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Walking into stand with light

Steelheadtracker

Junior Member
524
61
Do you guys walk into your stand with a headlamp or flashlight in the morning? Unless it is a bright moon or snow kn the ground to reflect some moonlight i cannot see hardly see. I feel worried to use a light for obvious reasons but without it I am much louder so at that pojnt i dont know which is worse.
 

Sgt Fury

Sgt. Spellchecker
It’s a good idea to use a light to not only see where you are walking, but to let other hunters know you are human....you’d be surprised at the number of people who would take a shot at a dark blob walking by. The only exception is if your stand is on the side of a hill and every deer in the valley will see you walk in....in that case, I’ll wait until it’s light enough to see, then walk in to my stand.
 

Chass

Active Member
2,172
52
The Hills
If I'm on private I like to go in when I can see where I'm putting my feet. I've bumped deer off my stand too many times to keep going in when it's dark.
Public, lights on during low light conditions. I dont wanna be a statistic.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
I’ve said it a million times, so one more can’t hurt. Use a light. Deer don’t care. I regularly walk up on deer in the dark - close enough to pet at times. Shine the light right on em and walk on by. Regular old style white lights work far better than LED lights.
 
I use a duel beam red light headlamp (Energizer brand) that has 3 white light lamps too. The red light allows me to see well enough to walk without tripping on stuff and it doesn't mess up my night vision. I only use the white light portion of my headlamp, if I get turned around on my directions or am looking for a blood trail.
However, if it's during the Deer Gun Season....white lights all the way!!! Plus, I'll carry one of those cheap 60x brighter "as seen on tv" flashlights.

I don't think you can have too many lights.
I just seen a flashlight that can start fires and cook food, that has 2300 lumens.
https://gearjunkie.com/wicked-laser...t=If James Bond or Darth,heat to start a fire.

Bowhunter57
 
I hate that disoriented feeling of not being able to see where I am at.

Even worse, stepping off into water or a ledge. o_O
Here in Allen county, it's pretty flat and there's not too much that you can step into or off of at night. However, one year I was in Coshocton county, at the Woodbury Wildlife Area and trying to remember how far back I went to hunt turkeys....with no light, at 4 a.m. My night vision is decent, but as I crested the first hill, the ground below me appeared "extra dark". I thought to myself, that's either water or a drop off. :unsure: I turned my light on and left it on the rest of the time that I was there in the dark, as there was a 40 foot drop off into the gorge below me. :rolleyes: Lesson learned...safety first! :cool:

Bowhunter57
 

Fletch

Senior Member
Supporting Member
6,078
118
Ah.... Flashlights I have tons of them.... Focus the beam on the ground and you'll be fine....As Fury said always good to have a light on when you walk in or out in the dark so some A/H don't shoot you... Actually during gun season it might help to have a revolving beacon on your head... Actually during gun season I try to be in stand an hour before daylight and I leave way after it's dark.. This way most A/H,s with ithcy trigger fingers are gone....
 

Steelheadtracker

Junior Member
524
61
Haha yeah anymore i tend not to hunt gun season. Too many idiots. I hunt private lsnd but you never know who is on adjacent properties.
 

Lucky

Junior Member
494
31
Sunbury
I feel your doing more harm going in at dark with no light too. Your making more noise not seeing what your steppin on and like many said. Deer arent nearly as bothered by a person at night with light. The just scatter but not leave area and are usually curious and checku out.
 
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NWOHhunter

Junior Member
879
58
NW Ohio
I use my red light every time morning or walking out! It doesn’t bother them one bit and I can locate them with eye reflections and avoid them and not bump them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
I use a red lens light unless something goes wrong and a need more light. foolish to not have a light on in the dark for safety's sake, but you will be able to be a whole bunch quieter if you try to be. getting set up without being detected, whether in the dark or in broad daylight, is one of the most important factors to seeing deer consistently, imo. lights don't bother deer at all. I've shined them from a stand just to see how they react. I've walked right up to pigs in the dark and shot them from 10 feet away with a light right on them. (yes, this is perfectly legal{and a little dangerous} down south where pigs are vermin)
 

Isaacorps

Member
5,230
145
Columbus
I’ve said it a million times, so one more can’t hurt. Use a light. Deer don’t care. I regularly walk up on deer in the dark - close enough to pet at times. Shine the light right on em and walk on by. Regular old style white lights work far better than LED lights.
Jesse and I tested and proved your theory Friday night when we were looking for Joe’s deer, Brock. Walking (straight) up out of the holler back to the truck we spotted a lone doe feeding on the bench above us. I trained the light right on her and we walked straight at her making no attempt to be quiet or alter our course. We got to within several yards before she flicked her tail and moved off. Didn’t spook, blow, or stomp. Jesse even said before we started walking at her “Let’s go test Brock’s theory.” Lol.