Usually an LED head light if I need it. Big moon ... sometimes I can see well enough that I don't.

I try to get in without one but when I do I use a hat lamp with 3 or four green LEDs. Deer can't see the light so it won't spook them.

This topic was on another smaller forum and the horror stories of people almost getting shot by people night hunting or just sound shooting was crazy. One guy actually had heard someone drawing back and flipped on his light and a guy yelled at him for walking through the woods with no light!

Better safe than sorry now. I hunt private and still will flick my light on here and there just to be safe.

Can't be "crashing" through the woods with or without a light.

Red, Green or white........................


Better to walk in under shooting light IMO.


Worn foot path.................. use a light if need be (red, green or white).

Thanks a lot y'all!

Doesn't work too well if you walk an expensive scope or a new expensive bow, into a tree, in total darkness.

Good advice! I will use a flashlight whether I need it or not when hunting public land walking a dirt road to my stand in the dark - I will even shine the light in different directions. In low light a lot of things look like a deer and the same guys that road hunt in this area might take a crack at what they think is a deer walking in the dark. Generally, if I need to get to a spot in the dark, I make sure it does not require too much crashing around. Many people will use reflective markers to guide the way, but on public land you may be guiding the way for others as well.

I use a clip light on my hat has green, red, and white LED, enough to light the ground 2ft in front of me and thats it. But if the moon and stars are out and bright i will go without. If i get to my area and there are already vehicles there I will use my flashlight to not find my way but flick it as mention so i 1. dont walk into another hunters spot, 2. so i can let other hunters know where i am for that just in case guy whos trigger happy.

I think the best way is to get in there, crunching leaves and shining lights 'n all, well before sunrise and hope like hell things calm down... but I am HOPELESS at it. And when I do manage to drag my ass out of bed early enough on those cold mornings, I need a hot coffee and a sandwich with me in the stand, so the smell of that probably scares the deer away anyway.

I agree with you 100%. Most people around where I hunt are headed out of the woods by 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning and they get in there well before daylight. They rarely kill anything other than a scrap rack or a doe. I like getting in my stand about 10 minutes before day break and sit till around 11 or 12 depending on the movement and I/ kill more good deer between 9 and noon when everyone else is back at the camp doing whatever

depends, I usually have one on my head ready to go. Try to use green/red instead of white. Red tends to leave you walking into branches etc... green you can see a lot more than red, but who knows if deer will spook more or less to green vs. red.

on public land, esp. during a gun season I would have a light! even private land around here, fence lines etc...