How late do most of you hunt? Do you stay in till dark or leave with some daylight?
In before first light, out after dark. Pat
i need a flashlight to put my climber together to pack out last night 7 pm.
Same as Pat B
same here, dont come down till its too dark to shoot.
i like being there when the woods wake up in the morning and in the evening i sit till i can no longer see when the sounds of the night begin.
Depends on the situation for me. I have a couple stands where if I don't see or hear a deer with 10 minutes of light to go in the evening then I sneak out. This is because I figure it is best to get out when I know there are no deer close by. I've learned the hard way that getting down in the dark can spook deer in the immediate area and cause them to avoid coming by until well after dark. But then again I have a couple other areas where I hunt till dark and I bump a deer on my way out it doesn't seem to spook them much at all. Fortunatley I have my own property and have been able to learn the hard way the past few years just what I can get away with in different areas.
I will leave my stand when it gets too dark to pick a spot. I learned the hard way, years ago, that shooting at deer in very poor light is really a waste of time and sometimes a waste of a deer. If there are deer nearby when I leave I try to get them to leave before it is my scent that gets them on their way. If they do happen to be around after my comfortable shooting light then I wait until dark to leave as they seem to be less intimidated by the activity and noise on my behalf. I have even climed down trees in the dark with deer within 5 or 10 yards and have had them only go 20 yards or so after I made it to the ground and then could here them continue feeding when I was a safe distance away.
I head into the woods when it's light enough to see,Head out when it starts getting dark.
I've shot more than a few deer on my way in or out of the woods :thumbsup:
I hunt till the end of legal time, or until I can no longer see well enough for a decent shot. I have been "trapped" up a tree after hours by deer below me, but In Wisconsin, If I quiver my arrows and better yet, lower the bow to the ground, I am legal. I find that if I go slow and methodical, I need very little light to get back out of the woods.
ChuckC
Civil twilight, which is the stated legal time. Half hour before sunrise to half hour after sunset. Beyond that it is too easy to not be able to pick your spot anyway.
Hey George,
I perfer hunting the evenings over mornings but I like to stay in the tree till it's almost black dark. Just ask Tom.
When ya gonna hunt in my woods with Tom and I? Any time Pal.
I like to stay just before dark.Some nites after its dark.I have a two mile hike in the dark to the truck.Leon
Dark to dark for me in most of my spots. Like others have said I do have those few spots where I really need to be out before it's too dark, those spots seem to be more sensitive to busting deer in the dark. One wrong move there and you really can't hunt the evening there again that season.
I'll put my arrow away when it's too dark to shoot, but I stay in the stand till a little after dark. I've been busted a couple of times coming down the tree when there was a little light left. When it's dark, hopefully they won't see me as easily.
I carry a flashlight with me. I come out in the dark; I like to put the day to bed.
When I am bear hunting; I will put the bow down; and sometimes watch the bears in the dark. On a full moon clear night; you can see almost as good as daytime; and I can then see if a bear is a sow with cubs.
Even though I shoot at night in practice at candles; I do not shoot in the dark at animals; I like way to much: to see the arrow fly.
I do go out in the dark. I love the darkness of the woods; and the sounds of the night-- and often it for me is a mile or more walk out.
I will stay in my stand until a half hour past sunset. In my thick woods it's too dark to shoot by then anyway. If nothing is coming in I will sometimes start slowly and quietly packing up. Lowering the bow is the last thing I do and it is always dark when I am heading the 1.2 miles (this year)to my truck. I keep the flaslight off until I am at least out of my immediate hunting area and on the main trail.
I'm in the stand an hour or so before shooting light and out about 1/2 hour after.
Mike
I'm with Mr. Magoo, when shooting time is gone I'll put away my arrow and lower the curve to the ground but just because it's to late to shoot dosen't mean it time to get down. I sit and watch the fields and edges to see where they are moving at last light so I can alter my set up next time if necessary to put me in a better location for an encounter.
I try to be in my stand at least 15 min. before legal shooting light and in the evenings I never shoot after 15 or 20 min. after sun down and if there are no deer around I leave 15 min after sun down.Or start getting ready to leave. :D :D :D
I prefer evening hunting and stay until legal shooting hours before I come out. When I do hunt in the morning I am in the wood 20 mins or so before legal shooting time.
In before light out after dark. I do bend these rules a little.
I like mornings better, but some times I have a hard time getting out of a warm bed to climb into a cold stand:^)