Morning Hunting Walk in Time??

Ok so been wondering what a lot of you morning hunters do. How early do you guys walk in before day break usually? I've seen people make statements where they go in like 2 hours before sun starts showing and others saying once they can kinda see.

I usually do evening hunts but was thinking of changing it up a bit this year.

So lets hear what you guys got...

Depends on where I'm going. If I can get where I'm going without bumping a bunch of deer, I'll get to the stand before it's light most times I'll ease in just as it gets light enough to see. Killed of of biggest bucks I've ever killed on the way to the stand

I want to be in my spot/tree and settled in bout 10 minutes or so before it's light enough to shoot.

So your theory is you wanna be able to see if its a long haul in but if not get in before light?

does that mean even if you bump a few you are going in no matter what?

Yep, I'm old school, get there before daylight .

Thats how I was 2 years ago but haven't done it in awhile and wanted some feedback. thanks for the info man!

I want to be in the stand ready to hunt 30 minutes before daylight.

does it matter to you if you bump deer or not?

This has been an on going argument for a while. I like to be up and still 45 minutes or so before first light.

Nope

Same here. About 45 min. before sunrise is typically when I am up.

It does if you run off the one you're trying to kill

I like to be in 30-45 before shooting light. As far as bumping deer sometimes you don't have a choice. Some of my spots are one way in. I've run deer out of green fields walking in only to have them come back in after daylight. And to clarify I usually don't hunt a field in the morning unless it's close to a bedding area and it's my only choice or its during the rut. I just like to be sitting still when it's getting light. I enjoy that as much as shooting one.

I prefer to be up and settled then take an hour nap till daylight. So many times I've had deer walking under me usually 10 or so mins before daylight.

45 min before the first hint of sunlight is early for sure. I opt for about 30 minutes more sleep.

If I'm hunting the woods I like to ease in just after daylight when the birds are making noise so it covers my noise up.

I like to be in the tree and ready 30 min for day light I had a lot deer walk by me just after daylight

This last season, if I was going to Wheeler, I would try to be in the stand ready 30 minutes before light. Sometimes that wouldn't happen because someone would be at the spot I was planning on going to, or other random stuff kept happening.

If it was by my house, I would go right at light, just because I knew I could slip in easy.

I like to get in my stand at least 1 hour before it starts breaking daylight. Sometimes earlier if I have a mature buck pinned to where he is bedding. I mostly hunt bedding areas or funnels leading to bedding areas.

But for you guys walking in and say climbing a tree do you care if you bump deer or not? I know i've always tried to get in the past early an get way up in set almost an hour before light.

I like to be settled and ready to go 30 minutes before daylight. As far as spooking deer, I would rather them spook at the sound of me walking in than seeing me. I have had some come back in after spooking them before daylight but never had one come back after seeing me (evening or running late in the morning).

Bout daylight. Hunt on the way in sit as long as possible Hunt on the way out.

I'm a go in after I can see hunter mostly. I hunt to stand.

I always use a green light for some reason it doesn't seem to spook them. If I bump a deer walking in early I don't stop walking and act like I never heard it. Most of the time it will go just a few yards and stop. Seems like if you stop they will run to the next county most of the time. This is just how I have had the most luck hunting the mountains around here.

Good point , don't stop go on and get in your stand , many times they'll ease off just a little piece and hang around till daylight. Don't use a white light .

Only thing is the law changed this year cant get there before and out the new sun,up sunset law.gonna change how alot of us hunter,s hunt.for what I understand there going by the time in the hunting digest.I dont like it a bit neither.

It depends on where I'm going usually and whether I'm climbing or not. I try to get in and settled 15 mins or so before daylight. If I'm hunting a road or somewhere I can hunt my way in, I'll wait until right as it's starting to be light enough to slip along and see well enough to shoot if something offers a shot.

On the topic of light colors...yall use green or red with better luck?

I like and prefer a green light.

You've never duck hunted much, have you? You can still get to your stand when you always have, just can't shoot until legal shooting.

I walk .75 miles in. I have to stop 3 or 4 times so I do not sweat to much. That takes 45-60 minutes. Then when I climb my tree and set up, that takes 20-30 minutes. At that point, it is just barely breaking light.

I only use a bow, so walking in during day break is pointless, no chance of stalking on my way in. If you use a gun, I can see why walking in is beneficial.

But for bow hunting, I want to be up my tree and it still be dark.

Hope what little insight I gave, helps!

Brian

No matter which stand location I go to, I always want to be settled in about 30-40 mins before shooting light. It takes me a few minutes to settle in and stop huffing and puffing. We walk everywhere on our place.

I try to get where I'm going to park at worst an hour before daylight. I hunt public ground so you have to beat others to the spot you want to hunt. It's normally a 35-45 min hike in anyway. I try to be settled about 15 mins before shooting light. Maximizes hunting time in the area I feel is best for seeing deer.

Same for me where I hunt. Especially during the rut.

Y'all have lost your everlovin mind. Ideally, I'm sittin still for about 5 minutes before I can fling an arrow. I see a lot more deer between 8-10 in the mornings than I do right at daylight. The only exception to that is clearcuts or bedding areas

As atoler said I see more deer late morning than I do at first light but I still like to be in my stand 30 minutes before light. I just enjoy being settled and enjoying the whole experience of the woods waking up.

For me, it depends on a lot of factors. My deer season is a constant fluid situation. Things change daily. If there's a lot of pressure, I'll wait till after daylight and walk in and sit till after everyone leaves. I like to do the same thing during the rut. One thing I don't like to do is let the deer pattern me.

He ain't much of a morning hunter, he likes to stay late, real late!!

I like to get in the woods early but it doesnt always work that way, especially if i wake up and decide to squeeze on the old lady a little bit... i do like being able to see during that first break of sunlight , feel like im quieter slipping through the woods and not fumbling with a lite while i get in the stand but ive also done that and spook deer away from the very spot i plan to hunt. Thats when i kick myself for hitting snooze. Ive actually seen more deer late morning through mid day.

I spooked a deer the first hunt of last year goin before daylight. I decided to go this route in hopes it wouldn't go far. First light, boom, a group of four came from that direction straight up the ridge to me within 30 or so yards. Since then I haven't bothered to stop and hear which way they go.

Yeah Thats about how i've always felt also. I got a hike in as well.

I hunt a lot of public land as well and thats the other reason I always would get in earlier is to beat the other hunters in.

Is the green light better then running the red light? Cause I know on evening hunts went I roll out after dark I usually run the red on the way out till I get out of the timber and into open fields

You are talking about how they are saying 30mins before and 30mins after sunset. To me that is based on what? What my weather channel app says sunset is or after the sun is all gone. I've always hunted till I can't see for an ethical shot. Then I usually sit just a bit longer and leave when there is 0 light

I walk in at breaking light. I don't like to use a light and can't stand walking through the woods in darkness. Worry to much about getting turned around and not finding my stand or low hanging branches.

It depends on your set up (terrain). That's my opinion anyway. I hunt NE AL near TN so I like to avoid getting in too early when the wind is still. Also, the deer bed so high where I hunt you can get away with getting in right at day break. I don't get in to the "time to let the woods settle" mindset. I have arrowed many deer 10-20 min after getting in my stand. The main thing is watching the thermals and stand locations. You can get away with a lot noise-wise if you play the wind and thermals.

2 years ago in November I was hunting a 10 I knew frequented an area. He had a rub line that he made with a SW wind so I set up about 50 yards downwind of that line. I barely had my bow pulled up in the tree when he came walking by. I didn't get a shot at him because I overshot his scent line...the point is, there isn't a "best" time to get in the woods. You just need to know the spot you're going to hunt and play the wind and heed the thermals

Since I quit hunting in a club I generally don't get into the stand until first light unless I have someone with me that wants to get in the stand earlier.

I have spooked way more deer in the dark than I have at daylight.

x2, if I have to use a light and make more noise than a herd of buffalo I wait till I can slip in at first light...personally I'd think light would cause more of an issue than noise.
If its an easy, like walking down a pipeline etc...I'll be in stand before sunrise

I know atv,s bad bad, but i ride in from 1mile to 7 or more then walk 1 to 2 hundred yards , then set in for the day, just light to dark, don't move.then out

I like to be in the stand and hunting by 6:15. Don't feel like I have missed anything by not being on stand before daylight.

Im kind of mixed on this it really depends on a lot of factors the last buck i killed was a messed up 7 point and i killed him 5 minutes after daylight and i was only in the stand probably 15 minutes. sometimes i get there 30 minutes before sunrise and other times i like to ease into my stand as the sun is coming up it really just depends on what i feel like doing that day. had one guy in our club who didn't head out until 7 every morning and he would sit until 1 in the afternoon come back for lunch and then go back out again at 3:30 and he usually killed a buck or 2 every year. but keep in mind we don't really have strict rules on what we shoot its just 6 point or better and he was shooting every 6 point or better deer that walked out lol

I personally like to be set up any where from 30 min to an hour before civil twilight, if I'm hunting from a climber. If I'm hunting a shooting house or ground blind or ladder stand, maybe 15 minutes before civil twilight.

I did once kill a small buck with my bow and my climber still on my back as I was looking for a good tree to climb in an unfamiliar area. Since I didn't know the area, I waiting until it was light before I went in.

I try to be settled in at least 30mins before daylight