you accomplish by remaining afield 10 hours? Success is success!
On the other hand, if you are hunting an area with significant hunter presence, a hunter remaining in his stand all day long may enjoy having deer pushed to him by other hunters getting in and out of their stands through out the day.
One thing to remember, though, is deer hunting is supposed to be fun. If sitting in a stand for 10 hours a day is not fun and you are having fun NOT staying in the stand (that is, you are enjoying your hunt and accomplishing your objectives -- whatever they may be), than definitely get out of the darned stand!!!
06-28-2005, 07:49 AM
#25
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 3,406
RE: Dark to Dark Hunting
Hunting from dark to dark in the rule for myself, my three sons and a few friends. AND, it's all done from treestands. Also, I was born during the Truman administration, so I ain't a spring chicken. I do it (stay every day, all day) because I love being in the woods and our style really works. We arrive before first light and stay until legal hunting hours is over - 30 min after sunset. That's 11 1/2 hours a day in a treestand. Last year, my son finally got his deer on the 10th day of hunting...after over 100 hours sitting 25 feet above the ground. During that time he only saw one doe, which he let walk. Of course we need a flashlight to get back to the truck which can be an hour walk.
The main reason we do it is because we can. When we're all setup, we all know each other's place in the woods. When we hear a shot, we know instantly who did the shooting. If someone tags before 9am, he knows he won't see anyone until after 9....and the same holds true for the afternoon. If I shoot a deer at 3PM, I don't expect to see anyone until legal shooting time is over. Those guys are better of staying put during the best times of the day, than helping me dress and drag out a deer.
Staying all day in my self climbercan be very hard to do, especially if the weather fails to cooperate. I love it because if/when I see a deer, it has no idea, Jimmy is watching it's every move and I then make the decision whether to take the shot or not. We have been very successful over the years hunting this way in the woods of NH, which has only about 10 deer per square mile in the areas we hunt. We also don't let the moon, the weather or other hunters in our areas interfere with our game plan. Those others hunters actually help us by moving the deer around and most of the time they too are unaware they are being watched from 25 feet. Like deer, hunters usually don't look up either...
The main reason we do it is because we can. When we're all setup, we all know each other's place in the woods. When we hear a shot, we know instantly who did the shooting. If someone tags before 9am, he knows he won't see anyone until after 9....and the same holds true for the afternoon. If I shoot a deer at 3PM, I don't expect to see anyone until legal shooting time is over. Those guys are better of staying put during the best times of the day, than helping me dress and drag out a deer.
Staying all day in my self climbercan be very hard to do, especially if the weather fails to cooperate. I love it because if/when I see a deer, it has no idea, Jimmy is watching it's every move and I then make the decision whether to take the shot or not. We have been very successful over the years hunting this way in the woods of NH, which has only about 10 deer per square mile in the areas we hunt. We also don't let the moon, the weather or other hunters in our areas interfere with our game plan. Those others hunters actually help us by moving the deer around and most of the time they too are unaware they are being watched from 25 feet. Like deer, hunters usually don't look up either...
06-28-2005, 07:53 AM
#26
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: WC FL
Posts: 26,323
RE: Dark to Dark Hunting
ORIGINAL: Pro-Line
I used to nearly every time I went out. Now I only stay out all day during the rut.
I've killed my 2 biggest deer between 10am and noon.
I used to nearly every time I went out. Now I only stay out all day during the rut.
I've killed my 2 biggest deer between 10am and noon.
and move the deer around like hunting dog's.
06-28-2005, 08:24 AM
#27
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Darien, IL
Posts: 6,744
RE: Dark to Dark Hunting
I don't do it from tree stands. Too confining and ultimately uncomfortable for me.
I will sit all day in a ground blind or "spider hole" pit, where I have some freedom to move around and reposition myself.
Have taken many deer at dusk after sitting all day.
One of the biggest resons I do it though is to be able to glass areas even beyond effective shot range to pinpoint future stand sites. I usually see lots of deer with glassing.
Uncle Matt (in IL)
I will sit all day in a ground blind or "spider hole" pit, where I have some freedom to move around and reposition myself.
Have taken many deer at dusk after sitting all day.
One of the biggest resons I do it though is to be able to glass areas even beyond effective shot range to pinpoint future stand sites. I usually see lots of deer with glassing.
Uncle Matt (in IL)
06-28-2005, 08:44 AM
#28
Typical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Rockaway,NJ.
Posts: 621
RE: Dark to Dark Hunting
I'm no stranger to sitting from dark to dark. You just never know when that buck is going to appear. I always say to myself just one more hour or 10 more minutes or 5 more minutes which always turns into oneMORE hour and 10 MORE minutes and 5 MORE minutes. Next thing I know it's getting dark or here comes Mr. Buck!
To tell you the truth I have seen more deer traffic between the hours of 11am and 2 pm then any other time of the day!
To tell you the truth I have seen more deer traffic between the hours of 11am and 2 pm then any other time of the day!
06-28-2005, 09:59 AM
#30
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 225
RE: Dark to Dark Hunting
I've done dark to dark in a treestand probably a half dozen times during the opener of shotgun and once during the rut in bow season.........to me it SUCKS. I see more deer when I hunt dark a.m. to about 10:00 and then 2:00 pm to dark, I've also done the 10:00 to 2:00 shift a few times by not going out in the am/pm, and so far it has never paid off, but that's just my experience.