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How early?

I say an hour before legal light. Sometimes it is only 30min before. I figure if I bump them and they aren't sure what I am it may be better than them seeing me. This morning was the first deer I bumped on the way in this year. I bumped 2. One at a time. Things were slow the first half hour but I was pleasantly surprised later.
 
I like to be on stand 30 minutes before shooting light, but oftentimes its 15 minutes or less. I got three little boys (one, three, and six) so getting up earlier isn't gonna happen for me. Some stand sites I walk in after shooting light because there are deer there no matter when you go so might as well try to shoot one on the sneak in rather than bump it.
 
I don't do morning hunts anymore. I can't function without lots of coffee, then the rest of the morning is spent getting rid of the coffee. :smiley_coolpeace:
 
With me working night shift and not getting off work until 6am, it's a 20-25min drive to either farm. I change clothes before I leave work that way I just have to fire up the smoker, smoke everything up then head to the stand. I'm usually set up and ready to go about 6:45 well before shooting light. With the time chance and it getting light earlier I will be pushing it. But I have done it for 9years now and had great success.
 
Took my hunter in this morning 1 hour before light. Actually drove him to within 50 yards of his stand. He got out and I drove away..... had deer walking around in the dark almost immediately after he could no longer hear the ranger.

If that's an option for some, it's hands down the least invasive way to do it.
 
Kaiser878 said:
Took my hunter in this morning 1 hour before light. Actually drove him to within 50 yards of his stand. He got out and I drove away..... had deer walking around in the dark almost immediately after he could no longer hear the ranger.

If that's an option for some, it's hands down the least invasive way to do it.
Click to expand...

Landowner was cutting the fields last night.... Started at3:30 and quit at 5:00.... 5:15 the deer were in the field....
 
Kaiser878 said:
Took my hunter in this morning 1 hour before light. Actually drove him to within 50 yards of his stand. He got out and I drove away..... had deer walking around in the dark almost immediately after he could no longer hear the ranger.

If that's an option for some, it's hands down the least invasive way to do it.
Click to expand...
Killed mine this year using the ranger, it was in the evening though. Same thing, once the deer hear the atv/utv leave they think it's all good.
 
Kaiser878 said:
Took my hunter in this morning 1 hour before light. Actually drove him to within 50 yards of his stand. He got out and I drove away..... had deer walking around in the dark almost immediately after he could no longer hear the ranger.

If that's an option for some, it's hands down the least invasive way to do it.
Click to expand...

Thats how i roll with my old man, except i drive the truck. It works. Especially considering if there used to the traffic from checking cams and chumming corn. Desensitization.

I dont drive away until he is up the tree and ready to roll.
 
If I use my tractor to get near my stand I usually leave my cabin 1/2 hour before legal shooting time. This gives me a 45 minutes from the time I shut off the tractor until I can see antlers good enough to decide if it is a buck I may want to shoot at. If I walk in most time I wait until it is light enough to see without a flashlight. I'm old, clumsy and have terrible balance. Better safe than laid up during hunting season.
 
I try to be in the stand 30 minutes prior to shooting light. My dad and I argued for ten minutes on Saturday night about what time to be in the woods on sunday morning, cuz of the time change. It was quite comical.
 
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