hunting-addict

i have been hunting for awhile now and it really depends who i go with in terms of when they want to leave the truck to head to their morning spots. some people believe that as the sun rises that is the best time to begin the walk to the spot, others believe that one should be at the location and prepared well before the sun rises. i have always been the one to head to the location before the sun rises, but whats your opinion?

gunther89

I always try and get to my stand at least 30 minutes before light. This way it lets the woods quiet down and get back to normal.

cynikalHC

This is what I always try to do... sometimes the nightly festivities at the camp dont allow for that tho...

timbercruiser

Just get there when you can. If it is 8 or 9 even, just go. The more time you spend in the woods the better your chance of getting a shot.

AR Bowhunter

I try to be there an in the tree when everyone else starts too shuffle around at the camp. Nothing like them pushing deer towards you while they are on the way to the stands.

Rhody Hunter

I try to be in my stand 45 min before light . The critters and birds start moving 30 min before sunrise

CamoCop

i'm normally in my stand 45 minutes to an hour before shooting light.

spudrow

I agree well before light.

Spudrow

fastetti

I like how you think! Been there and done that! Seems like 5 AM comes too soon sometimes!

I try to get into my stand 30 minutes before light, but sometimes I go right at first light. If Im hunting a large ag field sometimes I'll wait until first light and check for deer. I don't want to spook 20 deer off an ag field if I can help it. If you are hunting staging areas or trails to/from bedding areas, the earlier the better. You can't get there too early when you are hunting travel routes. It does get your heart pumping when its pitch black and you can hear the deer moving and you can't see them. Man, you don't know if its a fawn or a 170 class buck sometimes!

The biggest buck I have ever seen was opening day when I was late getting into a new spot right at first light and halfway up my climber, 30 yards away with my gun on the ground I spot a buck on a small ridge that probably went 150 just looking at me, with steam coming out of his nose. One of the most beautiful things Ive seen in the woods but most upsetting. Got my gun in my hands and took off as I went to load my gun. If I hadn't seen 8 other bucks that morning and 40 + does I'd probably still be upset but nailed my biggest buck of my life later that day.

GTOHunter

I alway like getting in my stand 30 minutes to an hour preferably before daylight,most Hunters are walking in late and always scare the Deer towards us where we hunt.I had a Deer walk past behind my stand last year (Nov. 2009) just before daylight,I used my grunt call and lightly rattled the horns and a few minutes later a young 4-Point Buck walked in a sniffed the Tink's scent I had hanging by my stand by then it was easier to see that is was a small Buck and I waited for a nicer Buck to show up about 45 minutes later in good light that I shot!To me it is a rush to be in the stand early and well before daylight then to have Deer moving around by me that don't know I'm even there and a lot of times they will circle around several times during the morning and sometimes I use a drag-line with Doe in Estrous scent or even use another one with dominant Buck Urine and drag them both several hundred yards to my stand then walk past my stand and hang them on a tree branch to lure Deer in that cross my trail on the way to my stand.

I know a few Hunters that get up later in the mornings,eat breakfast and start out later and seem to get a nice Buck each year...I guess they do like Fastetti and instead of scaring the Deer away early in the morning walking to their stands in the dark they slip in later and catch them traveling to their Bedding area or feeding area and still manage to see some nice Bucks!