Early morning setups

[wdarby]

After my second year of saddle hunting, I've come to really enjoy afternoon hunts where I set up on hot sign. But due to work and family, about 2/3 of my hunts are in the morning. My process has been the same since I started mobile hunting - pin a tree (typically near bedding) with a reflective tack and mark it on my gps. Then plan a route on the gps from my parking spot. This has worked well from the perspective that I can travel long distances to reach a spot without relying on landmarks or a tacked trail, and climb a planned tree where I know the orientation to trails and shooting windows.
However, I recently lost my gps which made me question how other folks navigate to their early morning setups.

I wish I was a headlight on a north-bound train

 

[Weldabeast]

If I've never been there before I'll wait till I can see to start walking in... I'll walk roads/2 tracks/trails in the dark but getting off the path and into the crunchy footsteps I feel I can move much more quiet if I can see. I used to think I "had" to be in a tree before sun up but imo it's better to walk in at gray light....I'm less likely to spook animals when I can see and walk more quietly and I can pick a tree easier when I can see.... I've climbed up a bunch in the dark just to wish I was 30yds further to the trail I didn't see in the dark when the sun gets up....I think it kinda depends on how far u going also... If it's really far in I try to at least be in the general area around sun up then walk in the remaining couple hundred yards when I can see

 

[littlefish]

After my second year of saddle hunting, I've come to really enjoy afternoon hunts where I set up on hot sign. But due to work and family, about 2/3 of my hunts are in the morning. My process has been the same since I started mobile hunting - pin a tree (typically near bedding) with a reflective tack and mark it on my gps. Then plan a route on the gps from my parking spot. This has worked well from the perspective that I can travel long distances to reach a spot without relying on landmarks or a tacked trail, and climb a planned tree where I know the orientation to trails and shooting windows.
However, I recently lost my gps which made me question how other folks navigate to their early morning setups.

I wish I was a headlight on a north-bound train

You say you lost your GPS but what about an app on your phone? Works even without cell service, and the free version of Gaia should be more than enough to navigate to waypoints in the dark.

 

[Bloodhound]

I pin all my spots on Google maps. So easy. When you get to a tree you want to hunt, just press and hold on your location, then hit save. Google maps gets you to about 10-15 yards of the tree.

 

[Spartan]

Similar to above, I use pins on google maps. I save the pins either in the "notes" on my iphone, or will email the pins to myself with some quick identifying notes right after I make them if I have cell signal at the time. This allows the pins to be both saved and searchable. I can then also bring up these pins into google earth on my home PC to get a better big-picture view of my scouting, or bring them back up on my phone when I'm in the woods to get back to a particular location. You do not need cell service to display pins on google maps so long as you have the pin saved, you only need GPS signal to display where you are relative the pin.

I don't put out bright eye tacks or ties at all, but sometimes I will follow the dozens or even hundreds that have been put out by other hunters when traveling through an obviously well-traveled area, especially when leaving the woods.

 

[tailgunner]

I walk through poison oak and climbed a tree full of sumack in the dark.its better to wait till Grey light.in 15 years I still haven't smacked one at first light anyway.going in pich black today.i need to cross a canyon clear-cut get to the timber in the creek .

 

[Exhumis]

If I've never been there before I'll wait till I can see to start walking in... I'll walk roads/2 tracks/trails in the dark but getting off the path and into the crunchy footsteps I feel I can move much more quiet if I can see. I used to think I "had" to be in a tree before sun up but imo it's better to walk in at gray light....I'm less likely to spook animals when I can see and walk more quietly and I can pick a tree easier when I can see.... I've climbed up a bunch in the dark just to wish I was 30yds further to the trail I didn't see in the dark when the sun gets up....I think it kinda depends on how far u going also... If it's really far in I try to at least be in the general area around sun up then walk in the remaining couple hundred yards when I can see

After many years of hunting I’m starting to learn the wisdom in this. I’ve yet to shoot let alone see a deer or turkey moving at first light and oftentimes I wish I set up in a different spot once I can see better. For the few remaining sits this season and starting next season I’m going to try that.

 

[KYHunter]

Unlike others above, I’ve killed my biggest and oldest buck and seen plenty of deer at first light. I guess everyone’s hunting experience is different. I like to get in plenty early, 1-2 hours before light.
I like to use On-X on my phone to navigate in the dark but I also use terrain for most of the walk in and out so I don’t have to check my phone.

I also try to scout as much as possible in the off season and cover lots of miles. If I find a good spot that I want to come back and potentially hunt I will spend the time to pick out 2-3 trees that I could setup in. Sometimes I’ll stand there 15-30 mins picking out a tree. That way, when it’s time to come in and hunt, I already know what trees I can climb and have good shot windows.
I have dozens and dozens of these spots. Sometimes you don’t hunt an area that year but you can always come back to it and you have the trees already picked out

 

[Bowtie747]

So this season I did more scouting than I ever have. Put a ton of miles on the ole boots. One mistake I made scouting is when I’d find an area that looked good. I pinned it and moved on. Instead of picking a certain tree or trees to climb. So in my ignorance Id get to an area I scouted over the summer and then not be able to find a tree in the dark. So I learned quickly to either as mentioned walk in and then find a spot in gray light. Or when scouting pick a tree as also mentioned. This summer I will be scouting with my sticks and will even climb the tree first to see how the shooting lanes look since I’m on public. Then mark that individual tree. This option gives you the go in while its dark if you prefer that over going in during gray light.

 

[Weldabeast]

I've seen plenty of deer at sunup and heard them walk underneath me when elevated early but I've spooked more animals in the dark walking..im not opposed it going in early at all but when I'm hearing animals run off I kinda loose confidence ....if the woods were a little more open then I wouldnt worry about it and use the phone to navigate but it's pretty thick and almost impossible to be any kinda sneaky unless I got terrain that helps like a ditch/creek flooded woods etc...

 

[Hunter260]

I never go in before daylight.

Well, let me rephrase, I never go near areas that I expect deer could be before daylight. Deer have no problem seeing you before daylight, especially when you’re stumbling in the dark with a headlamp on. I cant see the deer before light so they’ve got the advantage.

I’d rather get there just at grey light when the dew is making the leaves quiet, birds are chirping for cover noise and I can move very slowly and watch for any deer. I’ve had several encounters where I could have shot one from the ground in the morning like this.

If I hunted private ground exclusively I’d probably alter my strategies to clear paths and make getting to a stand hours before daylight more silent. This would include mowing, and raking leaves away.

 

[Nchunter1989]

I never go in before daylight.

Well, let me rephrase, I never go near areas that I expect deer could be before daylight. Deer have no problem seeing you before daylight, especially when you’re stumbling in the dark with a headlamp on. I cant see the deer before light so they’ve got the advantage.

I’d rather get there just at grey light when the dew is making the leaves quiet, birds are chirping for cover noise and I can move very slowly and watch for any deer. I’ve had several encounters where I could have shot one from the ground in the morning like this.

If I hunted private ground exclusively I’d probably alter my strategies to clear paths and make getting to a stand hours before daylight more silent. This would include mowing, and raking leaves away.

That’s interesting.. you don’t feel that the deer are more wary & pay more attention at grey light versus 3-4am?


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[littlefish]

That’s interesting.. you don’t feel that the deer are more wary & pay more attention at grey light versus 3-4am?


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Not who you're quoting, but I think deer are more inclined to hard spook if they see you in the light. Whenever I run into deer in the dark and I see their eyes, I usually back out and go around them. Rarely do the spook hard or blow at me if I do that.

 

[Nchunter1989]

Not who you're quoting, but I think deer are more inclined to hard spook if they see you in the light. Whenever I run into deer in the dark and I see their eyes, I usually back out and go around them. Rarely do the spook hard or blow at me if I do that.

That’s been my experience as well. Im sure it can be area & pressure specific, but generally if it’s dark, after twilight & before grey light, I find they spook a lot less versus slipping through at grey light. I may hear them walk off, but generally I still see them just stand there.

And if I’m walking through after sunrise, I’m generally running a turkey call.


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[Weldabeast]

I just learned something new.... Both gray and grey are correct....anyway...carry on

 

[Mitchellfarmer1982]

I've killed my 2 biggest bucks of my life this year 1 in the first 15 minutes of legal light and 1 in the last 15 minutes of legal light. The one in the first 15 minutes I know I made noise getting bc I got hung in a vine but he still walked thru head down not alert or nervous.

 

[Hunter260]

W

That’s interesting.. you don’t feel that the deer are more wary & pay more attention at grey light versus 3-4am?


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Well they may be, but I think I’m much less likely to spook one when it’s light out. It’s all trade offs.

 

[elk yinzer]

Similar to yours OP except I don't use a glow tack. So my advice would be to get another GPS. Personally I hate using my phone to navigate but I've used Huntstand and OnX successfully also. My GPS is accurate to within 10 feet and I can always find my tree, just take my time and make sure I get it right. I hike in with a white headlight and do my final 50-100 yards with a small red light. My little trick is when I'm scouting I'll make a little video of notes on my final approach, noting anything important, landmarks, trails to avoid, and the type of tree and what it looks like that I want to climb. Find that and watch it the night before I head in so it's all fresh in my mind.

 

[tailgunner]

Went in in the dark this morn.elk seasons over.no GPS or compas.but headlamp ,pruners ang wire saw are a must.

 

[tailgunner]