Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

When is the best time to get to your stand in the morning? Use a flashlight or daylight? Load your gun when you get to your spot, or before you leave your car?

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

I usually go out in the dark with a flashlight.

For example...I was out last weekend hunting, and sunrise was @ 6:25am, it was light enough to see by 6:10am. So I was in my spot by 5:30am.

Gives you enough time to settle in and have everything quite down. You also have to consider how long of a walk you have.

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

Go in while it's still dark. Leave yourself about 1/2 hour before daylight.

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

I go in during the dark.

Legally you are supposed to have your gun unloaded and encased during non-hunting hours. I admit on my way in its usually not encased and it does a have a couple in the magazine, weve got bears and wolves where I hunt, dont really want to run into one with an encased gun!

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

go in at dark with a flash light

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

Get in BEFORE light.

In my state (IL), legal shooting time opens 1/2 hour before sunrise.
If I want to be in the woods, set up, quiet, and ready for a shot when shooting time opens, I need to get there at least half an hour before shooting time opens. I actually like being on-stand an hour before it opens, but you should at least give the woods some time to forget you are there once you are set up.
I have to set up my stand every time I go because of the rules at the public land I hunt, so I've got extra setup time to consider.

I'm not goin to lie to you and say that I haven't seen deer right after I sit down, but I think your chances are far better if you are there and ready long before you have to be. If you hunt public land like I do you will also have less of a chance of pissing off other hunters and will have your choice of stand locations.


As for flashlight use, I think you have less chance of spooking game if you go in early and occassionaly use your flashlight to navigate than if you come in at the start of shooting time without a light. Use a light if you have to, but get there early!

Keep 'em all in the Bull.

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

Spook a deer walking to your stand 1 hour before
daylight and he just might come back at sunrise.
Spook a deer at sunrise and hes usually gone for good.
I am usually in my morning stand one hour before legal
shooting time . This gives plenty of time for the woods
to settle down and if you leave any trace
scents they should be undetectable by the time the
deer get to you. Most hunters head for their stands
30 minutes or so before daylight. I want to be in my
stand before these other people get the deer moving.
I load my gun as soon as I get in my tree stand.

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

Go to your stand before it gets light. Load your gun once you get to your spot!

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

I always get to mystand early in the dark, because fro experience, I have flushed deer and have them come back later that morning. But if I went in at daylight, I dont think they would have come back.

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

If you load your gun once you get to your stand before it gets light (as one said, one hour before legal shooting time) ...isn't that against the law? I know I am not alowed to have a loaded gun, a Muzzleloader with the cap in place or a bow with an arrow knocked before legal shooting hours. I am curious to find out if it's legal where you hunt to carry a loaded rifle well before legal shooting begins. I have never heard of this.

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

I used to go in while it was still dark but now I head in at dawn I got tired of sitting in the dark and hearing deer I couldn't see or legally shoot. If I see a deer on my way in I can shoot it.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

Jimmy S,

Cant have a loaded weapon here in MN before legal shooting hours. 1/2 hour before surise and 1/2 hour after sunset. You can however go to your stand as early as you want. I personally like to leave well before light 1-2 hours, just because I am deep in the bush, 1 mile or so, not quite. That can be a challenge in itself and by the time I get out there and all set up the sunrise is close.

Starrman

Ron Starr

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

I go in about an hour before sunrise. I take my time and move real slow when going in. I also bring a turkey call with me while entering the woods and if I happen to make to much noise through the brush or stepping on branches I give a couple of clucks with the call. I don't know if this really makes a difference but hey it doesn't hurt any.

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

Thanks Starrman...Seems to me sitting at a deer stand an hour before legal shooting time with a loaded weapon is questionable at best and possibly unlawful. Why would anyone have their gun loaded when they still have an hour before they can legally shoot?....Don't make sense to me!

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

Like Benhunting, I'm in Florida. Legal shooting time is 1/2 hour before sunrise. There is no law prohibiting having a loaded weapon before that time. I, myself, load my weapon 15 - 20 minutes before legal shooting time. I get there an hour early and after about 15 minutes I load up. I'm sure not going to wait until legal shooting time and be caught jacking shells in my gun by every deer within earshot. If it was illegal I wouldn't do it, but it's not so I'm loading up a little early.

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
I use a flashlight with a red lens on it. I feel like I can see better and it doesn't shine so deep into the woods. I like to get in my stand about 30 minutes before sun up. Oh, and my gun is usually loaded (shell in chamber) before I start walking in. I don't want to make any more noise than I have to, and shucking a shell in the silence of night is sure to scare something off.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

Good point, thanks!

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

I guess it also depends on your nerves!! It can be scary walking in the dark to your stand!! hehe. :)

This year I've gotten much much better at forcing myself out of bed earlier and getting into my stands with at least 45 minutes till shooting light. I would absolutely conclude that doing this has increased my odds of seeing deer. One morning (openning day actually), I had several doe right under my stand right around the exact time I would have normally been leaving my truck! I do not know for sure if the flashlight has spooked anything off but it doesn't seem like it. I too have use a red lens on mine but honestly, it didn't really make a big difference; at least in my case. The hardest part about getting in your stand that early is the necessity for using a light while you get settled. After that, the 30 or so minute wait until it becomes light enough to shoot is spooky but in a fun way...listening to the sounds of the woods, imagining things, etc.

-Mike

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
If you load your gun once you get to your stand before it gets light (as one said, one hour before legal shooting time) ...isn't that against the law? I know I am not alowed to have a loaded gun, a Muzzleloader with the cap in place or a bow with an arrow knocked before legal shooting hours. I am curious to find out if it's legal where you hunt to carry a loaded rifle well before legal shooting begins. I have never heard of this.


<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>In
Florida the regulations state Shooting Hours one half
hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset.
As long as you arnt shining a spot light around you
can have your rifle loaded as soon as you leave your truck.

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

Well first thing is you really need to be in your stand at least 1/2 hour before legal shooting time, in regards to whether the weapon is loaded or not, in Va. as long as it is not loaded in your vehicle you can load your gun, you can have a loaded gun in the woods at 3 am if you wish, just make sure you do not shoot a deer until 1/2 hour before sunrise or 1/2 hour after sundown. I prefer loading my gun the second I get out of my truck, that way I get settled into my stand a lot quicker and quieter.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

I'm usually in my stand at least 1/2 hour before any sort of light starts to show. I just pack heavy to stay warm and wait. It's better to be early and give the deer a lot of time before you're ready for them to come by and shoot them. So deffinately in the dark, sooner the better.
Visit My Hunting Page

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

I hunt on public generally in the mornings and evenings. I have over the last several years found that going out early to be the best. Yes, I have heard deer stirring around that I could not see, but if you as quitely as possible and do not shine lights at them , and slowly those deer will generally come back. Your presence at that time did not pose any threat to them at that time. It also helps to make sure you are using scent elimantion and cover scents. I will give you one example of how succesful I have found this. I had walked out to my stand settled in and had sat there about an hour after shooting time started when a deer suddenly popped up in front of me. I shot that deer only to have another 20 pop up. They had all been bedded down right in front of me. I can also tell you a story about being out early, laying back waiting for shooting time and having a deer come up to in the pitch black and sniffing on me so close I could feel its breath. It stayed there until I finally had to move to try and see it. I simply coldn't wait any more. Never did see it. Latter tho I had 2 bucks come out of a slough that I over look and walk a stright line to my scents that I had setup. Head down sniffing... what a thrill! oh and believe it or not I had been using a 30-06 auto from my father-in-laws estate a remington. Well to finish the story, the round was not fully chambered so when I went to shoot after watching this deer walk about 300 yards straight to me...click is all I heard. Well of course they both took off, but they immediately circled right back to the scents. This time I was completly ready. Nice 8 point to end the story.

RE: Go in while it's dark, or just day break?
 

DARK. Load when I get to my stand.