Risk vs Reward: Head to stand in dark / light?

Our family has always gone out to our stands early - pitch black - in order to be settled and ready as soon as shooting light arrives.

At one stand in particular this paid off, with me getting my biggest buck around 6:20am on day.

But more often (at least once a season) I bump a deer on my way into this stand.

So what's your preference? Head in while it's dark and risk bumping them... or head in when it's light and risk missing them entirely?

(Keep in mind I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there with great hunting spots that are viable all day long, but this spot just sits on a fringe of a neighbour's big bush and our side is just moss and scrub grass and junipers. The deer only come out to check our apples for a few mins and then head back to the bush).

I prefer to get in while it's still dark. But I usually don't bump deer heading in. So I guess it comes down to what works best for your setup and location

If I'm someplace new, I always walk in during legal light. I've bumped plenty of deer bumbling around so it makes more sense to at least have a chance to get a shot off.

Im more of a pitch black early guy. Either way, the potential of bumping them is always there.

But theres just something about being in the stand before first light and waiting for the woods to wake up. Gotta love it

I've bumped more off during the day than I have walking in at dark. Since I'm mostly bow hunting I wouldn't try a shot anyways.

There are 2 hunt opportunities that I've patterned for my pop up after two weeks of having the trail cams out...they come thru at the crack of dawn OR around 9:00 am (2-3 hrs later)...so I have the option.

I prefer go in during the dark and then sit till almost 11:00. If I bump the first group, so be it, another chance seems to be there a couple hours later.

I always prefer to be in my stand and settled down an hour before legal time. Obviously there is a chance of bumping deer, but it's a chance I take. I get in there, sort my gear out, pour a coffee, and get the noise factor that goes with that taken care of. Then I settle down and wait. I've shot a lot of deer early in the morning, it works for me.

My idea is that if I'm walking in and I've got the wind in my face, and I bump deer, big deal...if they can't smell you and can't see you I find they'll come back many times later because their curious. But during this time of year deer will be moving all day with the Bucks chasing, so if you feel like sleeping in it may not hurt your chances too much.

I am always in my treestand at least 30 minutes before legal shooting time walk in in the dark.

I almost always wait until legal shooting light before still hunting into stand locations. In the "big woods" you can't predict the likely location of deer with the level of certainty you can in agricultural areas. I actually shot my 2012 buck in this manner (literally as I arrived at my stand location) and I am certain I would have spooked him from the area by blindly crashing through the woods in the dark.