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.