What would you suggest??
Connecticut
Question for the group.
I'm walking down the trail at 5am on Saturday morning (pretty early) and there are 3 deer staring at me in the dark, and when I get about 200 yards from them they turn and walk away.
They were no more than 200 yards from my stand, so I was thinking - should I walk in at first legal light (no flashlight to give me away) instead of walking in early with the flashlight blazing ??
Maybe it will give them some time to clear the area, and let's me get to the stand without a light.
Thoughts? Suggestion?
PS - There is not another easy way to the stand location.
BBB...I can't even see 200 yards away when it's light out in CT woods. How the heck did you see the deer 200 yards away (unless you shined a pretty powerful flashlight right at them) and they were in a field.
In that case, turn your light off....or use a very dim light, aimed only at the ground and get to your stand. If you sound like a deer, the very far away deer might think you are another deer...causing no alarm. Also, you mentioined there is no EASY way to your stand. Sometimes the easiest way is the least productive.
During the rut I have had many experiences where I am climbing my tree in the predawn darkness only to have a buck cruise right in. Still too dark to shoot but I have been able to make out the silhouette and antlers. I like to think that it was my planning that allowed me to get into my stand undetected....it could also be that I made noise coming in and the buck wanted to check it out.
Besides, if it's not a big bad buck, I didn't think you even cared. :) - notice the smiley face....I think you coined that.
Walk in early with as little light and noise as possible, climb and then sit quietly. They will calm down and walk back or around you. It is better to do this in the dark as they will not move too far.
I think, even if you spook a deer in the dark with a light, they dont run off. Way to many times have deer come in when I was sitting there having just climbed up. Heck, a few times I'd just stepped on the climber platform and a deer goes by in the dark. Some how, when it's dark, they feel like big tough guys :)
All that said, if you consistently are seeing deer in your flashlight beam, I'd try going later or shifting locations. If they are where you are when it's dark, you may need to be down the trail a way's to intersect them during daylight. You dont want them patterning you...
First there is no way you saw deer in the dark, in the woods, 200 yards away.
Forget about it. They won't be there next time you walk in. If only deer were that easy to pattern that they showed up at the same place at the same time everytime you hunted.
Go in with a red or green light. Sometimes its better to walk fast instead of slow. If you walk slow, they think something is trying to sneak in. If you walk fast, sometimes they get courious and try to circle around to see what it was.
Toonces,
I wasn't in the woods yet, I was on a trail and I could see their eyes in the light. The deer are there because of the acorns, and although this was my first time in the woods this year, I have seen them in the same area several times, that's why my stand is 200 yards away.
I'm using a AA, 2 battery LED light, and yes I think it's too bright, definitely part of the problem.
I did have a doe come in from the direction the deer walked off, so I'm assuming it was one of the 3 sets of eyes I saw.
The main reason I asked this question - when I went to New Brunswick, they don't go into the woods until it's light, like sunrise light. They only still hunted, which I enjoy, and we saw plenty of deer.
I asked why they don't go on stand and they said they see more deer by walking into the wind, rather than taking a chance the deer will move towards them from the up wind side.
Just wondering if it's worth trying, .....and I get to sleep later.
Thanks for the suggestions guys!
1) turn your headlights off or at least low beam.
2) use red light and walk at a steady slow pace..
3) are you sure you werent dreaming of the t rexs you hunted as a young lad clad in ostrich fur..lol
Make trail extremely clear of twigs, branches, excess leaves & other obstacles. Put Night Eyes trail markers at the base of trees for landmark guidance. Hold medium maglite in hand and partially cover lens with thumb while making a stealthy trek to stand/tree.
Nothing says they will be there next time I would go in again and get in my tree
I either go in very early, over an hour before "I can see" light which is at least 30 min before sunrise, or I go in when I can see ok with binoculars and go in slow and glass a lot. My theory is: If it's early they have time to forget about you. I think it's nuts when a hunter who is on the next property crashes in with no flashlight 15 minutes before shooting light.
I have one state land spot where I hike into and always bump deer in the dark I use a small red led light and get up in my tree 1-1/2 hrs before sunrise because they seem to always be in there and most times they come back.2 weeks ago I had one run past me and stop as I walked by and after I was up on stand had one go right under me feeding in the dark then at 6:30am I noticed it bedded down 40 yards away . so instead of walking in blindly and making noise get a light red or green that you can hold toward the ground and walk slowly and quietly and dont worry about spooking them most times they hang around or come back out of curiosity.
Dr Deer,
I think you're saying exactly what I was thinking. Legal light was around 6:45am last Saturday and I walking the trail at 5am, so I would be at my stand by 5:30am, a full hour and 15min before shooting time.
If I went in later after the deer move off a bit, or at least when I can see them, then I stand a better chance of spooking them from the area and getting a shot.
Smoothie
I do have a trail cleared to my tree, hot dot to mark where I go off the trail and a dot on the tree, so I can get in quickly and quietly. I do have the red, green light option but never tried them, so that's an option I'll try as well.
Thanks for the tips guys, never too old to learn.
one year it had just rained and I was in the woods early....you could walk silent as the leaves were wet....as I made my way to my tree I look to my left and there is a doe sleeping under a tree at 15 yards....she had no idea I was there....
I didnt know if I should stand behind I tree and wait for first light or go to my tree 70 yards away and see if she comes...
I went to me tree...she never came by......
I check that spot everytime I walk to that area and never saw another deer sleeping on that ridge
When I was in CT full time, I ALWAYS had a raked path to my stand. Used to leave cheap rakes in the hunting spot to maintain it. It really makes deer way more curious when they thought they saw a human but the human did do the crunch-crunch-snap/crunch-crunch thing walking in. I guess they think: "I thought I saw a man, but he made no sound... lemmie check this out!" I have gone in before dark and sat really still, sometimes with my bow still at the bottom of the tree and then heard a soft foot-fall of a deer. Then in slow-mo looked straight down with bins and saw a big body there sniffing my bow. I don't expect that deer to be around in an hour when it gets light but at least he's not blowing and stomping and leaving fear scent from his interdigital glands everywhere. Nowadays I don't get out but 3-4 days a month and I can't maintain the sites as I once did. So I try to pic spots with a naturally quiet or concealed approach.
If your walking in on mostly trails you shouldnt need a light. I havent used one in quite sometime. The reason for getting to stand way early is to not spook deer. If your spooking them being that early to stand then it can only be better by going in alittle later? Try cupping your hand around head of flashlight as that shortens the size of the beam.
The trail is not level and perfectly clear of debris, so at 63 I don't want to fall and break a hip :(
