Getting busted EARLY sucks!!!
 

There's a farm about an hour away that I got permission to hunt on. I couldn't meet up with the guy who's familiar with it prior to getting up there, so I looked at the farm on a map and he guided me thru the hot spots over the phone. He told me about this one spot that I had to be in by 5:00 a.m. or I'd get busted b/c the deer enter between 5:15-5:30. The spot is a small strip of trees/thickets running south to a small pond (surrounded by trees/thickets) and bordered to the west and south by fields, and bordered to the east/southeast by hardwoods. He told me to enter from the north, thru the thickets and head down to the pond and wait there, as they ALWAYS enter thru the southeast from the hardwoods.

So I woke my arse up at 3:00 and drove up to the farm to get in place. I reallllly wanted to enter from the west side because it's bordered by a field; it's the easiest way in and the deer are typically going to trek thru the trees and thickets, not thru the field. But since I had never scouted the area, I followed the guy's advice and entered thru the thickets from the north. I was in by 5:00, and just like he said, I heard some loud crashing to the southeast right around 5:15. I was getting excited. Then, all of the sudden, I heard some SUPER LOUD crashing coming in behind me from the north. Holy crap!! I was totally stoked and couldn't wait to see the deer come in so close to me and not know I was there. Then, all of the sudden, the deer from the north stopped for a second, and I KNEW it was coming. That loud, coughing wheeze. And there it was and both deer turned around. He caught my scent...probably from my tracks in as the wind was blowing from the east. So, there I was, at 5:15, busted and with almost 2 hours to go until sunrise. I sat motionless for about 4 more hours, hoping something else would make its way in, but nothing.

Newb lesson learned, do NOT rely solely upon others' scouting!!

I have never been a fan of the get there super early strategy. 2 hours in darkness when you can't shoot or see is trying. Where I hunt, what deer are present at 5am ain't gonna be around at shooting light. Figure where their gonna be at 6:00am and then decide where to put a stand to cut them off when the approach at 645 or 700.

I know the feeling of getting busted in the dark, and it sucks. It happened to me more than once. Last year in archery heading in at dark crossing a field for about 200 yards all is silent and I'm feeling good then I pause at the woodline before heading into the woods all is quiet, one step in the crispy leaves and deer are blowing left and right bounding off. Ahh what a horrible feeling. You question yourself if its worth sitting there after that happens. I went in anyway only to leave several hours later without seeing anything. Bummer.

two hours before sunrise???? nonsense

Why is that nonsense? The deer were there at 5:15 or so, which is really not much longer than anhour before shooting light.

Hey, if you have a good set up, you can get in early and take a snooze.

Nothing wrong with getting in early if its the right setup, I got on stand at 430am one time after bumping a buck twice at my stand. In the dark heard him come in and he beded down, daylight came boom. Nice 18 inch 8pt, I know it wont work all the time, but it sure is nice when something that you plan turns out right.

If you can see to shoot where I am at at much before 730am you have night visions goggles on. Legal shooting (1/2 b4 sunrise) in Indiana is just before about 720.

I'm on the east coast. You're on eastern time, but the western side of it.

i am always getting busted on by my hunting buddies for this, "why the #@%# do you walk in at 3-4AM???"

i have been "snorted" at a few times and does have blown so loudly, it is disheartening

i did read recently where this one guy runs like all get out to his stand, right before sunrise (or at least when he can see), through the woods...he says it sounds like a buck chasing a doe (with the exception of a 200lb dude, huffing and puffing at the base of the treestand :))

it happens, now you know

First time hunting a new place this year on opening day of archery season and I got busted early. I scouted a few weeks earlier and picked out a few trees that seemed like promising stand sites. I trecked in with my climber before daylight and proceeded to set-up. Platform attached to tree, putting up seat section. I wrap the chain around the tree but while holding the stand in place before I have a chance to secure it, here comes the leaf crunching 'chh, chh, chh' sound of approaching deer. I think two deer came in, both within 20 yards, but it was too dark to see. They stayed put but eventually I moved, they blew, and that was the end of that. Sat til noon and saw nothing but tree rats. I did move to another property for the afternoon and passed on a couple of lil ones, so at least I had an opportunity to actually see deer in the daylight...

I agree, the usefulness of this is questionable. Yeah, the deer may pass through...in the dark...but unless they bed down, or you're a poacher, what are you going to do about it?

I like to be in place and settled 10-20 minutes before legal shooting time. Even at that, I've had two occasions where bucks walked in, walked around me, or stood around, all well within range, then left before I could even see my sight pin. They never knew I was there, but so what? If you don't have a shot, it doesn't matter much, although the experience is a bit exciting, especially knowing that you must have done something right, since they didn't catch on to you.