I had one those "I don't need a light" A$$ Holes, set up on the ground 50 yards from me last year.

I hunt public land, and it's simple common courtesy, If your walking in on someone who has been in their tree since 4:00 AM and they see your light coming, they can flash you off.

In my case I was in my climber, 30' up at 4:30, had deer moving around under me the next 2 hours, about 20 min before day light I heard one coming through the laurel towards me then stop, when day light came, it was a big fat "I dont need a flash light A$$ Hole".

Slack

You sound bitter!:s2: I almost (when I do it's red) never use a light going in or coming out. If a deer hears a twig snap he doesn't really know what caused it. If a deer sees a moving light in the woods he KNOWS EXACTLY what causes that!!:s4:

Yeah, I could understand it on public land for safety from other hunters. And for the places where bears, bores, and snakes could mess up your morning walk. We have bears and mountain lions, and bobcats around but hogs are not a problem in this part of Missouri, and it's way too cold to worry about snakes during deer season. I built a new wood platform in a tree one time and had a guy walk in with a light opening morning and try to climb into the stand that I had built. He left when he saw me, but it was no trouble. If he had got there first there would have been plenty, as he would be climbing down or be dragged down! That's another thing that I don't have to worry about on my property, like a person would on public property. On private land, you better have permission to be there or be ready to be arrested and fined.
There do seem to be many good reasons for using a light, but I will not be doing so.

Always a light walking in and out. Even if its not pitch black dark when im leaving at night. Every year you hear a story about some guy taking a shot into some brush because he heard noise he thought was a deer. Even if its dusk or dawn, i have my headlamp on. Also, you've obviously never trip on a surprise stump or down tree/branches etc i guess. Why chance getting turned around and screwing up the hunt? Hell, I stubbed my dang toe in my dark house the other night :)

I hunt primarily private land. Some of the ground I hunt the farmer will allow anyone to hunt it. About two years ago, me and two of my buddies were hunting this ground one afternoon. When it was time to get down from the tree, I was looking out thru the woods before I got down and had seen a light going thru the woods in a direction that I knew my buddies were not at. If he had not had a light on, I would have never known he was there. I am not one of those idiots that will shoot into a moving bush without seeing what is causing to move, but I am glad that he did have a light on so that we knew of his presence. Also, one of my buddies got turned around in the woods that same hunt, but luckly he was using his light and I was able to find him and get him aimed in the right direction. He had never hunted in that woods before. So, I say to all, even if you do not use a flashlight to get in or out of the woods to hunt, You at least need to have one on you so that someone else can find you when you get yourself turned around and lost!

Always have a light with me, use it if it is necessary, don't if it's not...

Amen to that. That's exactly what I do. If I can avoid a couple limbs in the eye or smacking my bow on one or cracking some sticks I didn't see on the ground it's worth the little bit of light the red light gives off. Plus it makes eyes that you may not have seen in the dark really light up and stick out.

for some people its just a comfort feeling, i know that if im hunting a piece of property that may have other people on it, i dont want to be walking through the woods sounding like a deer and u have a idiot who doesnt know what hes doing lobbing shots thinking im a deer. its just a good safety precaution to have

Yeah i like to see if any body can walk through 3/4 of a mile through the thickest palmettos and and pines without any flashlights or a gps trying to find a stand. Even with gps i got turned around b/c everthing looked very different even though my stand was 15' behind me w/o a flashlight nope would have got veryyyyyyy frustrated. Pygme rattlesnakes and eastern diamondbacks dont like when you almost step on them when they are sleepin. So heck ya i will use a light any morning.

I use a green light to keep from spooking game and yes I use the tabs to help keep me on my path. I don't see where it matters. I've been out in the morning with a heavy fog and sat down frustrated because I couldn't find my stand. When the fog lifted I was 10 yards from my stand. After that I started using tabs to make sure I stay on path. Why not? There is really not a reason for not using a light that I can see especially the green or red lights that wont spook game. It's kept me from twisting an ankle or two also.