I have issues.....I'm usually in the tree 1.5-2 hours before legal shooting light to let my scent disperse on the trail i walked in on. (at least it does in my mind, and gives me confidence) I settle in, close my eyes, drift in and out of sleep and just listen......
that's my preference as well...was about a half hour "late" (by my terms) on Oct. 11 and ended up bumping 4 different deer already on their feet, as well as one buck bedded less than 30yds from my stand. This was still an hour before sunrise. Would he already have been there a half hour prior? Maybe; but I wouldn't have been kicking myself all day long if I bump one 2 hours prior to sunrise. Needless to say I sat all morning p/o'd at myself; and I didn't see another deer all weekend.
Half an hour before shooting light is good enough for me to be in stand. The most actually I'd do anymore. In my area, I usually blow anything out of the woods going in any earlier. Neighbor during gun hunting does not walk to his stand until first light so if he does bump anything, he can shoot it. And he kills a big buck every year.
I'm up at 0500, shower, grab my stuff and into the stand by 0530 usually if I'm at home. Nice to just walk out my back door. Otherwise, depending on drive time and such, I like to be settled an hour and a half before sunrise so I can relax and acclimate to the forest sounds. “In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen.” -Theodore Roosevelt
I'm heading out for a morning hunt tomorrow. Sunrise isn't until 8:13 (can legally shoot @ 7:43) so I'll be in stand by 7:00. Have an hour drive as well so I'll be on the road by 5:30. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'm an "hour" guy. I only have a 10-15 minute drive so I leave no later than 5:15 from the house and it usually puts me in the stand and settled by 6. Its usually not as big of a deal in the early season with it not getting daylight until 7:15 or later, but once the leaves come off and the time changes, the earlier the better.
I don't hunt in the morning at my in-laws. The deer bust me everytime. If I'm hunting up north I like to be in the stand about 1 hour before shooting light. After the time change I'm usually up at 3:45 or 4. I like to hear the woods wake up.
Settled in the stand min 1 hr before sunrise. In NC, legal shooting light is 30min before sunrise. ~Bill
I'm getting in my stand when daylight breaks never have a fear of jumping deer reason for being so late is we have a serious hog problem were I hunt and I don't like running into them when I can't shoot them
I try to be set up at least an hour before legal shooting time. Gives the woods time to calm down. My favorite time to be in the woods just before sun up.
I like to be in stand about an hour before sunrise as well. Like Beehunter, I think there is nothing better than being part of nature as it comes to life. I tend to hunt close to bedding areas because of the situation I am in, so I want to be in the stand as soon as possible so as not to jump any deer.
I strongly agree the morning hunt has its advantages. Nothing like watching the sun rise from a treeatand
during pre-rut and rut i hunt big woods upstate... before time change i get up at 3am leave by 3:30am drive about hour and 25 mins... then its about a 2 mile trek up a mountain side to my favorite spot that I have memories with my dad at. Usually starts getting light out just as I get settled in the tree!
