If you are a stand hunter for deer, how early are you in that stand?

[John Y Cannuck]

On days when it's too noisy to walk, I'm in the stand.

Too early, and you needlessly freeze to death, too late, and you spook mister big buck on the way to your stand.

I know from personal experience that at night, some deer will let you get very close, like feet, not yards, if they do not wind you, even if they can see you. I was within twenty feet of several does in a field behind the camp one summer. I went out to visit the outhouse, spotted the deer in the moonlight, and walked over. I might have been able to get even closer, but I didn't try.

So going to your stand in darkness is important. As is getting into it quietly. Deer pay little attention to one noise, unless it's an unnatural one. But a series of noises, like climbing a metal ladder or tramping through crunchy leaves can send them flying.

I like to be there an hour before legal, and fully settled in at least a 45 minutes before legal.

How early are you in your stand?

Do you live there?

 

[galamb]

I try to get in an hour before dawn if I'm doing a morning hunt.

And while I would have agreed about your assumption about deer being spooked by excess noise (getting into your stand etc), I have a ton of pics on my game cams that show deer showing up 10 or 15 minutes after I have left - lowering down my pack, bow (or gun in the gun season), climbing down, resetting the cameras, tromping around a bit (I'm leaving so don't care).

And then next time in 10-15 minutes after the pics of me "bugging out", bambi is wandering right in - maybe even to see what all the fuss was about. In any event, the "noise" didn't seem to keep them away.

Now, if you "bust out" a deer - where it sees you and sees you approaching etc, I think that's a whole lot different than "just noise".

But probably has a great deal to do with "where" you are hunting. Where I hunt deer humans, cars, tractors and duck hunters with dogs are around a lot - so maybe they are used to "noise", just not movement (???)

 

[yomomma]

at least half an hour before legal time. I like to get in early, cool off and get set for the day.

I have had a heard of deer walk right by me just as I got to the top of the ladder. Could not see them as I go in without flash lights but i could hear and smell them just below me.

 

[canadaman30]

I've had the opposite effect on more than one occasion, walking to the stand across frozen leaves crunching the whole way. Sat down and within minutes big bucks come walking out to see what all the noise is about, and that's after it has been light out for 30mins. Have shot a few deer that way and two of the biggest bucks I've been lucky enough to get. And yes I have also been busted walking in as well. Hunting is like gambling sometime you win sometime you don't

 

[looch]

I shot a buck that was bee-lining to me as I shuffled through the leaves.

I hate the thought of bumping a deer in the dark. I plan to be at the edge of the bush just prior to legal light, wait, then I still hunt to the "stand" (which is more just a spot I've selected).

 

[bbobie]

1 full hr before shooting time

 

[VanIsleCam]

Hour before sun up - hour before sun down.

 

[hoytcanon]

30 minutes before legal light to let things quiet down... earlier than that is pointless, as the quarry is moving and feeding... unless you are hunting the edge of a food plot... in which case, "good luck" getting into position for a morning stand, you will just screw-up the stand by spooking every deer on the plot... my morning stands are all on travel routes to bedding areas or in bottlenecks.. I get as close to the bedding area as I can without alarming the deer.

 

[fratri]

I like leaving my vehicle with my gun loaded, so I still hunt to my stand. I leave my vehicle right at legal light, keep the wind in my favour and hope for the best.

 

[rkr]

how dangerous is to walk in a forest at dark? Any chance to be attacked by a bobcat or other critters? I'd say bobcat would be the worst if you get that on your head...

 

[Superbrad]

30 minutes before legal light to let things quiet down... earlier than that is pointless, as the quarry is moving and feeding... unless you are hunting the edge of a food plot... in which case, "good luck" getting into position for a morning stand, you will just screw-up the stand by spooking every deer on the plot... my morning stands are all on travel routes to bedding areas or in bottlenecks.. I get as close to the bedding area as I can without alarming the deer.

This, not to mention, the later I go in the longer I can stay out and have seen most of the big ones I have seen between 10 and 11.....

 

[Rascal]

I'm the stand 30 min before legal time.
That means leaving the truck 45 min before legal time.

 

[skokie]

I try to get in position whether in a stand or blind at least 1 hour to 30 mins before legal shooting for deer. For turkey we ten to go in extra early, try to get them gobbling in the roost and set up in a direction we hope they will come.

 

[doc25]

My religion prohibits me from hunting in the morning. I usually just show up an two to three hours before the end of the day. That's stand hunting.

 

[Trimmer 905]

I like to sneak in at least a 1/2 hr before first light,set up,sit stark quiet and listen for a few minutes,then,rattle around a pair of antlers while still dark to cover any commotion to my entry. I don't use tree stands in public forests because of the saftey factor,so,squeeks and rattles aren't an issue for me.

 

[doublelung]

30 minutes before first light. If I get in any earlier I get bored.

 

[dand883]

This, not to mention, the later I go in the longer I can stay out and have seen most of the big ones I have seen between 10 and 11.....

I think it depends where you are in relation to their bedding and feeding areas, but one of my spots i sit at, if they come it's at 10-11, almost never see them in the area earlier.

 

[TANK1867]

We rake our trails the week before the hunt and again early the day before opening, this lets you walk quietly to your stand for the entire hunt. Back when we had enthusiastic little helpers (kids and their friends) the trails were a couple of klicks long, they made for great still hunting trails in deep thick Quebec woods.

This year my partner and I were by ourselves and said to hell with it, 100 yards from our stands raking is good enough, we are to old for this crap. My buddy shot a beautiful buck weighing in at 250lbs gutted.

We also decided that we know nothing about deer hunting since his big buck broke all the rules: he came out at 10a.m., he had a smaller buck with him, the does were not in heat.

I have to be fair and say that we hunt in 8'X8' heated fully enclosed stands, our logic is that we can hunt from dawn to dusk without freezing/fidgeting.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

This, not to mention, the later I go in the longer I can stay out and have seen most of the big ones I have seen between 10 and 11.....

I have a bow hunting spot where I never see deer before 10. Why is a mystery.
The spot I gun hunt has little human disturbance, but tons or predators, and most of the deer I see are first/last light.
My late uncle said he never shot a deer before 9am. But that was because he was never in the bush before 9! He was successful, but not overly.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

how dangerous is to walk in a forest at dark? Any chance to be attacked by a bobcat or other critters? I'd say bobcat would be the worst if you get that on your head...

I've been big game hunting in areas with wolf, bear and cats since about 1968. I have met wolves at close range in the pre-dawn light. Was a tad spooky, but they have all run..... so far .