What Time Do You Get To Your Stand In The Morning?

[chucker34]

I try to be in mine and totally settled down at least half an hour before legal shooting light. But I watch the neighbor get to his about 15 minutes after legal light every morning of gun season through my binoculars. He's shot plenty of deer but missed opportunities at a few because of it last year that I saw - and driven some my way. Of course he's walking with a gun and I have a bow. So he can go after them while he's en route as well. Just interested in everyone's responses.

[Bassboy1645]

We usually try to play the pressure which didnt work too well this year mainly becasue in our state park there wasnt any. None the less we sit for an hr at least in the dark...two hrs is better for us. I used to think an half an hr is fine for having the woods settle down but i htink an hr is alot better. Though i have shot a deer this past fall bowhunting in which i got to my tree and didnt even get to take my stand off my back.

[Sutty]

We try to get in an hour ahead of shooting time, with the full moon last weekend you could see just fine so I don't know if it made much of a differance. This year it seemed the deer didn't move in our area till 8 or so other years it has been right away so the earlier the better I think. I would rather have them walking than running in the area

[DRH1175]

I like to be sitting in my stand a good half hour to hour before legal hours. I like to be quiet waiting before hand. The only down part is I just about always have multiple deer come by in the dark which really makes you frustrated when they disapear when Light.

[eagle_3464]

I don't know that any time is any better than the next. In the early morning hours you could be spooking the deer at any given time. I hunt by archery and try to be set just before legal shooting hours. I really see no reason to get there so early. I think it's more important to enter quietly most of the way. I say most of the way because I tried a tip I read on here to run the last bit to your stand. I tried that once and actually had a couple of does check out the noise a short time later. Your noise no matter how quiet you think you are will most often push deer back a ways but if conditions are right they will return.

I no longer hunt the firearm season but when I did I thought it would be better hunting for all if you couldn't step foot in the field until shooting hours. Everyone would then see the deer movement rather than having them move under darkness to their hiding places, many times out into fields, tile intakes, fence lines, etc.

[chucker34]

Good points eagle. I've tried the running thing before and had the same results. Used to get extremely worried about noise on the way in but I know it can't be totally avoided. So I just try to minimize it like scent. There are squirrels and racoons moving around the woods through the leaves so they are used to some rustling around. They aren't used to the steady footsteps. So I try to go slowly and break up my walking into short sequences. Or try the running thing when I get there.

The one thing I hate early in the morning when using my blind is using the zipper for the deer. Sure, it's quick but it's also noisy: P I'm seriously considering rigging up a camo tarp over the door opening inside so I can just pull it aside when entering and exiting. Would save on the noise.