This time change has limited the amount of time I have in a treestand. Unfortunately, where I work to where I hunt is a good 45 minute drive - then I have another 15 minute or so walk to my stand. With the rut activity starting up - what is the latest you'll go to your stand? Will you walk through the woods only to sit an hour? I was talking to a worker that was here from the prison. He goes out to his stand at 430 - leaving only an hour of light. He saw a "giant" and a 9 point, along with some smaller bucks (last night). I feel if I were to attempt that I'd just blow everything out. I have to walk through a chunk of woods, a corn field, then a large chunk of woods to get to my stand. Hoping to have a close to home spot next year.
I always feel like the woods needs to settle a bit after I arrive and climb up in my stand, trail cam pics show deer in the area less than 10 minutes after I left so if you can get in your stand quiet an hour should do considering the alternative is to not hunt.
You know the saying, you can't kill them from your couch. So if an hour was all I had I would be hunting that hour.
If I lived close enough I'd definitely consider it, but I won't make the 100 mile round trip to sit for an hour.
I'd agree assuming you are hunting private land. Someone walks in on me on public right before or during the magic hour they may get an arrow in their butt.
I struggle with this every year, I get off at 330, hour drive home, 430, by the time I change get truck loaded and get out to the property 445-450...... I'll do it once or twice or usually just hunt down the creek behind my house HATE the time change!
Yes, it is private land. It's roughly 30 miles from my work. ETA; I work until 330-400 depending on our crew status. (I work for an emergency ambulance company)
I choose not to go out after the time change. It's usually right around 430 when I get home and the deer are already in the field or close enough that I can't get in the stand without bumping them all out.
It depends on the situation. Like Sota said about the forest settling, I also believe in this. It really doesn't take long for that to happen but you gotta sneak in. If you are in a hurry you might be walking too fast and get all sweated up. I'm not a big fan of getting sweaty and sitting. Also I don't like making a lot of noise going through the woods when possibly deer are on their feet. This time of year I honestly would wait until I have more time but if it's all you got, you really have nothing to lose!
I know the deer hunting 101 guide says don't do it, but myself and others I know have gotten off work at 2,3, or even 4 hit the woods and killed deer before the sun sets... heck a close friend came out for lunch one day, went back into his ladder stand and found some **** in a climber in the tree right next to his ladder... PO'd, he grabs his stand, cussing and swearing and banging brush and trees, moves it about 100 yards, climbs up still cussing and kills a deer within 15 minutes... so ya never know
You hunt what time you have. If you don't hunt what are you accomplishing? A couple Decembers ago I got home about 5. Grabbed my crap and went to my ladder stand and it was about 525 and blistering cold with snow on the ground. Sat down and not 5 minutes later here comes a parade of deer along with the mature buck I took 5 minutes before last shooting light. On that short sit I lost count after 15 deer and I started focusing on the buck. It can happen if you let it, but on the other hand like right now, it was 80 degrees here today. I wouldn't go out for that myself. Weather has to work with you too more than anything I believe.
It depends on where I'm sitting. Some spots I'll climb into at 430. Others I won't touch after 2 o'clock.
