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Can you imagine the pit in your stomach when the biggest buck you’ve ever seen walks by you at ten yards and all you can do is watch?
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Who's left their bow hang overnight in their stand.
- Thread starter Fgirtyman
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I’ve screwed up on 3 BIG bucks in my life…it’s definitely something you don’t forget. That scenario may make me quit hunting.
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No no and more no. The only thing I have Ever left was my jacket. Who’s to say the weather doesn’t change unexpectedly? What if you get a surprise snow fall and you know exactly where you need to be in the morning. Not to mention the bow being exposed to the elements in that case. Or what if you leave for a lunch break and find fresh hot sign coming in? I understand the post said “stand” so I won’t make the point of mobile hunting. But how many hunters (especially on this site) only have one tree? I’d wager to believe it’s less than 1% if not zero. There’s really no gain to being lazy and not Carrying your weapon out. You’re hunting and that hunt doesn’t end at the bottom of the tree. Heck in most cases it doesn’t even end at the truck. Many of times I have seen deer cut the road heading out for lunch so I pulled over and immediately got in the woods
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Ok I’ll bite. Never before first light? Please expound on this. Because I too am scared of the dark but I battle that and get in a tree. Haha
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Most hunters, me having been one, think that the hunt doesn’t start until you are in the stand. That’s quite the opposite. Your hunt starts as soon as you pull up to your parking spot. How many deer have you heard blow or run off in the dark either walking in or sitting in the tree? I want to see what those deer are.
You will rarely beat a buck to bed in the am. So, why run him out of his bed trying to get in a tree in the dark. In daylight he may stand up to see what you are, giving you a shot. 90% of my mature buck sighting have been after 10am and before 1pm. Those are my prime hunting times, with the exception of evening only hunts when they are still batchleored up.
THP put out a podcast recently that expounds on the subject. Looking back at my recent podcasts it was #264 I believe. Those boys explain it much better than I could. The podcast was supposed to about hunting in the Deep South, but they go into great detail about walking into the woods about 30 mins in.
I started doing this in the early 2000’s when I had this old man, who had 15-20 P&Y’s on his wall, tell me he never stepped foot in the woods before 10am. I’ve been hunting like that ever since, and I’ve been very successful with it.
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You will rarely beat a buck to bed in the am. So, why run him out of his bed trying to get in a tree in the dark. In daylight he may stand up to see what you are, giving you a shot. 90% of my mature buck sighting have been after 10am and before 1pm. Those are my prime hunting times, with the exception of evening only hunts when they are still batchleored up.
THP put out a podcast recently that expounds on the subject. Looking back at my recent podcasts it was #264 I believe. Those boys explain it much better than I could. The podcast was supposed to about hunting in the Deep South, but they go into great detail about walking into the woods about 30 mins in.
I started doing this in the early 2000’s when I had this old man, who had 15-20 P&Y’s on his wall, tell me he never stepped foot in the woods before 10am. I’ve been hunting like that ever since, and I’ve been very successful with it.
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I don’t leave my bow if weather that would make me not hunt the spot or break my bow is in the forecast.
If my bow breaks because it was left outside an extra 10 hours, my bow sucks. For what it’s worth I’ve used 3 compounds across 28 seasons. All still work flawlessly, and I still have 2 in my possession.
I hunt in different spots almost every hunt. I still have left my entire set in a tree and hunted it dozens of times.
I don’t leave my gear because I’m lazy. I leave my gear to force an issue, and to be as efficient and quiet as possible getting into a set in the morning. For a very specific reasoning. Not because I can’t be bothered to carry it out.
The law says my hunts end at a specific time in the evening, usually that’s before I even get to the bottom of my tree. I eat lunch between 10am-3pm usually, not 530-9pm…
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You really like to argue with people don’t you? Every time there’s a thread like this you seem to have a point of why you’re so much better than everyone. The weather isn’t the main concern. We hunt in the snow and the rain but typically with snow and rain comes wind. If you want to leave a $1,000 in a tree like an idiot by all means do you but that’s doesn’t make you cooler or better than anyone else. Lose your arrogance it’s rather annoying. And no this isn’t the first time I’ve considered saying this
I'm not worried about the dark, but I'm the same way. I'd rather make less noise or see what I'm going in to. First thing in the morning, as long as you see them first, you can get pretty close.
I don't do it all the time, but over half.
And no, I never leave gear in the tree.
Iron_llama
Well-Known Member
I still-hunt my way in to my stand, and expect to have a shot on the ground before I get up the tree. I go 'in-role' as soon as I leave the parking area. Really, should be, as soon as I park.
Man I keep seeing all these influencers killing big bucks walking in at gray light. It's almost like being scurred of the dark is super productive! Consider me influenced, I wouldn't mind sleeping in a bit!
OK simmer dahn, I can understand certain access situations, certainly where deer are in farm fields you need to access from, where that makes sense. But big-woods deer there is no chance I'm not getting in the tree early. No way.
OK simmer dahn, I can understand certain access situations, certainly where deer are in farm fields you need to access from, where that makes sense. But big-woods deer there is no chance I'm not getting in the tree early. No way.
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Well said.
it would be interesting to see how our perspectives and approach’s to this question correlate with the nature of our hunting regions and deer density.
I have a few spots this year that I doubt seriously I will make it to the tree before light but I will most likely stay all day once I get there. A shade over an hour drive and an hour to an hour and a half as hard as I can walk to get to a couple spots. Add a good bit more time trying to slip in quietly pre-dawn. It will for sure be a different experience for me. I am used to being in the tree before shooting light at a minimum.
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I’ve walked a half mile and realized I left my bow…
In the truck.
Talk about a walk of shame.
Also have cleaned my truck out mid season to make room for passengers and on the next hunt left all kinds of shhhtuff at the house.
Lesson? DONT CLEAN YOUR RIG!!!
In the truck.
Talk about a walk of shame.
Also have cleaned my truck out mid season to make room for passengers and on the next hunt left all kinds of shhhtuff at the house.
Lesson? DONT CLEAN YOUR RIG!!!
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How many big bucks have you killed from a tree before sunrise? Me over never killed a big buck before 9-9:30. All I hunt is big woods. We do t have much ag where I live except for some hay fields.
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Guess it depends on definition of "big buck" but I have shot a few mature deer in the 30 minutes before technical sun rise. Without question more in the early afternoon or evening but early morning can be good too at times.
Twenty minutes getting gear ready, twenty minute truck ride, twenty minute getting boat in water, twenty minute boat ride, twenty minute walk, twenty minute prep at base of tree to climb it in sub freezing temps and all that comes with that, twenty minute climb, twenty minutes trying to set up stuff in tree in the dark. 3 hours of logistics.
If I can leave a couple heavy layers, my accessory pack, my climbing method and platform, my bow, I cut down on the 20 minutes getting gear ready, shave a little time off the walk not dealing with carrying a weapon and pack and heavy clothes, most of prep at tree, time to climb with a mobile method, maybe that looks closer to two hours.
That leaves time for coffee and donuts. Or extra sleep after having little for multiple days. Cuts down on a lot of noise on approach and ascent. Cuts down on a lot of frustration. Cuts down on a lot of brain space.
It’s not the answer all the time. It’s not even the answer most of the time. I don’t think I’m smarter than anyone or better than anyone for doing it rarely. But there are scenarios where it can make sense. I’ll return to taking bites out of sacred cows in private!
If I can leave a couple heavy layers, my accessory pack, my climbing method and platform, my bow, I cut down on the 20 minutes getting gear ready, shave a little time off the walk not dealing with carrying a weapon and pack and heavy clothes, most of prep at tree, time to climb with a mobile method, maybe that looks closer to two hours.
That leaves time for coffee and donuts. Or extra sleep after having little for multiple days. Cuts down on a lot of noise on approach and ascent. Cuts down on a lot of frustration. Cuts down on a lot of brain space.
It’s not the answer all the time. It’s not even the answer most of the time. I don’t think I’m smarter than anyone or better than anyone for doing it rarely. But there are scenarios where it can make sense. I’ll return to taking bites out of sacred cows in private!
Only one big one, last season, and probably the biggest buck I've ever seen from a tree busted me drawing back in 2019. Don't think I would have encountered either of those deer if I was not set up well before go time.
Idk to each their own I just like to get in there and set up, I don't see any legit downsides to doing it that way.
Helps to adjust the going to bed time.
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Warms my heart. Started with a house full of furniture and look where we are now. Amazing.
Great progress has been made with this one
