Early morning setups

[tailgunner]

Aint that some

 

[wdarby]

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.

True - but it doesn't have the precision of my gps, at least with HuntStand. I have seen points off by dozens of yards. I have had good luck with Gaia tracks, I might give that a try again. But I'm not a fan of the touch screen of a phone vs buttons of a gps.

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

 

[wdarby]

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.

Yeah, I always pick a tree when scouting as well. Trouble is navigating directly to it in pitch black. I do like the grey light idea.

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

 

[wdarby]

Thanks to all the insightful comments. Definitely gives me a lot to think about. I'll probably get another gps because the accuracy is amazing, but think I'm gonna try the 100yds away in the dark, last 100 during grey light this weekend.

Thanks again

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

 

[tailgunner]

Walked up to a tree in the dark this morning in a good posision.i look strait up at the sky first and notice its dead.picked another and noticed widow makers leaning towars it.by Grey light I found one

 

[littlefish]

Yeah, I always pick a tree when scouting as well. Trouble is navigating directly to it in pitch black. I do like the grey light idea.

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

GPS app on your phone gets you close, reflective tacks marking the specific tree gets you the rest of the way.

 

[Nchunter1989]

True - but it doesn't have the precision of my gps, at least with HuntStand. I have seen points off by dozens of yards. I have had good luck with Gaia tracks, I might give that a try again. But I'm not a fan of the touch screen of a phone vs buttons of a gps.

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

That’s a user specific phone/carrier/signal issue. Onx & HuntStand are both designed to run in a “offline” mode for gps. I would be checking your phone location settings, I’m getting pinpoint “base of the tree”..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[7mmremmag]

My onx pins, I'll know what tree. Typically anymore I am mid day scouting, hunting the afternoon on hot sign, hunting the same spot in the AM then pulling my set.

I would be checking your phone location settings, I’m getting pinpoint “base of the tree”..

Same.

 

[huntin_addict]

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.

Go walk thru the woods after dark with a headlamp on. You can get incredibly close to deer that don't smell you before they really turn inside out. While deer are nocturnal, they really don't see well at all when it is dark. There are alot of critters that make noise in the woods when it is dark, so I don't feel the little noise I make is harmful. Try not to sound human, try to keep wind in your favor, you should be ok. Those deer get a whiff of you though.......

If I am going into a spot for a first time hunt, I will get in there in the dark, but may just stage up until I can pick out the tree I want to sit.

I was sneaking into an oak flat in OH this year, well before sun-up. I was maybe 40-45 yards from the tree I wanted to sit when I see multiple sets of eyes to the left and slightly ahead of me, looking right at me but low to the ground. I backed up some and circled out a little to my tree. Had a good crosswind from them to me the whole time. I climbed up (quietly but not ultra silent) and settled in, with first light peeking thru as I was settling. Right about legal sunrise, 2 big does with 2 yearlings stood up out of their beds 30 yards away, milled around a little, then moseyed off. Far as they were concerned, I was just an oversized raccoon.

 

[huntin_addict]

That’s a user specific phone/carrier/signal issue. Onx & HuntStand are both designed to run in a “offline” mode for gps. I would be checking your phone location settings, I’m getting pinpoint “base of the tree”..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Does GPS Work Without Data? A Comprehensive Guide | onX Hunt

Learn how GPS works without data. Dive into our guide on GPS technology, offline navigation, and get answers to frequently asked questions. Know where you stand

www.onxmaps.com

The chipset in some if not all phones may not support all gps, but all cell phones have some sort of gps capability. Additionally, depending on the terrain you are in, one may not have "pinpoint base of the tree" accuracy, although they should get close.

 

[Adrena123]

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

Yeahhh.. I've killed 2 mature bucks at 1st light on the 1st day of the season (september) in bachlor groups in their bedrooms. The one I didn't get a shot at came past at 1st light around oct 28th headed to bed. That one still gets me. There are others as well. All those 3 are on video so I get watch the one walk out of my life any time I want lol.

All my morning hunts are planned out. I know exactly what tree I'm headed to and I'm there an hour before day break. On public I'll have a backup plan. I scout a lot.

 

[KYHunter]

Yeahhh.. I've killed 2 mature bucks at 1st light on the 1st day of the season (september) in bachlor groups in their bedrooms. The one I didn't get a shot at came past at 1st light around oct 28th headed to bed. That one still gets me. There are others as well. All those 3 are on video so I get watch the one walk out of my life any time I want lol.

All my morning hunts are planned out. I know exactly what tree I'm headed to and I'm there an hour before day break. On public I'll have a backup plan. I scout a lot.

That stings I’m sure!!

Sounds like we hunt very similar. I primarily hunt bedding areas as well. Preparation in the off-season and quality scouting are so key.

great point on the backup plan. I like to slip in early enough that if my card-pull shows now action then I can move to plan B and still be setup before daylight

 

[Adrena123]

That stings I’m sure!!

Sounds like we hunt very similar. I primarily hunt bedding areas as well. Preparation in the off-season and quality scouting are so key.

great point on the backup plan. I like to slip in early enough that if my card-pull shows now action then I can move to plan B and still be setup before daylight

I hear ya. My plan B is if another dude flashes his light at me...but that never happens

 

[KYHunter]

I hear ya. My plan B is if another dude flashes his light at me...but that never happens

Means you’re in there deep probably! My plan B’s are typically wind dependent. Lot of public that I hunt so typically I can make another setup in the next ridge system or drainage

 

[michigandrake]

Lost my GPS a few years back and used my phone as a backup. It was good for 80% of my stands. The deep swamp stuff was a little sketchy. Replaced the GPS the next season. Phone did fine in upland terrain but down low in the river drainage my accuracy decreased just when I needed it most. Even with my GPS and compass I still use some reflective tape in certain spots where being on the exact right path is important. I use dark blue reflective tape and to date, I have yet to run into anyone else using that color. Not very bright in white light but really glows in the green light I use. If I need to locate something at a distance I use white reflective. There is a cattail marsh I have to cross and want to be on a certain run coming out. Put a 6" chunk of white reflective on a maple sapling, 15' up, and can see that in my white light at 75 yards ....maybe more. Gives me peace of mind, as I am busting my butt, that I am going to hit that run with the least effort possible. For me, reflective markers have their place but I use them sparingly and make sure they are mine by making them unique.

 

[Nchunter1989]

Does GPS Work Without Data? A Comprehensive Guide | onX Hunt

Learn how GPS works without data. Dive into our guide on GPS technology, offline navigation, and get answers to frequently asked questions. Know where you stand

www.onxmaps.com

The chipset in some if not all phones may not support all gps, but all cell phones have some sort of gps capability. Additionally, depending on the terrain you are in, one may not have "pinpoint base of the tree" accuracy, although they should get close.

Which is why I said it’s most likely signal/carrier issue, not an app issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[tarafrost]

I take regular backups of my GPS waypoints onto my computer and in the cloud. Got tons of them for the area we moose hunt in and adding more for deer hunting. That way if I lose my GPS (A Garmin Oregon), I don't lose all the important data!

Backups are good for ya, folks!

 

[1simplemann]

What did we do before phone and GPS's? Technology today is amazing. It definitely has it's place. However I think it has become a crutch for some of the newer generation of today's hunters . It sounds like some people need to brush up on there woodsmanship skills. For years, I have entered and exited my trees without a head lamp. To this day, I could take you to trees I used to hunt on properties that I hunted 20-30 yrs ago. On the property that I currently hunt, we have 26 trees pre-set. None are "pinned" on my phone. One is a mile 1/2 from the truck. We walk right to all of them without the aid of a phone or a light. It's fairly easy to do. Your eyes have to acclimate to the dark. Then You just have to have recognizable landmarks to navigate throught the woods. A former hunting partner couldn't believe that I could take him right to his tree without ever turning on the light. With that being said, my eyes aren't what they were 20 years ago and I find myself using using a light more and more especially in tricky footing areas. I will say though that being able to give a "pin" to a new guest on my property would be pretty handy. They could walk right to "their" tree without me taking them to it. Also GPS is VERY handy in navigating the mountains while hunting elk. I use one all the time in the mountains now. However , for years we just navigated with a compass and common sense.

 

[1simplemann]

Also for the guys that get in and get out at grey light, you might want to re think that. I'm a get in an hour before day light kinda guy. Many times I have had deer come in before shooting light and bed down close by. I later saw those deer after they got up out of their beds later. I was late once. I got to my tree right at shooting light. I popped up over the river bank and there stood a shooter 15yds away. ( I only had a doe tag left) .He didn't see me and kept walking down the river. He was 20 yds from my tree. He was literally on the trail that took him by another hunter's stand 75 yds away who also had permission. He always entered after daylight so we rarely saw each other. He wasn't in the parking lot that morning so I thought he wasn't hunting. He was there when I got out. I asked him what time he got in his tree. He was a 1/2 hour too late. I rubbed it in a little and told a P & Y walked by his tree at 6:45 AM. Also 3 of my biggest bucks to date were killed in the last 5 minutes of the day in grey light. ALWAYS stay till the end! It happens quick.

 

[1simplemann]

Also many times I have been in the woods in the after dark with a headlamp on. Tracking, setting a stand etc. Deer will often let you walk right by them 20 -40 yds away. They run off by for some reason they don't spook too badly. In the daylight those deer would be gone for sure.